Have you heard the FACTs?

Faith is believing and accepting the facts of God's Word. When you believe God's facts and accept Jesus Christ as your Savior, you become God's child and gain eternal life.

Here are the FACTs:

F stands for the free gift that God wants to give you. This free gift is eternal life in heaven. Romans 6:23b "...the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

• You cannot earn a gift. This is why eternal life cannot be earned by our good works.
• It is only through God's grace that you are able to obtain salvation. (Ephesians 2:8-9, 2 Timothy 1:9, Titus 3:5)

A stands for all have sinned. Nobody is perfect. we have all disobeyed God's Word. Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned.." cf. Romans 6:23a, "the wages of sin is death"

• It is our sin that keeps us from gaining God's gift of eternal life.
• God cannot allow sin to enter heaven, therefore every one of our sins must be judged and paid for.

C reminds us that Christ died for our sins and rose again so we could receive God's gift of eternal life. Romans 5:6, 8, 10

• Jesus Christ never sinned one time, so when He died on the cross, He was not dying for His sin, but rather for our sin.
• He took our place and died our death for us. He paid the price for our sins in full and then rose again three days later as proof that He possessed eternal life.

T tells us to trust Christ as your personal Savior, and you will receive God's gift of eternal life. Romans 10:9, 13

The moment you cry out to God and place your faith in Jesus to be your Savior, several things happen instantly:

1. You are justified before God. In other words, you are made right with God and your sins are forgiven. Romans 5:1
2. You are made at peace with God. Romans 5:1
3. You are saved from God's wrath. Romans 5:9
4. The Spirit of Christ comes to live within you for the rest of your life and gives you the same eternal life that Jesus Christ possesses. Romans 8:8, 9, 11

So you are faced with two choices:

1. Either accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and gain an eternal relationship with God,
2. Or reject Jesus Christ, and pay for your sins yourself by spending eternity in a place the Bible calls "the lake of fire." Revelation 20:14-15

A common question: "I want to accept God's gift of eternal life, but what do I say to God?" Here is a sample prayer, but remember, it's not the words alone that save a person, but rather faith in Jesus Christ that comes from the heart.

"God, please forgive me and cleanse my heart of the sin and guilt in it. I believe Jesus died for me and rose again. I want Him to come into my life and save me. I want a relationship with you through your Son, Jesus Christ. Thank you for making me your child and giving me your gift of eternal life. Amen"