By Sheila Barnett
Galatians 1:3-5 (NIV) “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen”
During the summer of 2018, the attention of the world was drawn to a cave in Thailand. On June 23rd, twelve members of a youth soccer team and their coach entered this cave after soccer practice. While inside, heavy rain partially flooded the cave and the team was trapped. The situation worsened as rising water levels and strong currents blocked rescuers’ efforts to locate the group. No contact was made with the team for over a week. It was a life-threatening situation and they were in desperate need of a rescue.
On July 2nd, two British divers miraculously found the team alive. Finally, between July 8th and July 10th, all twelve boys and the coach were rescued – one day before the next expected monsoon rain.
Undoubtedly, the soccer team faced certain death unless they were rescued. In the same manner, everyone needs to be rescued from spiritual death; the separation of our souls from God, which results in eternal existence in hell when we die. The Bible tells us in Romans 3:23 that “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 6:23 says that “The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
God provided a way for us to be rescued from our sins. In John 3:16, we read that “For God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” So, God sent his Son, Jesus, to die for us on the cross, taking the penalty for our sins upon Himself. Jesus’ resurrection assures us of our eternal life with Him in heaven after we die.
So how do we get rescued from spiritual death into eternal life? “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). All we need to do is ask with a sincere heart and believe in Jesus. Romans 10:9 states, “That if you confess with your mouth ‘Jesus is Lord’ and believe in your heart God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
If your desire is to be rescued from spiritual death and to invite Jesus to live in your heart, do not wait! Simply ask God by saying the following prayer:
“Dear God, I admit that I am a sinner. I know that Jesus took my sins with Him to the cross and paid the penalty for my sins. He rose from the dead so that if I accept as true what He did for me, then I will be forgiven. Please forgive me for my sins. I ask Jesus to live in my heart and rule in my life. Thank you for forgiving me and giving me eternal life with You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
If you have said this prayer, please contact Pastor Dan to receive free information to help you grow in your spiritual journey with Jesus.