ABOUT GOD
God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. He has eternally existed in three persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and are one God.

Genesis 1:1,26,27; 3:22; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19; 1 Peter 1:2; 11 Corinthians 13:14

ABOUT MAN
Man is made in the spiritual image of God, to be like Him in character. He is the supreme object of God´s creation. Although man has tremendous potential for good, he is marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God called sin. This attitude separates man from God.

Genesis 1:27; Psalm 8:3-6; Isaiah 53:6a; Romans 3:23; Isaiah 59:1,2

ABOUT ETERNITY
Man was created to exist forever. He will either exist eternally separated from God by sin, or in union with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally separated from God is Hell. To be eternally in union with Him is eternal life. Heaven and Hell are places of eternal existence.

John 3:16; John 2:25; John 5:11-13; Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:15; 1 John 5:11-12; Matthew 25:31-46

ABOUT JESUS CHRIST
Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is co-equal with the Father. Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all men by dying on a cross. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven´s glory and will return again to earth to reign as King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.

Matthew 1:22,23; Isaiah 9:6; John 1;1-5, 14:10-30; Hebrews 4:14,15; 1 Corinthians 15:3,4; Romans 1:3,4; Acts 1:9-11; I Timothy 6:14,15; Titus 2:13

ABOUT SALVATION
Salvation is a gift from God to man. Man can never make up for his sin by self-improvement or good works. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ as God´s offer of forgiveness can man be saved from sin´s penalty. Eternal life begins the moment one receives Jesus Christ into his life by faith.

Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8,9; John 14:6, 1:12; Titus 3:5; Galatians 3:26; Romans 5:1

ABOUT ETERNAL SECURITY
Because God gives man eternal life through Jesus Christ, the believer is secure in the salvation for eternity. Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the self-effort of the Christian. It is the grace and keeping power of God that gives this security.

John 10:29; II Timothy 1:12; Hebrews 7:25; 10:10,14; I Peter 1:3-5

ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Holy Spirit is equal with the Father and the Son as God. He is present in the world to make men aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He also lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation. He provides the Christian with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right. The Christian seeks to live under His control daily.

II Corinthians 3:17; John 16:7-13, 14:16,17; Acts 1:8; I Corinthians 2:12, 3:16; Ephesians 1:13; Galatians 5:25; Ephesians 5:1

ABOUT THE BIBLE
The Bible is God´s word to all men. It was written by human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living. Because it is inspired by God, it is truth without any mixture of error.

II Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:20,21; II Timothy 1:13; Psalm 119:105,160, 12:6; Proverbs 30:5

ABOUT PRAYER
Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

James 5:16

Have you come to a place in your life that you know for certain you have eternal life and that you will go to heaven when you die?

Suppose you were standing before God right now and He asked you, "Why should I let you into My heaven?" What would you say?

God's Purpose

God loves us and has a purpose for our lives. The Bible states it this way, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16)

God's purpose is that we have eternal life!

Our Need

As we search for meaning in life, we discover our sinful nature keeps us from fulfilling God's purpose for our lives. We are all sinners by nature and by choice. "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) Here are a couple of other points concerning our need for salvation through the grace of God:

God's Provision

God is holy and just and must punish sin. Yet He loves us and provides forgiveness for our sin. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6) Other key points to understand about how God has provided for our salvation are:

Our Response

The only way Jesus can affect our lives is for us to receive Him. The Bible says, "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." (John 1:12)

We must repent of our sin. "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out..." (Acts 3:19)

Repentance is not just feeling sorry for our sins. Repentance is turning away from our sin and turning to God through Jesus. (Acts 26:20)

We must place our faith in Jesus. "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God." (Ephesians 2:8)

Faith is not just believing facts about Jesus. (James 2:19)

Faith is trusting in Jesus. We must surrender to Jesus as Lord. "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10:9-10)

Surrendering to Jesus as Lord is not just saying we give our lives to Jesus. (Matthew 7:21) Surrendering to Jesus as Lord is giving Jesus control of our lives.

Commitment

As evidence of giving Jesus control, we will want to identify with Him. The New Testament way to identify with Jesus is to confess Jesus publicly and follow Him in baptism and church membership. (Romans 10:13) Consider these three questions:

1. Does the information we've presented on this page make sense to you? If not, we want to help you understand it. to e-mail your question about salvation to us.

2. Is there any reason why you would not be willing to receive God's gift of eternal life?

3. Are you willing to turn from your sin and place your faith in Jesus right now?

If you are ready to secure your salvation, pray this simple Prayer of Commitment from your heart:

Dear Lord Jesus ... I believe You are the Son of God... and died to forgive me of my sins ... I know I have sinned... I ask You to forgive me... I turn from my sins and I receive You as my Lord and Savior... thank You for saving me. Amen.

Your Ongoing Commitment:

Lord Jesus, thank You for saving me. I want to live for You the rest of my life.

There are many opportunities at West Jackson Street for you to develop into a ministry that fits your S.E.R.V.E. (spiritual gifts, experiences, relational styles, vocational skills, and enthusiasm).

Please click on the link to “New Members” to find available discipleship classes that will lead you in discovering your S.E.R.V.E. To request a list of available ministry opportunities, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and be sure to give us your name and mailing address in the body of the e-mail.