Jesus the "Door" to God
By Brother Jack
Did you know that God loves you and would like to offer you a wonderful plan for your life?
In John chapter 3:16, Jesus tells Nichcodemus, a Jewish teacher, that “…God so loved the world, that he gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not parish, but have eternal life.” Jesus later refers to Himself in John chapter 10 as being the “door”, and everyone who enters through Him will be saved. In verse 10 of this same chapter the Lord says “… I came that they [those who enter through Him] may have life, and have it abundantly.”
But many people don't think of life as being “abundant” or recognize that their life is a wonderful journey that God has graciously provided them. Why is that? Those who have not yet entered through Jesus Christ cannot know or experience God's love or recognize His plan. Man is sinful and separated from God, and this fact is emphasized in Romans 3:23 which says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” In addition, God has placed a hole in everyone's heart and has reserved it as a special place for Himself. We were made to fellowship with God, but since God has also given us a free will (which we should use to worship Him), without His help we would choose to do our own thing, which would be contrary to God's will. For example, many people will try to fill their God-hole (or that natural longing for God) with an abuse of drugs, sex, alcohol, etc. Since sin separates us from God, without Him we are doomed to an eternal death. This fact is emphasized in Romans 6:23 which says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
The good news is that there is hope through Jesus Christ the “door” to God! Only through Jesus can we know and experience God's love and His plan for our lives. Jesus is the only solution for our sins and separation from God. Jesus says in John chapter 14 verse 6, “… I am the way, and the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” Since the wages of sin brings death, Jesus chose to pay this expensive price and these wages for us by suffering and dying in our place. Romans chapter 5 mentions this in that while we were still involved in our sins, and not even realizing that we owned wages for them, Jesus Christ chose to die for us. verse 8 says, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Jesus not only died in our place for us but He conquered death since He rose from the dead. In 1 Corinthians 15:3-6 the apostle Paul says:
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas [Peter], then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep [that is to say that they have died].
It's good to know about Jesus and who He is and to understand that He died in your place and to know that He's the only way to the Father. But this isn't enough! You must individually ask and receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, and only then will you have new life and experience and know God's love for you and His will for you in your life. You receive Jesus by simply asking Him into your life by faith and this fact is stated in Matthew chapter 7 verse 7, which says, “ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” And John chapter 1 verse 12 says, “but as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even those who believe in His name…”, and Ephesians chapter 2 verses 8 and 9: “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast”. Now did you know that the Lord is actually waiting for you to ask Him into your life? Revelation chapter 3 verse 20 says, “Behold I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.”
You can receive Jesus Christ by first turning from your sins, asking Jesus into your life and believing and trusting Jesus as your Lord and Savior. God knows your heart and so the details in words that you pray aren't as important as is your attitude and desire to receive Jesus. Receive Jesus by saying a simple prayer (aloud) something like this:
Lord Jesus, I love You and I need You! I know that You suffered and died for me on the cross for my sins, so that I may have eternal life. I'm truly sorry for my sins, and I turn to You now and ask that You forgive me for my sins and to come into my life and rule in my heart as my Lord and Savior. Thank you Lord for coming into my life and thank you for forgiving me for my sins and saving me, in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.