New Believers Bible - Flipbook - Page 92
page
A19
HOW YOU CAN KNOW GOD
dramatic changes in your life. Describing this, the Bible says, “Anyone who
belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has
begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Now that is good news! But more importantly, God
has changed your eternal destiny. Instead of fearing an eternal punishment in
a place called hell, you will spend peaceful eternity in his presence in heaven.
Read the next section to see what else God has done for you now that you have
taken this step.
What actually happens when Jesus Christ comes into
your life? First, he saves you from your sins and the
punishment you deserve as a result of them—eternity
in hell. This is called salvation, or regeneration, and
has to do with what takes place in your heart: God
gives you new life.
Second, he justifies you. Justification has to do with your standing before God
and includes the complete removal and forgiveness of your sins. Think about it!
When you receive Jesus Christ into your life, you are completely forgiven. God’s
Word tells us, “Brothers, listen! We are here to proclaim that through this man
Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins. Everyone who believes in him is declared
right with God [justified]—something the law of Moses could never do” (Acts
13:38-39). Speaking of our sins, God says, “I will never again remember [your]
sins and lawless deeds” (Hebrews 10:17). What a wonderful promise!
Justification, however, is more than just the forgiveness and removal of the
guilt and condemnation that accompany sin. While God has removed your
sins and forgiven you of them, he has also placed the perfect righteousness
of Jesus Christ “into your account,” so to speak. You don’t have to earn it or
try to achieve it. It is yours as a gracious gift from the God who loves you. To
understand justification more fully, read the following Scripture passages and
notes below.
1. God Promises Us His Gracious Forgiveness (see 1 John 1:9, page
1141). The word confess means “to say the same thing as another” or “to
agree with.” To confess means that we are agreeing with God about our sin.
We are seeing it as he does. We know that God hates sin. Therefore, to truly
