Steps to Peace with God
A simple, lifechanging message from the Bible

Step 1 God's Purpose: Peace and Life
God loves you and wants you to experience peace and life -- abundant and eternal.

The Bible says ...
"We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." --Romans 5:1 (NIV)

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." --John 3:16 (NIV)

"I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." --John 10:10 (NIV)

Why don't most people have this peace and abundant life that God planned for us to have?
 

Step 2 The Problem: Our Separation from God because of sin
God created us in His own image to have an abundant life. He did not make us as robots to automatically love and obey Him. God gave us a will and a freedom of choice. We chose to disobey God and go our own willful way. We still make this choice today. This results in separation from God.

The Bible says ...
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." --Romans 3:23 (NIV)

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." --Romans 6:23 (NIV)

Our Attempts to Reach God
People have tried in many ways to bridge this gap between themselves and God ...

The Bible says ...
"There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." --Proverbs 14:12 (NIV)

"But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear." --Isaiah 59:2 (NIV)

Step 3 God's Bridge: The Cross of Christ
No bridge reaches God ... except one...The Cross
Jesus Christ died on the Cross and rose from the grave. Jesus lives today, forever to save. He paid the penalty for our sin and bridged the gap between God and people.

The Bible says ...
"For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ." --1 Timothy 2:5 (NIV)

"For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God." --1 Peter 3:18 (NIV)

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." --Romans 5:8 (NIV)

God has provided the only way. Each person must make a choice.

Step 4 Our Response:  Personally receive Christ & follow Jesus as His true disciple
We must trust Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and receive Him by extending our personal invitation. This means we are choosing to begin a lifelong relationship following Him as the Leader and Director of our life. We trust Jesus & receive His salvation, believing He alone is the Way to Heaven and the basis for forgiveness of our sins.

The Bible says ...
"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me." --Revelation 3:20 (NIV)

"Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God." --John 1:12 (NIV)

"That 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 (NIV)

Where are you?
Will you receive Jesus as the forgiveness for your sins and the way to have a relationship with God and go to heaven when you die?

Here is how you can receive Christ:
1. Admit your need (I am a sinner).
2. Be willing to turn from your sins (repent).
3. Believe that Jesus died for you on the Cross and rose from the grave.
(Receive Jesus as Lord and Savior.)
4. Begin a relationship with Jesus, asking Him to come in to your life and lead you to know God. To prepare you for Heaven, to save and forgive you. Ask God to teach you how to walk with Him through reading and learning the Bible (God's Word) and by the help of the Holy Spirit. Change your mind about living life independently and separate from God. Instead turn toward God with your heart and seek to know Him as Friend, Saviour & Lord Seek to be close to Jesus in a new, lifelong relationship.  The way to do this is follow Jesus' instruction:  "Come follow Me."

 

Step 5
Prayer & surrender to receive Jesus as Savior & Lord

"Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and need Your forgiveness. I believe that You died for my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I now invite You to enter my heart and bring me new life. I want to trust and follow You forever as Lord and Savior. Teach me how to be friends with you forever & obey your Word. I want to make the Bible the new roadmap of my life. And be with you forever in heaven.  Show me the way, Oh Lord!  In Jesus' name. Amen."

Once you pray & surrender your life to God, this can be the beginning of a lifelong relationship.
 

God's Assurance: His Word
If you give your heart and life to the Lord genuinely. believing and receiving His provision of forgiveness through Jesus, The Bible says ..."Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."  Romans 10:13 (NIV)


Did you sincerely ask Jesus Christ to come into your life? What has He given you?

"For it is by grace you have been 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 (NIV)

Receiving Christ, we are born into God's family through the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit who indwells every believer. This is called regeneration, or the "new birth."

This is only the beginning of a wonderful new life destined for you in Christ.

To deepen this relationship:
1. Read the Bible everyday to know Jesus better and grow in friendship with God.
If you have just made a commitment to Christ, get a Bible to read every day.  Try a modern translation like the NAS (New American standard).  Or the Amplified Bible.  Bible reading & study can dramatically help you grow in your faith.

2. Talk to the Lord in prayer every day (speaking to Him humbly and honestly as with a Friend).

3. Worship, fellowship, and serve together with other Christians in a Bible-believing church where Christ & the Bible is preached

4. As Christ's representative in the world, demonstrate your new life by showing love and thoughtful concern, extending help to others.  Develop a life of personally seeking God.  Ask Him to reveal Himself to you more & more.
Tell others how wonderful it is to be forgiven & know God personally.  Let others know they can have a real, living friendship with God.  And walk with Jesus.

Warnings about false religions, other world religions & cults:
Be warned of any additions or other books and other world religions & counterfeits.  These are spiritual deviations which contradict Jesus and the scriptures.

Jesus said in John 14:6
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me."

Beware of false groups who lead people away from Jesus and fabricate confusing religious frameworks & teachings. Though some mention Jesus or put His Name on the wall of their buildings, a closer look reveals they do not trust or hold to Jesus as the sole means for their salvation. John 14:6 explains the truth about following God & attaining heaven. Usually religious groups err by departing from Jesus as the sole means for salvation by grace. And missing the cross and denying Jesus' Blood, death and resurrection, they falsely teach other principles or works (self-effort) as supposedly the means to make it with God. Beware! These Jesus-rejecting cults include: Jehovah's Witnesses/Watchtower, Mormons/Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day saints & Islam (Muslims, mormons & JWs reject Jesus as the means for man to be saved, as a gift by grace). By rejecting Jesus, His grace and the truth of the BIBLE, such groups turn from the One True Way God Himself designed for all mankind to be saved. The book of Revelation says that the One Way of eternal life through Jesus is for men and women of every tribe, people, language and nation. This means everyone. The best way to know truth and not be deceived is to read the Bible for yourself. Read the ENTIRE New Testament and let God speak directly to your heart. You want to grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good!

For more Christian help & encouragement, see: www.MacIndy.com/ms
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You may also go to the link below if you would like to receive more spiritual help or information.
http://billygraham.org/believe/stepsToPeace.asp

Read or listen to the Bible online: God's Word!
(Jesus' answers to your personal questions)

What is Heaven like? Who will go there? How can I be sure?

 

Source & credits...
This is an improved and updated version of this message (most of it was originally written by billy graham). Improvements and additions by brother J (merged into the original message above) are meant to make the message clearer and more complete. Steps to Peace with God is "by" Billy Graham (improved, expanded & updated by brother Jeff here). The B.G. version of this presentation of the gospel is published by billygraham.org I would observe, however, that the B.G. version of this message really seems to be a publication based on admiring & emulating the widely distributed publication by Campus Crusade for Christ called: "the Four Spiritual Laws." Here, the B.G. message was reprinted with even further variations & additions by brother Jeff. I would say most content & this presentation format is so close to "the Four Spiritual Laws" that both Campus Crusade & billygraham.org could be mentioned as sources for versions of this helpful message. My own version of the popular presentation appears here. - brother Jeff

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