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CD ROM Paradise Collection 4 1995 Nov.iso
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BECOME.DOC
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1994-04-11
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HOW TO BECOME LIKE THE MASTER
God loves you and desires an abundant life for you:
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should
not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16).
Not only did God tell us that he loves you, but he proved his
love by sending his Son to die for us! His love is also
expressed by the abundant life he has planned you now--in this
life as well as in the life to come. Jesus said,
The thief [Satan] cometh not, but for to steal, and to
kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have
life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
(John 10:10).
Why is there so much evil in the world and why do most
people not experience the abundant life?
Because people are sinful, they are cut off from God and his
blessings. The Bible teaches and human experience confirms that
man is sinful:
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of
God; (Romans 3:23).
Man was created for fellowship with God, but that fellowship
was broken when he rebelled against God. This sin brought man
spiritual death:
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is
eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans
6:23).
Man continually strives for the abundant life but always
falls short. Business success, wealth, education, religion,
fame, drugs, pleasure and all human substitutes cannot fill the
God-shaped void in the human heart. How does one become reunited
with God and experience the abundant life?
Jesus Christ is God's only provision to forgive your sin and
give you abundant life. Jesus died for us--he took our penalty
of death:
For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet
peradventure for a good man some would even dare to
die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that,
while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans
5:7-8).
God demonstrated that Christ's death was accepted as a
sacrifice for us by raising Christ from the dead:
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also
received, how that 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:
And that he was seen of Cephas [Peter], then of the
twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred
brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto
this present, but some are fallen asleep. (1
Corinthians 15:3-6).
Christ is the only way to God:
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the
life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John
14:6).
It is not enough to know that God loves us, that sin has cut
us off from God and that Jesus Christ is the only way to God.
You must personally receive Christ as your Lord and Savior.
The Bible states that,
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to
become the sons of God, even to them that believe on
his name: (John 1:12).
You must receive Christ by faith:
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not
of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works,
lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9).
When you receive Christ, the Holy Spirit will give you a
spiritual rebirth, that Jesus called being born again:
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say
unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see
the kingdom of God. (John 3:3).
Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born
again. (John 3:7).
This is the most important experience that you will ever have.
God brings new life into your being. This new life will make you
like the Lord Jesus.
The Prophet Isaiah prophesied concerning the ministry of
Christ:
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD
hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek;
he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to
proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of
the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the
acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance
of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto
them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for
ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of
praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be
called trees of righteousness, the planting of the
LORD, that he might be glorified. (Isaiah 61:1-3).
This word picture of Isaiah speaks of the joy of deliverance from
past guilt and bondage of sin. However, it does not happen
automatically. Christ stands at your heart's door--you must open
the door:
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear
my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and
will sup with him, and he with me. (Revelation 3:20).
You can receive Christ in your heart right now. Pray this
prayer from your heart:
Almighty God, I confess that I have sinned against you.
I ask you to forgive me. I receive Christ as my Lord
and Savior. Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving
me eternal life. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Tell someone that you have accepted Christ as your Savior.
Write me and tell me the good news also. (This presentation of
the plan of salvation was adapted from Dr. Bill Bright's "Four
Spiritual Laws.")