In my last post, "It Is Finished", I wrote about the complete work of the cross. And, it is complete. Christ took on the sins of the world in order that we could be reunited with God. Sin separates us from relationship with God because God is a perfect, holy God. We cannot come into His presence without a sacrifice for our sins being made. And, the Law specifies that blood must be shed in order for sins to be removed. Christ's death on the cross satisfies the Law and pays the penalty that we owe. It is the ultimate gift from God to humanity.
Does this mean that everyone was justified automatically, brought into a relationship with God at that moment of Christ's death? The answer is no. The work of the cross was complete, but it revealed a door to salvation. The door is a gift. Like any gift, the gift must be received. We must receive the gift of salvation that Christ has offered to us by the work that He completed on the cross and open the door to our salvation. Have you opened the door? Do you want to know how to open the door?
1. Acknowledge that you are in need of saving and that you know that you cannot come into God's presence without the penalty of your sins paid.
2. Acknowledge that you believe that Jesus is the Savior, the One who has paid this penalty by dying on the cross, once and for all, the Son of God.
3. Accept the gift for yourself believing that upon taking the gift, you are a new person, born again into God's eternal family.
4. Thank God for providing a way for you to be reunited to Him and for the ways that He will reveal Himself to you as you go from this day forward as a Child of God.
5. Get involved in a local church that teaches from the Bible. Connect with others who profess that Christ is their Savior and grow in your knowledge and understanding of God.
Now, as you go from here, you can say too, "I have begun". Welcome to the journey!
