TrueNorth Church exists to lead people into a passionate relationship with Jesus Christ.
What does that really mean? How can we have a relationship with Jesus? There are a few spiritual truths based on the life of Jesus that we need to understand. We call them the ABC’s of the Christian faith.
Without Jesus in our lives, the Bible says we are “lost.” We need to be rescued or saved. We cannot save ourselves. Jesus is the Savior. We must turn our lives over to Him.
Without Jesus in our lives, the Bible says we are “lost.” We need to be rescued or saved. We cannot save ourselves. Jesus is the Savior. We must turn our lives over to Him.
ADMIT
In order to passionately follow Christ, we must first admit that we are sinners. Everyone has sinned. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.." (Romans 3:23)
A simple definition of sin is selfishness. We all are born with a sinful or selfish nature. We care primarily for ourselves. For example, we lie to make ourselves look good. We deceive others to make us appear smart. Sin is common in every human being who has ever lived – with one exception, Jesus. Sin separates us from God. God’s holiness cannot be tarnished by our sinfulness. Sin builds a wall that keeps us from having a relationship with God. In order to have a relationship with God, we must take care of our sin problem. However, there is nothing we can do to cure this problem. This is where Jesus steps in to help.
A simple definition of sin is selfishness. We all are born with a sinful or selfish nature. We care primarily for ourselves. For example, we lie to make ourselves look good. We deceive others to make us appear smart. Sin is common in every human being who has ever lived – with one exception, Jesus. Sin separates us from God. God’s holiness cannot be tarnished by our sinfulness. Sin builds a wall that keeps us from having a relationship with God. In order to have a relationship with God, we must take care of our sin problem. However, there is nothing we can do to cure this problem. This is where Jesus steps in to help.
BELIEVE
Once we admit that we are sinners, we must believe that Jesus Christ died to pay the penalty for our sins and then He rose again and is alive today. This is the essence of the Christian faith. It is the Easter story. Jesus Christ became a sacrificial lamb for us when He was crucified on the cross. Before Jesus, people sacrificed animals (often lambs) to pay for their sins. Jesus paid the ultimate price for us when He died in our place. “The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). We must admit that we are sinners and believe that Jesus paid for our sins when He died on the cross. But He didn’t stay dead! We don’t worship a dead god. We worship a living Savior! Through His death and resurrection, Jesus demonstrated not only His power over sin but His power over death.
COMMIT
Having admitted your sinfulness and having believed that Jesus paid for your sins, you must commit your life to Him. That involves simply accepting His free gift of salvation. You can’t earn your salvation. You can only receive it as a gift. “It is by grace you are saved, through faith…it is the gift of God – not by works” (Ephesians 2:8,9).
“If you confess that Jesus is Lord, and you believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).
You can begin your relationship with Jesus by simply admitting, believing, and committing. How do we live as a passionate follower of Jesus? It is a life-long journey founded on two things: love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:30-31).
“If you confess that Jesus is Lord, and you believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).
You can begin your relationship with Jesus by simply admitting, believing, and committing. How do we live as a passionate follower of Jesus? It is a life-long journey founded on two things: love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:30-31).
Admit
In order to passionately follow Christ, we must first admit that we are sinners. Everyone has sinned. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.." (Romans 3:23)
A simple definition of sin is selfishness. We all are born with a sinful or selfish nature. We care primarily for ourselves. For example, we lie to make ourselves look good. We deceive others to make us appear smart. Sin is common in every human being who has ever lived – with one exception, Jesus. Sin separates us from God. God’s holiness cannot be tarnished by our sinfulness. Sin builds a wall that keeps us from having a relationship with God. In order to have a relationship with God, we must take care of our sin problem. However, there is nothing we can do to cure this problem. This is where Jesus steps in to help.
A simple definition of sin is selfishness. We all are born with a sinful or selfish nature. We care primarily for ourselves. For example, we lie to make ourselves look good. We deceive others to make us appear smart. Sin is common in every human being who has ever lived – with one exception, Jesus. Sin separates us from God. God’s holiness cannot be tarnished by our sinfulness. Sin builds a wall that keeps us from having a relationship with God. In order to have a relationship with God, we must take care of our sin problem. However, there is nothing we can do to cure this problem. This is where Jesus steps in to help.
Believe
Once we admit that we are sinners, we must believe that Jesus Christ died to pay the penalty for our sins and then He rose again and is alive today. This is the essence of the Christian faith. It is the Easter story. Jesus Christ became a sacrificial lamb for us when He was crucified on the cross. Before Jesus, people sacrificed animals (often lambs) to pay for their sins. Jesus paid the ultimate price for us when He died in our place. “The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). We must admit that we are sinners and believe that Jesus paid for our sins when He died on the cross. But He didn’t stay dead! We don’t worship a dead god. We worship a living Savior! Through His death and resurrection, Jesus demonstrated not only His power over sin but His power over death.
Commit
Having admitted your sinfulness and having believed that Jesus paid for your sins, you must commit your life to Him. That involves simply accepting His free gift of salvation. You can’t earn your salvation. You can only receive it as a gift. “It is by grace you are saved, through faith…it is the gift of God – not by works” (Ephesians 2:8,9).
“If you confess that Jesus is Lord, and you believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).
You can begin your relationship with Jesus by simply admitting, believing, and committing. How do we live as a passionate follower of Jesus? It is a life-long journey founded on two things: love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:30-31).
“If you confess that Jesus is Lord, and you believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).
You can begin your relationship with Jesus by simply admitting, believing, and committing. How do we live as a passionate follower of Jesus? It is a life-long journey founded on two things: love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:30-31).
Here’s a simple prayer you can use to become a follower of Jesus:
Dear Lord, thank you for loving me so much that you sent Jesus to pay for my sins. I admit that I am a sinner. I realize that I need you in my life and I am sorry for my sins. I ask you to forgive me. Thank you for the gift of salvation. Help me to understand more about following Jesus. As much as it is possible, help me to become a passionate follower of Jesus and help me share this good news with others. Come into my life today and make me a new person. I commit my life to you today. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Dear Lord, thank you for loving me so much that you sent Jesus to pay for my sins. I admit that I am a sinner. I realize that I need you in my life and I am sorry for my sins. I ask you to forgive me. Thank you for the gift of salvation. Help me to understand more about following Jesus. As much as it is possible, help me to become a passionate follower of Jesus and help me share this good news with others. Come into my life today and make me a new person. I commit my life to you today. In Jesus’ name, amen.