JESUS
Jesus First
Voice church has and will always be about Jesus first. Our church is just one part of what He is doing around the world. But who is he? What’s the point of the cross? How do I become a Christian? And once I become a Christian, then what do I do?
"Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse."
-C.S. Lewis
A Crazy Man or the Son of God?
“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: “I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God.”
That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse.
You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to. . . .
Now it seems to me obvious that He was neither a lunatic nor a fiend: and consequently, however strange or terrifying or unlikely it may seem, I have to accept the view that He was and is God.”
— C.S. Lewis
The Problem With Sin
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” - Romans 3:23
As humans, we all have problems (at least 99). Whether these problems play out in our lives as addictions, depression, pride, greed, selfishness, or something else, the Bible says that the root of all problems is our sin. Sin means to miss the mark. We have all missed God’s standard of goodness. And this means that our sin separates us from Him.
And there is nothing that we can do to fix it on our own. No amount of good works, church attendance, or religion can get us to the level of God’s perfection. In ourselves, we are helpless and hopeless. So what do we do? How do we fix this ultimate problem? We can’t.
But…
The Greatest Love of All
“But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
This is where Jesus enters the picture! God isn’t just perfect in character. He’s also perfect in love as well as in grace and in mercy. Out of love and grace, God has provided an answer in Jesus.
This is the good news! The GREAT NEWS! God gave His own Son to become human, live a sinless life, die on the cross for our sin, and be raised from the dead to show not only a picture of God’s character, but to pay the penalty for our sin and bring us into right standing with God.
Because Jesus died, I can be forgiven. Because he rose, I can be born again!
The Undeserved Gift
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” - Romans 5:1-2
Because of what Jesus did for us on the cross, we can have a relationship with God!
“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raise Him from the dead, you will be saved.” - Romans 10:9
All our stories are different, but we all come to God in the same way. We recognize our sin. We own it. We realize no amount of good works can save us, and we rely on Christ alone for our salvation.
If you would like to receive and trust Jesus as your Savior, you can pray a simple prayer recognizing your sinfulness, accepting His forgiveness, and putting your faith in Christ for your salvation. Pray something simple like this…
Jesus, I’m sorry for trying to live my life on my own. Thank you for your love. Thank you for your grace. Thank you for the cross. I know you love me even in my worst moments. I accept your grace and ask for your to forgive me for all my sins. I turn away from my old life and commit to following you. I need your help. Holy Spirit, guide me. Teach me. Help me to show others your love too.
In Jesus name, Amen.
A Fresh Start
“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” - 2 Corinthians 5:17
If you have just put your trust in Jesus, you’ve just stepped into eternal life! It’s a huge and exciting step. It’s a new life. It’s a relationship with God! Moving forward, you’ll need to learn about your new life and how to walk with Jesus. Not only do we want to help guide you through this journey, but we want to walk it with you too.
So What’s Next?
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