Do You Know Jesus?

Do You Have A Relationship With Jesus?

(If you are already a Christian, scroll down to learn how to share your personal testimony.)

Becoming a Christian is the most important decision anyone can ever make. What does the Bible say about becoming a Christian?

*God loves you.
1 John 4:10 "This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins."

*Sin separates you from God. (Sin is anything that goes against God)
Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned; all fall short of God's glorious standard."

*God sent Jesus so you would not have to die for your sin.
Jesus died on the cross, He was buried, and He rose from the dead. He defeated sin and death for us, something we could not do on our own. John3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who BELIEVES in Him will not perish but have eternal life." (BELIEVE means to put your trust in, not simply to believe that Jesus exists.)

HOW DO YOU BECOME A CHRISTIAN?

1. Acknowledge that You are a Sinner.
Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned; all fall short of God's glorious standard."

Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is DEATH, but the gift of God is eterna life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

2. Repent of Your Sins and Turn From Them.
1 John 1:9 "But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong. "

3. Trust Jesus with Your LIfe.
Believe that Jesus is God's son, and the only way to eternal life, and trust Him with your life. Your decisions will now be made according to His will, not your own.

4. Confess Your Faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord.
If you have received Jesus as your Savior, your salvation is not something you will want to keep secret. God calls us to publicly claim Jesus as our Savior. (We can publicly confess Jesus as Savior through baptism.)
Romans 10:9-10 "For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. [10] For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. "

If you have never asked Jesus to forgive you and save you, you may do so right now. Pray,

"Dear God, I know I have sinned and that my sin separates me from You. I am sorry for my sin. I believe Jesus died on the cross for my sins, so that I can be forgiven. I believe that Jesus rose from the dead and is alive. Please forgive me. I ask Jesus to come into my life, make His home there, and be my Savior and Lord. I will do my best to obey You and live for You for the rest of my life, and I will continually seek Your forgiveness for when I don't obey You. Thank You and I love You."

If you have just prayed this prayer, you need to tell somebody! Tell someone you know is a Christian. This is the beginning of your new life, and you will need guidance, encouragement, and fellowship with other Christians. If you do not have anyone you can tell, call us (864-895-0544) or email one of our pastors - Don Elders - lwcdon@cs.com, Kevin Elders - kelders5@yahoo.com, Dean Campbell - squiredean@yahoo.com

Will you ever sin again?
Yes, everyone sins.

Will you ever have to become a Christian again?
No. When you ask Jesus to be your Savior and Lord, salvation lasts forever. Remember these promises from God:

Hebrews 13:5 "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."

John 10:28 I give them eternal life and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of My hand.

Sharing Your Personal Testimony

Your testimony is your declaration of Christianity. It is your story of how Jesus saved you. Your testimony can be as brief or in depth as it needs to be to tell of how Jesus changed your life.

A generic form for your testimony can be like this:

I was saved when I was ______ years old. Through the Holy Spirit making me feel guilty for my sins, I realized I am a sinner and that I deserved to be punished for my sins. Instead, I asked Jesus to forgive me, come into my life, and be my Savior. I still mess up, but if I admit my sins to Jesus, and ask Him to forgive me, He does.

(Put the details of how you were saved around these essential truths. You might have been saved at a retreat, or in Bible School, or through a friend bringing you to church. Maybe God got your attention after your parents' divorce, or the death of someone close to you. People will relate to your specific, unique story, and as you tell your story, the person/people will see how easy it is to put their trust in Jesus, too.)

SOME VERSES TO USE TO HELP EXPLAIN SALVATION

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

Romans 3:23 For ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is DEATH, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 10:9 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
Romans 10:13 Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
John 10:28 I give them eternal life and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of My hand.

John 14:6 I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the father but by Me.

Philippians 2:5-11 “Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had. Though He was God, He did not demand and cling to His rights as God. He made Himself nothing; He took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form. And in human form He obediently humbled Himself even further by dying a criminal’s death on a cross. Because of this, God raised Him up to the heights of heaven and gave Him a name that is above every other name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”