By EvanTell, Inc.
http://www.evantell.org
The Gospel. Clear and Simple.
(The following was published on a popular Gospel tract by EvanTell, Inc.)
After years of receiving gifts that don’t fit, aren’t your style, lose their appeal or wear out, have you ever hoped for the perfect Christmas gift? A gift chosen especially for you that would fit perfectly, satisfy completely, and last forever?
Well, there is such a gift. You don’t deserve it and you cannot earn it, but you can receive it. It comes from the One who knows you best and loves you the most – God.
What is His gift?
Eternal life. You see, over 2000 years ago, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to be born to a virgin. He came, lived on earth for 33 years, and died that we might receive this gift which is perfectly fit to satisfy completely and last forever. The gift is there for everyone to receive.
How is it the perfect fit?
This gift is exactly what every sinner needs. It’s one-size-fits-all. Mankind has broken the laws God gave us and our sin has separated us from God. The Bible says, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). God is saying we have all missed the mark. We are all sinners.
Sinners can be evil people who do wicked things or good people who do good things. But whether we’re good or bad as men see us, before God we have all sinned and deserve punishment and death. The Bible is clear: “For the wages of sin is death…” (Romans 6:23). God does not want sinners to die but to live forever with Him; however, there is a price to be paid.
What’s the cost?
The price for our sin is steep – death. The good news is that the price has already been paid.
There was only one person who was qualified to rescue us from death. Jesus Christ was that person. Born of a virgin in Bethlehem, God’s perfect Son, Jesus Christ, took the punishment we deserve and died in our place. Christ spoke of His substitutionary death for us when He said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep” (John 10:11).
A newspaper once printed a story about a child who disobeyed his parents by running out the front door into a busy street. He did not see the fire engine careening over the crest of the hill. A passerby did see it and flung himself into the path of the truck, pushing the little boy to safety. The passerby was killed instantly when the truck struck him. He gave his life for the child.
When Christ died, He declared, “It is finished” (John 19:30). Essentially, He was saying, “I have made things right; nothing else is needed; the price has been paid.” Three days later Christ rose from the dead to prove He had conquered both sin and the grave. God accepted His Son’s death as the complete payment for our sins. Jesus Christ was the perfect sacrifice through which the gift of eternal life can be extended. The Bible says, “…but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:23).
Why would God offer such a gift?
The Bible says there is only one reason – LOVE. “For God so LOVED the world that He gave His only Son…” (John 3:16).
God wants a relationship with us even though we are all sinners. He wants us to know Him now and live with Him forever in heaven. His Son’s death in our place made that possible. No gift you ever receive on Christmas morning can come close to matching God’s gift of eternal life.
How do you receive this gift?
This gift requires one thing: belief.
You might be thinking, “Wait a minute, you keep calling eternal life a gift, I thought you had to work your way to heaven by doing all that good stuff like going to church, loving your neighbor, being baptized, keeping the commandments, and being a model citizen.”
Wrong! None of those will get you to heaven. The Bible tells us it’s free. Ephesians 2:8-9 reads, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
To receive God’s gift of eternal life, you must believe. Believe means to trust and rely on, One of the clearest statements Christ said was, “He who believes in Me has everlasting life” (John 6:47). You must come to God as a sinner, recognize Jesus Christ died in your place as your substitute and rose again, and trust in Christ alone to save you.
Imagine you are in a small plane. The engines sputter and fail. You grab a parachute and put it on. As you stand in the plane’s doorway, the wind howls in your ears. You know the pack on your back can save you from death, but only if you jump. So, you place your trust in the parachute and jump. So it is the same with Christ. Trust requires that you let go of all your so-called good works and trust Him alone for your salvation. Those who are in heaven will not be there because of anything they have done – but based on a gift they received when they placed their trust in Christ alone.
God offers His gift to everyone. The label on that gift has your name on it. What will you do? Are you going to lay His gift aside or open it?
If you have never received His gift and would like to, this is how you can tell God in prayer what you are doing:
Dear God, I come to You now. I know I am a sinner. Nothing I am or do makes me deserving of heaven. I believe Jesus Christ, the One born in a manger, died for me on a cross and rose again. Right now I place my trust in Jesus Christ as my only way to heaven. Thank you for the gift of eternal life I have just received. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Once you have trusted Christ, do two things:
First, memorize John 5:24. This verse promises that eternal life is yours right now. There we read, “He who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death unto life.”
Second, contact EvanTell.org . We will be happy to send you information concerning how you can grow as a Christian.
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