Are You God's Child?

To be, or not to be?

"What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Mark 8:36-37).

Searching Questions:

If you died today would you go to Heaven? And how would you answer God if He asked, "Why should I let you into Heaven?" And if He asked, "Do I know you and are you one of My children?" Could you answer these questions? If you can't, the big question is, "Where will you spend eternity?"

1. Have You Sinned?

Yes, the Bible tells us that we have ALL sinned.

"For all have sinned and fall short of God's perfection" (Romans 3:23).

2. The Penalty:

There is a penalty for the sins we have done. A sin is something we do wrong and when we disobey God. Romans 6:23 tells us:

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life."

3. God's Love:

Yes, we are sinners and deserve to be separated from God for eternity. But, God has provided a way back to himself:

"God demonstrates His own love for us in this,
that while we were still sinners Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8).

4. Jesus is the Answer:

God has provided the solution for our problem, by Jesus paying the penalty for our sins.

"If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord', and believe in your heart
that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9).

5. Jesus is the only Way:

There is no other way to be free of your sins and for God to accept you into His Heaven.

"He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
No one comes to God except through Jesus Christ" (John 14:6).

6. How to be Saved:

Here's the great news, that if we accept Jesus as our Savour, He justifies us with God. That means from God's point of view it's as if we had never sinned!

"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Romans 10:13).

7. Confess Your Sins:

And so, if you want to make sure that you are God's child, admit to Him that you are a sinner, that's what "confess" means. And repent from your sins, that means to turn away from your sins and old way of life, and go Christ's way.

"Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord, though your sins be as scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow. (Isaiah 1:18).

8. Making Sure You are Saved:

Ask Jesus to come into your heart and to forgive all your sins, and cleanse them away by His precious blood that He shed at Calvary. He will change you into one of God's children and make you brand new inside. You will then be able to love and serve Him with all of your heart.

"For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified,
and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved" (Romans 10:10).

And then you be sure that when you die, you will go to Heaven and live with God for ever. God will know your name, because it's written in His Book of Life. And now you can answer God's questions and tell Him that you are in Heaven because Jesus is your Saviour!

9. Growing as God's Child:

Now go and tell a friend that you have asked Jesus into your heart and that you now belong to God. And then find a good church where you can make friends with other teens who love Jesus.

Speak to God every day in prayer and tell Him all that is on your heart, and ask Him to supply all your needs. Ask Jesus to guide and lead you, so that you can please God in all you do and say.

And don't forget to read a chapter or a portion of God's Word every day. Why not start in Luke or John's Gospel, and then the book of Acts in the New Testament? Remember, Jesus is now your Best Friend, Saviour and Lord.

God Bless!