Jesus Died for Our Sins

Since we cannot save ourselves, Jesus restores us to God—His perfect sacrifice washed away our sins…forever.

Here’s what you need to know.

God loves you! 

He is your Creator and wants to have a relationship with you and all people (Genesis 1:1). He wants to share His abundant life with you (John 3:16; 10:10).

You are a sinner. 

And not just you, but every human who ever lived (Romans 3:10). A sinner is a rebel against God’s standard, holiness, and authority (Romans 3:23), just like Adam and Eve.

The penalty for sin is death. 

Rebellion must be dealt with, and sin has a price that must be paid (Romans 5:12). Sin causes us to have eternal separation from God (Romans 6:23). Sin causes physical death in this life (Genesis 2:16-17) and spiritual death and eternal separation in a real place known as hell (Revelation 21:8).

Jesus paid your sin penalty with His own death. 

Jesus is God’s Son, and the only righteous person who could ever do this (1 Peter 3:18; Acts 4:12). He lived perfectly, died, was buried, and then resurrected in His own power (1 Corinthians 15). His death was your substitute, and He took your punishment so that God’s wrath could be satisfied (Romans 5:8).

His salvation can come to you by His grace, not your works.

He can save you, rescue you from Satan, cure you of your sin, and help you escape from sin’s penalty (Romans 10:13). He offers this as a free gift of His grace or “unmerited favor” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

You must repent and call on God by faith. 

To repent is more than regret (acknowledge sin mentally) and more than remorse (acknowledge sin emotionally). To repent means you turn away from your rebellion and turn toward God—it is a literal act of your will. You then put your full trust in Jesus and believe God for salvation (Romans 5:1). You express this by literally asking Jesus to forgive your sin (Romans 10:9). That is God’s plan. You once were dead in sin, but now and forever, you are alive in Christ!

Is this your story?

Is this the story you have heard and believed? Have you asked God to rescue you? If you have never done this, now is the best time to make sure about your standing with God and your eternal life. Pray, talk to God right now, in your own words, from your heart. You could say something like this:

“God, I believe that You love me. I confess that I am a sinner, and I know the penalty for sin is death. I believe that Jesus paid my sin penalty with His own death on the cross, and that He rose again. I believe that salvation comes by Your grace, not by any good works that I can perform. I repent and by faith ask You right now for salvation. Save me and be Lord of my life. Thank You.”

If you prayed that prayer and trusted in Jesus for salvation, congratulations! That is the greatest decision we could ever make because it impacts not only our lives here on earth but our eternity! Be sure to share your decision with a friend, family member or mentor so that they can celebrate with you and guide you in your next step in following Jesus.