I have this pressing need to share the gospel with you. I was involved in the occult since I was a child and I used to check out books at the library on witchcraft and psychic powers and other such topics. I used to get involved in all the different aspects of the new age movement, i.e., crystals, tarot cards, spiritualism, casting spells and astral projection. Needless to say, I didn’t have a normal childhood. I grew up in what would be called a dysfunctional family and I was a loner and had very few friends in school and I kept to myself. In my young adult life, I got involved in the homosexual lifestyle and I always felt depressed and even suicidal at times because I was unhappy with my life. It was probably sometime in 1998 that I had someone witness to me when I was serving in the Navy in Phoenix, Arizona. It was a Naval Reservist that witnessed to me and explained to me that I needed Jesus in my life. I told her I didn’t think I could ever be forgiven for the sins that I had committed. She didn’t know anything about the kind of life I was living but that is the way I felt, that I had committed too many abominations to be worthy of salvation. It was about 11 years ago that I moved to Kentucky and the Lord started to work on me and show me how black my heart was. I remember walking to my car, thinking that I needed to be saved, but deciding to put it off until later. Eventually, I became convicted in my heart. One night before I went to sleep, I asked the Lord to forgive me. Now I had never read the Bible or even knew the process for salvation. I had always heard on the radio or television somewhere that you ask the Lord for forgiveness and you invite Him into your heart. I did just that and went to sleep. I had the most incredible dream that I will never forget—the Lord did indeed come to me and save me. When I woke up I felt such incredible happiness and peace that I had never had before in my life. I am not the same person I used to be and I try to live every aspect of my life to the glory of God. I know I don’t deserve the gift He has given me; the only thing I truly deserve is destruction for my wickedness. I want to get this message of the Gospel out to the world because I really feel like the time is running short. There is a great falling away of the church that Jesus said would happen in the scriptures and the church is failing in its mission to reach out to people. “What must I do to be saved?” is the question the Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas. Paul and Silas answered with the Gospel: they replied, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house” (Acts 16:31). The Gospel is all about God’s grace. It’s simple, but many stumble on it because it goes against our desire to do something to save ourselves. Rather, it is Good News because Jesus has done it all—it is His person and work a person must look to and believe. Jesus is the Son of God, perfect and without sin, who suffered the punishment due to His people on the cross. He bore the wrath of God due to them so that they might enter into direct communion with God once again. This substitutionary sacrifice for His people’s sin, foreshadowed in the Old Testament, sealed eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord for those who believe. Why must I be saved? (1) We deserve the wrath of God because of the guilt of our sin. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; (Romans 1:18) He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3:36) And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. (1 Thessalonians 1:10) (2) The consequences of our sin: (A) Death And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. (Genesis 2:16-17) Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 5:12, 21; 6:23) I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins. (John 8:24) (B) Condemnation For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. (John 3:17-20) And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. (Romans 5:16, 18) I hope that reading this will bring you closer to God and that you will get on your hands and knees and pray to him and, if you are unsaved, ask for forgiveness. God Bless You.
