Let us Pray ...

candleThe Thorndike Barnhart Advanced Dictionary , second edition, 1974, defines faith as:  1  belief without proof; trust;  2  belief in God, religion, or spiritual things;  3  what is believed; doctrine or tenet;  4  a system of religion; creed:  the Christian faith.  5  a being loyal; faithfulness.  The Bible tells us that faith is necessary for salvation – and is required to enter into paradise.

In your personal opinion, what do you understand it takes for a person to get to heaven and have eternal life?  What follows is one of the best explanations of faith ever – in a simple acronym:

 

 

CrossF is for Forgiveness.
Everyone has sinned and needs God’s forgiveness.

Romans 3:23:  “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
God’s forgiveness is in Jesus only.
Ephesians 1:7:  “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.”

A is for Available.
God’s forgiveness is available for all. 

John 3:16:  “God loved the world in this way:  He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.”
God’s forgiveness is available but not automatic.  In the seventh chapter of Matthew, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches the crowds about bearing good fruit saying:
Matthew 7:21:  “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”
God’s will is that EVERY person would receive His mercy, believe and repent, and give thanks for His Grace.

treesI is for Impossible.
According to the Bible, it is impossible to get to heaven on our own.

Ephesians 2:8-9:  “By grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift – not from works, so that no one can boast.
So how can a sinful person have eternal life and enter heaven?

  

footprintT is for Turn.
If you were going down the road and someone asked you to turn, what would he or she be asking you to do?  (Change direction.)

Turn means repent.  Turn away from sin and self.
Luke 13:3:   “Unless you repent, you will all perish as well!”
Turn to Jesus alone as your Savior and Lord.
John 14:6:  “I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

Here is the greatest news of all.
Romans 10:9-10:  “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  With the heart one believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth one confesses, resulting in salvation.”
What happens if a person is willing to believe God's gospel, repent of their sins, and confess Christ?

sunriseH is for Heaven.
Heaven is a place where we will live with God forever.

John 14:3:  “When I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may be also.”
Eternal life begins now with Jesus.
John 10:10:  “I come that they may have life and have it in abundance.”

H can also stand for How.
How can a person have God’s forgiveness, eternal life, and heaven?  By trusting Jesus as your Savior and Lord.
If you have not already believed in Jesus as your only Savior and Lord, and desire to do so now, you can say a trusting “Prayer of Faith” right here:  click to follow the link to the Prayer of Faith.For immediate assistance with specific life issues, FREE pamphlets are available for download in PDF format from Lutheran Hour Ministries’ Project Connect website.  By clicking the banner, you will be taken to a different page where you will be able to browse dozens of topics and select the one best for a friend’s or your situation:

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