Meeting with Christ

If you have never met the Lord Jesus Christ!

– We would be happy to have the honor of making this acquaintance. He is alive today and getting to know him is the most important thing you can do in your life, in this world and the next.

1. The apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans clearly states the fundamental truths you need to know in order to meet Jesus. Collectively, these truths are known as the gospel, which means “ good news .” It is, in fact, the best news you can hear. The apostle Paul writes: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”2 It may not sound like good news, but it is the truth. As John wrote:

“God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”3 All that can keep us from the glory of God is a sin, or a rebellion, or a disobedience. Even the best of us have failed in this field, and nothing can be done. Finally, and still not very attractively, “the wages of sin is death.”4 The only price we can pay for our sins is our own death. In fact, many do, for “it is appointed unto men once to die, and after this the judgment.”5 So how can we be saved? Certainly not by our own righteousness and goodness; for the Bible likens our righteous deeds to uncleanness and disobedience.6 So what is the way to salvation? Although “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Paul wrote, “being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”7

Why would a God so holy do such a thing to sinful people like us? Because of His infinite love, “For He so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”8

But God’s great love for us does not make Him overlook our sins. On the contrary, His holiness requires that the penalty for our sins, which is death, be paid.9 Yet His love for us is so great that He “gave His only begotten Son” to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.10 Indeed, the proof of God’s infinite love and concern for us is that “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”11

The only logical response to such great love is what Peter’s listeners gave in his first sermon: “Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Men and brethren, what shall we do?’ And Peter said unto them, Repent , and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost: for the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.”12

And as Paul wrote, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation.”13

The best way to implement these realities is through prayer . As Paul wrote : “For whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”14

Your prayers don’t need to be long and eloquent. You’re not supposed to impress God. He knows everything about us and is not impressed. What He wants is humility. “For God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.”15 So offer your heart to God in true humility, for “the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”16

If you really want Jesus Meet , humbly pray this: † God, I confess that I have lived most of my life for myself. Even in the best moments of my life, I have given you little attention and glory. I have sinned more times than I can count, and I have no way to escape the eternal death that I deserve because of my sins. Thank you so much for loving me so much that you sent your only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for my sins. I was the one who had to die on the cross, and he took my place so that I could be forgiven freely. Please forgive my sins, Father. I no longer want to live a self-centered life. I want to live the rest of my days for the Lord Jesus Christ. I want the presence of your Holy Spirit in my life. Amen.

If you pray this prayer, here is a promise from the Bible that you can always keep in mind: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”17

FCNN, the first Persian-language Christian news network