To the reader
Read here a short summary from the Word of God!
The purpose is that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing, you may have life in His Name! (John 20:31b)
I pray that you may read it in peace with full focus, and that the mighty Holy Spirit of God may SPEAK to you through His Word!
Psalm 119:130 The entrance of your words gives light. It gives understanding to the simple.
Remember that God's Word is the truth!
The creation of the heavens and the earth
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
Genesis 1:27 God created man in his own image. In God's image he created him; male and female he created them.
Adam and Eve were the first people. God formed Adam out of the dust of the earth and breathed His Holy Spirit into him!
They lived in a world without death and evil things. They ruled over the animals and over nature as kings. They walked with God.
God made mankind, and therefore you too, in His own image!
He designed you. You are valuable!
The Fall
Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtle than any animal of the field which Yahweh God had made. He said to the woman, “Has God really said, ‘You shall not eat of any tree of the garden’?”
Our first ancestors Adam and Eve allowed themselves to be tempted by the devil who spoke through the serpent. They ate of the fruit, and with that, everything on earth changed:
- Sin entered the world. Death made its entrance.
- Humanity lost its relationship with God!
- Jealousy, adultery, murder, lies, greed, pain, abuse, addiction, depression, injustice,
- sickness, sorrow, injustice, poverty, gossip, hatred and evil things came into the world.
- Instead of eternal life, mankind received eternal death!
Because we are children of Adam, we share his inheritance and also have to deal with death, jealousy, lies and so on in our lives. Do you recognise that?
The promise of the coming of God's Son
Genesis 3:9 Yahweh God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?”
In Genesis 3:15 God gives a prophecy that the offspring of Eve will defeat the serpent (the devil)!
God chose Abraham. He promised that a great nation would come from his descendants. Sarah received a child in her old age! From this child came the people of Israel and ultimately Jesus Christ was born!
God does miracles. Today as well!
God gives the Law, the 10 commandments
Exodus 20:1-17
Then God gave the following commandments to His people Israel:
I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
1 You shall have no other gods before me.
2 You shall not make for yourselves an idol of anything in the sky above, on the earth beneath, or in the waters under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them.
3 You shall not misuse the name of Yahweh your God. Anyone who misuses His name is guilty. He will be punished.
4 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. That day is for Me. Six days you shall labour. But the seventh day is My holy day of rest. Then no one shall work.
5 Honour your father and your mother and take care of them, that your days may be long in the land which I shall give you.
6 You shall not murder.
7 You shall not commit adultery.
8 You shall not steal.
9 You shall not give false testimony against your neighbour.
10 You shall not covet what belongs to someone else.
God requires this of you too!
You are bound to keep it, and you will later have to give account to God as Judge for how you have done that in your life.
Jesus Christ came to the earth!
Jesus is the Son of God. He became man!
His coming was announced by John the Baptist.
John 1:18 No one has seen God at any time. The only born Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him.
He is gentle and humble
He wants to give us rest
He came to serve us
He is moved with compassion for us!
He is generous. God gives! He has given you your life. The earth to live on, nature to enjoy. And so much more! That shows His character!
John 5:24 (..) He who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life, and doesn't come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.
Jesus heals the sick and helps people!
Matthew 9:22 But Jesus, turning around and seeing her, said, “Daughter, cheer up! Your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour.
Mark 6:56 and as many as touched him were made well.
God works with faith! That still happens today. Jesus sets people free from evil spirits, bad influences and sicknesses.
Mark 16:18 they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.
Jesus died on the cross, and rose from the dead!
God sent His Son to take the punishment for our sins upon Himself.
He makes it possible to live in harmony with Him again!
Jesus was both man and God! He lived the perfect life! He kept God's Law 100%.
Isaiah 53:12 Therefore I will give him a portion with the great. He will divide the plunder with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors.
Jesus took everything upon Himself on the cross. Our sin, guilt, mistakes, shortcomings and sicknesses. Everything, absolutely everything, He bore. He fulfilled the law of God.
Until He cried out: IT IS FINISHED!!
Through faith in Him you can be saved!
Then He has borne the punishment for you.
He saves and He restores!
John 5:24 Most certainly I tell you, he who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life, and doesn't come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.
Being born again: Faith, Repentance and Baptism
1 Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.
There are 2 families here on earth:
- The family of Adam (our distant ancestor)
- The family of Christ
In Adam we are lost, sinners, condemned, spiritually dead
In Christ we are saved, holy, children of God, walking by the Spirit and made alive!
Acts 2:37-38
Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Being born again consists of faith, repentance, baptism and receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new.
Believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Receive Him!
Romans 10:9 that if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become God's children, to those who believe in his name;
You submit to it. You place the Word of God above your own life. Jesus will then be Lord (Master) and Saviour of your life.
Repentance: Changing/renewing your thinking
In repentance you leave behind the sins of your old life.
God will give you the strength for this through the new person He creates in you in being born again! In your own strength this fails. It is about willingness!
Be baptized by immersion!
Titus 3:5 not by works of righteousness which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy, he saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit.
Baptism is the washing of regeneration. Your old self and life remain behind in the watery grave. You rise up in a new life!
Romans 6:4 We were buried therefore with him through baptism into death, that just like Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life.
Acts 22:16 Now why do you wait? Arise, be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.
Who can give rest?
Jesus says:
Matthew 11:28 Come to me, all you who labour and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest.
Confess your sins and surrender your life to Jesus Christ.
If you believe this and you want to receive it, then pray the following prayer at this moment: Speak it out loud.
Jesus Christ, Son of God, You are God and man;
I have heard about You and read God's Word about You;
I want to get to know You!
I want to surrender my life to You. I want to receive You as King over my life. I want to submit to Your Word.
Will You take away my unbelief from my heart? Help me!
I want to submit to Your Word.
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