Before God… But God!

Before God… But God!

Ephesians 2:1-10 (NLT)

2 Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. ² You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world.^[a] He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. ³ All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.

⁴ But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, ⁵ that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) ⁶ For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. ⁷ So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.

⁸ God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.⁹ Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. ¹⁰ For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Before God…

You were

Exodus 20:1-17 (NLT)

Ten Commandments for the Covenant Community

20 Then God gave the people all these instructions

² “I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery.

³ “You must not have any other god but me.

⁴ “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. ⁵ You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. ⁶ But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.

⁷ “You must not misuse the name of the Lord your God. The Lord will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name.

⁸ “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. ⁹ You have six days each week for your ordinary work, ¹⁰ but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. ¹¹ For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.

¹² “Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

¹³ “You must not murder.

¹⁴ “You must not commit adultery.

¹⁵ “You must not steal.

¹⁶ “You must not testify falsely against your neighbor.

¹⁷ “You must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.”

But God!

Showed you , saving you by when you .

WHAT DOES GOD WANT ME TO DO?

ADMIT that you are a sinner in need of a Savior, and ask him to forgive you of your sins.

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from every wrong.” 1 John 1:9

BELIEVE that Jesus died to pay for your sins and that he rose on the third day, and is alive today and forever.

“If you confess that Jesus is your Lord, and you believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9

“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name (Jesus) given by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

COMMIT/ACCEPT God’s free gift of salvation. It cannot be earned!

“For it is by grace you are saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9

Our relationship to God is not restored by anything we do, but on the basis of what Jesus already did for us on the cross.

INVITE Jesus Christ to come into your life and become both your Lord and Savior.

“But TO all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn – not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or pain, but a birth that comes from God.” John 1:12-13

You can take these steps by praying a simple prayer of commitment to God.

“Dear Jesus, thank you for making me and loving me, even when I’ve ignored you and gone my own way. I realize I need you in my life and I’m sorry for my sins. I ask you to forgive me. Thank you for dying on the cross for me to pay for my sin. Please help me to understand it more. As much as I know how, I want to follow you from now on. Please come into my life and make me a new person inside. I accept your gift of forgiveness and salvation. Please help me to grow now as a Christian. Amen.”

“Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:13