Here’s the short answer: When you repent God will give you a new heart with new desires. He’ll transform your life here on earth, bring you into a deeper relationship with Himself, and eventually bring you to Heaven to stay with Him for eternity. Now for the long answer…..
Many of the analogies I use will be some form of a Ray Comfort quote. It’s because he’s an amazing evangelist and I love learning from him. If I ever had to pick a person to sound like, I’d happily choose him. (I mean just the words I use when I talk, not my actual voice. That would be weird.) I could watch his Living Waters channel all day. I advise you check it out too. You won’t be disappointed.
Now, let’s start at the beginning. In order to agree you need to be saved from sin, you first need to believe you are a sinner. So, I invite you to participate in the Good Person Challenge 2022 Edition! Winner gets a free pass to Heaven…. come on, give it a try!
Do you think you’re a good person? Most people would say yes. Let’s see how you stand up to the Ten Commandments. Have you ever….
Lied?
Stolen?
Used God’s name in vain?
Lusted after somebody sexually?
Those are only four of the ten, and if you said yes to even one of them James 2:10 warns, “Whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.” Honestly, nearly everyone says yes to all four of them. Everyone on the planet does these things. It’s in our nature.
Now that you see that you, like the rest of the world, are a guilty sinner; let me help you understand why that’s a problem. You see, the payment for sin is death (Romans 6:23). That’s why everyone dies. It’s what we’ve all earned for our sins. But Jesus paid the price. It’s as though you were indebted to God $100 trillion dollars in “sin penalties”, but Jesus came through and paid them, making it so you’re completely free from the debt and any consequences associated with it. When we accept His offer we live with the benefits of his victory every day!
We receive new life and a personal invitation to get to know God for ourselves. We receive rest for our souls. We gain the promise of heaven. Eternal life is a guarantee for a follower of Jesus. We get to grow in peace, love, joy, patience, and obedience as we leave behind old ways of selfishness, hostility, and pride. Sin no longer controls us!
Now we have the spirit of power, love, and self control living inside of us! (2 Timothy 1:7) That means we’re no longer slaves to our feelings. Jesus gives us the power to choose what is good and right along with the desire for good things that produce life in ourselves and others. Best of all, we can know real love, the true love everyone so deeply longs for, the love that is only found in a relationship with God. And we can share that love with others because Jesus is a never ending source of love and security. The more we pour out, the more He will pour into us!
I wouldn’t trade this love relationship for anything. Following Jesus is the best decision I’ve ever made. I still choose Him every day! I have the privilege of prayer and communion with God. I emphasize privilege. It is not a right. The Bible says we were all once enemies of God, but Jesus changed all that. (Colossians 1:21-22) Prayer and communion is a gift that cost Jesus His life to give to us.
The Holy Spirit is another gift that came through Jesus’ sacrifice. Paying the debt of our sin made it possible for God to send a part of Himself, the Holy Spirit, to come live inside of us. When He moves in He unites us with God, and so we’re never alone again. We always have Him inside to be our comforter, teacher, and leader.
The Bible says that our good works without the Holy Spirit are like filthy rags in God’s eyes. (Isaiah 64:6) He doesn’t want us to earn a place with Him. He knows we can’t do that. He wants us to step into the place He’s already prepared for us, as sons and daughters, because of our faith that Jesus’ sacrifice is and always will be enough to cover our sins, flaws, and mistakes. Don’t feel like you have to be “good enough” for Jesus. Just give your life to Him, no matter how messy it is. He’ll happily take it, clean it up, and use it for His glory. Is that hard to believe? Check out my story for some living proof!