You are God’s treasure! He wants to lead you to live the best life possible, a life of purpose, significance, and meaning that pleases God and builds healthy relationships with one another. Why aren’t we enjoying this life? The problem is that we have ignored, walked away from, or actively rebelled against God. The Good News is that God offers a remedy to this problem. God says in the Bible: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Romans 6:23 (NIV)

WAGES are payment earned for the things we have done. What we’ve done is not living according to God’s perfectly designed ways. We are either passively indifferent or actively rebellious against God. We follow our own plans, believing we alone know what is right.

SIN is this prideful attitude which leads to thoughts and actions God regards as sinful, such as idolatry, murder, adultery, stealing, lying, and coveting. We have not loved God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and we have not loved others as we love ourselves. The truth is that we all have sinned.

DEATH is the consequence, or wages of our sin. All of us are destined to physical death: the separation of our soul from our body. All of us also experience spiritual death: the separation between us and God. Our sin has separated us from the only true God and therefore the life created for us. If we die physically without our relationship with God being repaired, we are doomed to torment, being forever separated from God’s light, love, and joy. That is hell.

God is a loving God, but also a just judge. God cannot merely excuse our sin. No amount of good deeds or spiritual living can negate the fact of our guilt. The penalty must be paid.

BUT, the Good News is that what we cannot do in our own abilities, God has done for us!

A GIFT is something given to us that is not earned or deserved. A gift is an act of love.

GOD gave Jesus to us. He sent his son into our world to teach us the way to live and to reveal the truth of who God is. Jesus lived a sinless life and willingly died on a cross in our place to pay the wages for our sins. He then rose from the dead to live forever and show His love for us.

ETERNAL LIFE is God’s gift to us. It is a life that has no end and can be abundantly filled with all God has created us to enjoy. It is a journey and adventure that can begin today. It is a life that extends beyond our physical death so we may enjoy God’s presence and power in heaven forever.

JESUS’ life, sacrificial death, and miraculous resurrection is God’s remedy to our problem. Our relationship with God can be repaired.

God offers this gift to every one of us, but we must each gratefully receive it. If we admit our guilt and are sorry for our sin, God will forgive us. If we say thank you to Jesus for paying the price for our sin, God will give us a transformed life. If we ask Jesus to please be our leader, God will empower us to live the life created for us.

If you have not yet committed yourself to follow Jesus, He invites you to do so right now by honestly expressing to Him:

Sorry – for the things I have done wrong and for turning away from God.
Thank You – for dying on the cross in my place, paying the penalty of my sins, and forgiving me.
Please – become the Leader of my life and give me the power to live like You through the Spirit who now lives in me.