Making Jesus Your Lord and Savior

by Justin Pearson, Director of Adult Ministries @ MBC Loudoun

This past Sunday we celebrated Easter. Many people come to church on Easter that are investigating the claims of Christ. If you are investigating the Christian faith and what it means to know and follow Jesus this post is just for you. If you are already a follower of Jesus I hope that the following is a helpful tool for you to focus on the gospel, but also to share it with others. I have written this as a way to help you understand what it means to make Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior as you explore the claims of Christ.

THE GOSPEL
The Bible is God’s revelation to mankind. In it we understand that God desires to be in relationship with mankind. However, there is a problem.

THE PROBLEM

• Adam, the first man, rebelled against God’s plan and authority. Essentially, Adam wanted to be god and call the shots for his life. This is rebellion and disobedience to God. All of mankind inherited this desire to rebel. This is what we call sin. Sin makes us unholy.
• The Scriptures say, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). This means that all of us are in rebellion against God. At the core of our nature we want to be in charge and do not want to follow God. This makes us all of us unholy.
• Because God is 100% holy he cannot have a relationship or fellowship with anything that is unholy.

THE CONSEQUENCE

• There is also a consequence for our rebellion. The first part of Romans 6:23 says, “The wages of sin is death.” This is both a physical death and a spiritual death. All mankind will die physically because of sin and all mankind is dead spiritually because of sin.
• Spiritual death results in an eternal separation from God—the worst possible state of existence. This is not fully realized until physical death.

THE SOLUTION

• There is nothing that mankind can do in order to be reconciled to God. No one can remove the consequences of sin from their own lives. Not by good works, not by being a good person, not by being religious or spiritual.
• But there is good news! God desires to have fellowship with us and to redeem us in spite of our sin and rebellion. He has made a way for us to be reconciled and for our sin to be removed.
• Jesus Christ came as both God and man to stand in our place and pay for the penalty of our sin (Romans 5:8). He was crucified on a cross to bear this penalty of our sin in his body (1 Peter 2:24). He became sin so that we might be made spiritually alive and receive eternal salvation (2 Corinthians 5:21).
• Then after he was buried he rose again on the third day to defeat death and to validate that he is in fact the Savior of the world as he claimed to be (1 Corinthians 15:3-6). That’s what we’re celebrating today.
• It is through Jesus alone that we can be reconciled to God and live a holy and God-glorifying life (John 14:6).

What do I need to do to be forgiven of my sin and reconciled to God?

• You must first understand your state of sinfulness and acknowledge the fact that you cannot remove the stain of sin yourself.
• You must repent and turn from the deceitful promises of sin.
• You must understand and believe that Jesus is the only substitute for your due penalty and that he defeated sin and death through his physical death and resurrection (Acts 16:31; Romans 10:9).
• You must ask God to forgive you of your sin and rebellion by means of Jesus’ death and confess your need to be rescued by him (Romans 10:13).
• You must lay down control of your life and allow Jesus to be Lord and begin to follow him and live in obedience.

You can do all of this by talking with God in prayer. This must be a heart change. Salvation is not gained by our work or merit. It is a free gift of grace.

“Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved.” Acts 16:31

If you take this step and make Jesus your Lord and Savior please let us know!
703.770.2937 or justin.pearson@mcleanbible.org