Almost any person you meet will admit that nobody is perfect. People are aware, in at least a vague sense, of human fallenness. In spite of this, however, most people think that when they die they will go to heaven and be in the presence of a perfect, holy God! All people need to know that their imperfections which are sins in God's sight can't just be swept under the rug. The first step in the redemptive process is for a person to admit that he or she is a sinner.

The Christian faith maintains that human beings are imperfect and in need of redemption. All human beings are sinners whether they be Nazi war criminals or cloistered nuns. British author G. K. Chesterton (1874-1936) wrote that the sinfulness of man is the most empirically verifiable Christian doctrine. In other words the sinful state of man is so obviously apparent and commonly seen in our everyday lives that we can say that the proof of man's sinful state is empirical (known by experience).

Prominent Welsh author Arthur Burt (1912- ) put it this way: "You've got to own it in order to disown it!" We have to first admit that we have sin in order to turn from sin. We must turn from sin in order to embrace the Savior Jesus Christ who died for our sins. Jesus took upon Himself the penalty that was due us when He suffered and died for our sins and rose again on our behalf. The Bible says: "He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross... For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that He might bring us to God" (1 Peter 2:24; 3:18 NAS).

One man said that if he had just one hour to speak to a man on his deathbed he would spend 55 minutes of that hour convincing him that he is a sinner. He would spend only the last five minutes leading him to the Savior.

God is holy. The Bible teaches that holiness is the most prominent of God's attributes. The Bible in Isaiah 6:3 says : "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts." The way that words are emphasized in the ancient biblical Hebrew language is by repetition. The word "holy" is repeated, not twice but three times for emphasis!

The Bible also teaches that God is merciful, God is almighty and God is love. Nowhere does the Bible say that God is love, love, love or God is almighty, almighty, almighty. Only holiness is emphasized by being repeated three times. All aspects of God's character relate to God's holiness which is of first importance. God's love is holy love. His power is holy power and His mercy is holy mercy.

Therefore, to stand before God we must partake of His holiness. We can't make ourselves holy. We must admit that we are sinners and then turn to Jesus and ask for forgiveness on the basis of His death and resurrection on our behalf. Holiness is then imputed to us as a gift from God. When we turn from our sins and embrace the Savior we receive "abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness" (Romans 5:17).

It is only in this state of grace that we can expect to enter heaven after we die. In this state of grace we are also enabled to do good works with heart felt sincerity. The Bible makes it plain that we can't earn salvation by good works. "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast." We receive salvation first and then once saved we are empowered to do good works to honor God and serve people.

I'm a post-retirement specialist. Many investment advisors show people how to save up for retirement. I show people how to prepare for what comes after retirement. You may not live long enough to retire but you will live long enough to die!!! I urge you therefore to prepare for the afterlife. Turn to Jesus who came in fulfillment of many prophesies. The Father sent Him to die for our sins and rise again on our behalf. Pray and ask Jesus to come into your heart today!

The Bible is scientifically accurate! Find the evidence at www.icr.org.  

Steps to salvation: Jesus said "Ye must be born again." (John 3:7)

1. Believe that God created you and loves you and sent the Messiah (Messiah is Hebrew for Christ) to redeem you.
2. Believe that Jesus the Messiah came in fulfillment of over 300 Bible prophecies to die for you to take upon Himself the penalty for your sins. (Isaiah 53:5-6, John 6:29, Romans 4:5, First Peter 3:18)
3. Turn from sin and call on the name of Jesus to receive forgiveness. (Romans 10:13)
4. Receive Jesus as Savior and experience the new birth. (John 1:12, Acts 2:38)
5. Follow Him as Lord. (John 14:21)

"Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Romans 10:13)

To receive the salvation that Jesus purchased for us at the terrible cost of His suffering and death on our behalf I invite you to pray this simple prayer:

"Dear heavenly Father, I thank you for sending Jesus, the promised Messiah, to die for my sins. I admit that I am a sinner and I ask for your forgiveness on the basis of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I ask you to fill me with your Holy Spirit to empower me to serve you under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, Amen."

If you prayed that prayer in the humble sincerity of your heart then you have received everlasting life, which includes power to live right in this life and entrance into heaven in the afterlife!

Bill Nugent, Overcomer Ministries of West Harrison, New York, USA

(C) 2010 William P. Nugent, permission granted to email or republish if credit given

DEFENDING THE FAITH APOLOGETIC ARTICLES Bill Nugent currently writes a series of articles called "Defending the Faith" which, as the title suggests, defend the Christian faith from the many attacks leveled against it in our postmodern world. The articles deal with such topics as evolution, UFOs, cults, modern/postmodern philosophy, liberal theology and popular culture. At the end of each article is an invitation to receive Christ as Savior and Lord. These articles are sent out over the Internet to several opt-in email lists. People who receive these articles are encouraged to resend them to their own lists and in this way reach their own unsaved relatives and friends with the Gospel. All Defending the Faith articles are © 2009 William P. Nugent, permission is granted to email or republish if credit given. To receive these articles which are sent out once per month fill in your email address below and click the SUBMIT button. *Security: Write the characters in the image above (Case sensitive)