HERE IS THE BEST NEWS EVER!

Jesus, the Son of God, loves you and He wants a relationship with you.  In fact, this relationship is the foundation of eternal life and heaven (John 17:3).  In order to enter into this relationship, we need to be saved from sin, darkness, and death.  This is called salvation. There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord. 

Why do we need to be saved? And from what?

Romans 3:23 says that all people are sinners. This means that we choose not to obey God's guidelines. In fact ,we want to be god and so we hate God (Romans 3:10). We do not seek Him on our own. We try to work our way to heaven but we cannot. No matter how good we are or selfless we are or how religious we are, we cannot earn or make our way to heaven (Ephesians 2:9). In truth, we are prisoners in our sins, desires, and passions, and, again, there is nothing we can do to free ourselves. The reward for our sinfulness is death and hell. We will be separated from God and anything good for all eternity (Romans 6:23a). We need a rescuer. We need a Savior.

John 3:16 and Romans 5:8 say that in His love for us, God sent His Son, Jesus, to take the punishment we deserve and to pay the debt to God we can never pay back. Jesus shed His blood on a cross and died so that we can have freedom and victory over sin. Then we was buried. Praise the Lord! Jesus did not stay dead. He arose again on the third day so that we could have eternal life. We can now be free of sin and the eternal punishment (death) that goes with it (Romans 6:23b). This is the best news ever! (1 Corinthians 15:1-11) 

Romans 6:23b says that this salvation (as we call it) is a gift of God. To receive this gift, we must enter into a relationship with Jesus (John 17:3). We surrender our life to Him and choose to follow Him as Lord for the rest of our lives. We also need to believe in His resurrection (Romans 10:9-10). Once we choose to follow Him in faith in a personal relationship, we are given a new life, a life lived with Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17). Behold, Jesus stands at the door of your heart, wanting to be in a relationship with you. Will you open the door and let Him in?

How does one enter into a relationship with Jesus?

A - Admit

Admit what you have done wrong and ask forgiveness.

Romans 3:23 All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Romans 6:23 The wages of sin is death.
I John 1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

B - Believe

Believe that Jesus died on the cross and rose again as a payment for your sins.

John 3:16  For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
1 Corinthians 15:3-4  Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.
Romans 5:8  But God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

C - Confess and Choose/Commit

Confess and choose/commit to allow God to the be in charge of your life every day.

Matthew 16:24  Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Romans 10:9  If you declare 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.

If you would like to enter into a life-changing relationship with Jesus, then take this time to pray this prayer with a believing heart:  "Dear God.  I know that I am a sinner enslaved to sin and death.  I know that I cannot save myself from all of this.  Please come into my life, forgive me, and change me.  I commit myself to follow you as Boss every day for the rest of my life.  Thank you."

Once you made the choice to commit to Jesus, please contact us here at Elders Baptist Church and let us know of your decision.  You may contact us at 410-975-9481 or email us at eldersbaptist@verizon.net.  Then follow the steps below.

What do I do next?

1. Join a Bible-believing church

2. Be baptized.  This shows that you have made Jesus the Lord of your life and that you are publicly declaring that you are following Him.

3. Join a Bible study.  Learn all that you can about Jesus and what He wants you to do.

4. Choose each day to grow closer to Jesus.  This is done through prayer, reading/studying God's Word, and serving others.