Decide

Which will you choose?

So you've read about God, Jesus, and the Bible. You've read about the Gospel, Jesus' plan for connecting you to God and giving you something more to live for. (If you haven't read about these things, take a few minutes to do so you might be surprised at what you read!)

But what do you do with all this?

Simply reading about Jesus and God isn't enough. You have a choice to make. You have to decide what to do with the radical and far-reaching claims that the Bible makes about you, Jesus, and your relationship with God.

Let's review the heart of those claims:

First, the Bible says that you (like every other human who's ever lived) are unable to know true peace because your sin has separated you from God.

But secondly (and this is the good news!) God still loves you, and wants you to know him and live a life that's in phase with his will. God sent his only son, Jesus, to become a human himself and pay the price for your sins. Death is where sin inevitably leads�but Jesus died voluntarily in your place. When you believe that Jesus died for your sin, you're home free. The slate's wiped clean, and God chalks up your sin as "paid in full" by Jesus. The barrier that stood between you and God is gone.

We call this story "the Gospel," or Good News... because what could be better news than learning that God is inviting you into his family?

So what is this choice that you have to make? It's simple: you have to choose whether or not to believe in Jesus' sacrifice. That means admitting that your sin keeps you from God, and that Jesus offers the way back home. That's all you have to do: accept this free gift from Jesus, no strings attached.

There are three ways you can respond to this choice:

	You can decide not to believe in Jesus. Choosing this option sends you back to Square One, looking on your own for answers to your heart's questions. There are lots of people out there claiming to have answers, but be warned: the Bible says that there's only one way to God, and that's through Jesus. There's no prize for second place.
	You can put off the decision until later. Maybe you want to take some time to think about this or read more about it. There's lot more here about Jesus and his Gospel message, so have a look around. But be careful Jesus' offer is open to all, but if you never get around to making a choice, that's not any different than rejecting him.
	You can accept Jesus' offer of freedom by acknowledging your sin and asking Jesus to take it away. Jesus promises you freedom from guilt and sin, and a chance to start things fresh. You'll live a new life a life with a purpose, knowing that God loves you and will help you through whatever life throws your way.

Which will you choose? However you choose to respond to Jesus' claims, I'd love to hear from you. I'd be happy to answer your questions, or help point you to resources that can help you make a decision. And if you've decided to believe in Jesus, I want to be the first to welcome you to your new life and help you get started! The choice is yours!