I am adopted
and in the future I am going to live in a mansion prepared for me by my Father, the King. I will enjoy banquets, and great choirs surrounded by gold and jewels, and best of all I will bask in His smile. How do I know all this? He told me. And He told me that He has many mansions and that anyone who wants to may become His child and enjoy these treasures for eternity. Here is the story of how I met Father and became His child and heir through adoption:
It all started when I recognized that I had sinned against God, who is holy and cannot stand sin: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). I realized that everyone of us have done sinful things that offend God, and for which we deserve punishment. In the end, all of my sins are sins against the Eternal God, and therefore only an eternal punishment is sufficient. “For the wages (payment) of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23).
The next part of the story though is that Jesus Christ, the only one without sin (I Peter 2:22), the eternal Son of God, became a man (John 1:1, 14) and died to pay my penalty (and yours). “God commends (shows) his love for us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Jesus Christ died on the cross (John 19:31-42), taking upon himself the punishment that you and I deserved (2 Corinthians 5:21). Three days later he rose from the dead ( 1 Corinthians 15:1-4), confirming His victory over sin and death. By “His abundant mercy (God) hath birthed us again to a living hope, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (I Peter 1:3).
By faith, I needed to change my thinking in respect to Jesus Christ, who He is, what He did for my salvation, and why (Acts 3:19). I found out that if I put my faith in Him, trusting in His death on the cross for my sins, He will forgive me (and anyone else) and promises us eternal life in Heaven. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (Juan 3:16). “If thou shalt confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and shall believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:9). Faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross is the only true way to be adopted by God and inherit eternal life! “For by grace are ye saved through faith, and not of yourselves, it is the gift of God and not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
If you, like me, desire to accept Jesus Christ as Savior for your sins and to be adopted into God's family for eternity, here is a prayer you can pray. It is important for you to know though that praying/repeating/saying these specific words or any other prayer is not what does the forgiving, the saving (adopting) and the giving of eternal life. This prayer is simply a way to express to God your faith in Him and thank him for the salvation from sin and judgement that He has provided through Jesus Christ.
“God, I know I have sinned against you and that I deserve punishment. I believe that Jesus Christ took upon himself the punishment that I deserved so that by faith in Him I can be forgiven. I put my trust in you for salvation from sin and it's punishment. Thank you for your wonderful grace and forgiveness and for your gift of eternal life and the privilege to be your child. Amen.”
If you truly believe this, God's Word says that you have become a “new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17). God also tells us that you are now adopted as His child and have the eternal position of the son/daughter/heir of God. “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” (John 1;2, See also Galatians 4:4-6, 1 John 3:1-2).
Welcome to the family!
Have you made a decision to trust Jesus Christ for salvation and eternal life? If you have, or if you would like to know more about salvation, eternal life, or getting to know God as a son/daughter of His, please contact me and let me know. I would be happy to help you or to put you in touch with a Bible believing church in your area who can answer your questions with God's Word.