The BIBLE has the ANSWERS

The BIBLE is for SHARING, and its basic MESSAGE is SIMPLE enough to be understood by anyone! - it's a MESSAGE from God to tell you He LOVES you - in it GOD shows us what's gone wrong in the world and in our lives - and He explains WHY and HOW it can be put right. It's about JESUS! - and it's an INVITATION to LIFE!

HOW TO BE SAVED!

Here are some verses and/or (very) short passages, with my brief comments, which can get you moving in the right direction!

• Gen 3'8-9. "Where are you?" God's first question in the Bible, and its a very good one to ask, even today!
• Isa 1'18."Come now, let us reason together." Appeal to THINK, DECIDE and CHANGE.
• Ezek 18'4b. "The soul who sins shall die". A BIG Bible subject, more than a one-liner (sorry!) - but it shows WHY we need to be saved. Note1: "the SOUL - that's the REAL YOU inside the body. If you have FEELINGS (e.g. joys & sorrows, happiness & sadness, excitements & dreads) that's not your body, that's the REAL you! Note2: DEATH. There is physical death (next stop the grave), and the death of the soul (final stop heaven or hell). So "the soul who sins will die"... then have we all 'had it', for surely we've all sinned?! Isaiah 53 (esp. '4-12), a wonderful OT prophecy/promise, tells of a Saviour Who would be wounded FOR OUR transgressions, Whose soul would be an offering for sin. This is JESUS, dying FOR US on the cross. In the NT we have 2 Cor 5'21: "God made Him (Jesus) Who knew no sin, to BE SIN for us!" That's why we can be SAVED!
• Mt 11'2-5. When you find Jesus, it is the END of the search!
• Mt 13'24-30. WHY is there so much EVIL in the world? - WHY doesn't GOD do something about it? Here's the answer!
• Mt 14'30. Peter sinking - Lord save ME! Immediately, JESUS reached out, & caught him! You can also say, "Lord, save ME!"
• Mt 16'13-16. Who do people think I am? - Who do you believe I am? - The important key from where salvation is possible. Note that Jesus wants a response. Mt 22'42.
• Mt 27'22. Pilate - "What shall I do with Jesus?" - This most important of questions, but he goes and lets others make his decision for him!
• Mk 1'14-18. '14 Person, '14 Proclamation, '15 Prescription, '17 Promise, '17 Proposal 'Come follow Me'.
• Mk 5'1-6, 15-20. Legion - A man with a great need came. Result: He ended up healed & in his right mind. Many then said to JESUS "go away!" - What a way to respond to JESUS, and such a MIRACLE! What about YOU? Legion is sent to tell others what the Lord has done for him, and I do the same
• Mk 5'24-34. People at the end of their tether! - She'd searched everywhere - Tried everything - Then she heard about Jesus - "If I could just touch Him!"... and she DID!
• Lk 5'17-26. When the roof falls in, it's very important to have Jesus in the house!
• Lk 12'16-21. The Parable of the Rich Fool: What people WANT, what people NEED.
• Lk 14'15-24. Invitation - Excuses - Opportunity.
• Lk 15'11-24. The Prodigal son. Riches, Rebellion, Realisation, Return, Reception, Rejoicing, Riches!
• Lk 23'38-43. The thief on the cross: A-B-C. [A]dmit - [B]elieve - [C]hoose, or [C]all. That's how you get saved! That's what the thief did, and Jesus says he WAS! If the thief can be saved, so can YOU!
• Lk 24'28-35. Jesus NEAR - they WANTED Him - He nearly passed by, but they INVITED Him IN!... so must we!
• Jn 1'1-5. In the DARK - cave - tunnel - LIGHT! - phew - This LIGHT is LIFE, it's JESUS!
• Jn 1'10-13. Reject - Neglect (e.g. unwanted gifts) - Believe - Receive - SAVED.
• Jn 3'7. "You must be born again" - New creation, new life, 2 Cor 5'17-21, Gal 6'15.
• Jn 3'16. G-O-S-P-E-L. For God so loved the world that He gave His Only begotton Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not Perish, but have Everlasting Life.
• Jn 4'10."If you knew... the GIFT of God... and WHO... You'd ask... & He'd give!" Still does if you ask!
• Jn 5'6. "Would you like to be made whole?!" No-one to help? Don't you believe it... JESUS can and will!
• Jn 6'66-69. Will you also GO AWAY? - A tough challenge - A completely new and wonderful life - Will you COME?! - What will you do? - Where else will you go?... HE'S our ONLY hope.
• Jn 9'25, 35-38. "Do you believe in the Son of God?" I WAS blind, NOW I see! Yes, I believe.
• Jn 11'25-27. "I am the Resurrection and the Life" - Do you believe this? YES!
• Jn 12'21. "We want to see Jesus." Crowds all around Him - cp. apathy today. We must PRAY for our NATION!
• Jn 14'1-6. Eternity is a major issue! - ONLY ONE WAY to Father's House - Is a place prepared for you?!
• Jn 20'31. What is THE BIBLE for? The answer is in this verse!
• Act 2'37-40. Hearts pricked - They BELIEVE! - What shall they do? REPENT [=Turn/ Change/Make a brand New Start] - Be BAPTISED - "Save yourselves!" Some say you can't, but Peter said you CAN!... and 3,000 were!!
• Act 16'30-34. "What must I do to be saved?" - I'm glad you asked me that! "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved!"
• Rom 1'14-16. The GOSPEL: What do I THINK of it?; and Rom 1'1-4. What IS it? "The saving power of God for all who believe!"
• Rom 3'23. "ALL have sinned" - EXACTLY!... nobody's perfect. The world talks about all sorts of sin all the time - it's only when Christians talk about it that the subject becomes less popular! Nevertheless that YOU have sinned (and I have sinned, we're not pointing fingers, we've ALL sinned) is also true. Conviction comes before there can be Conversion!
• Rom 6'23. The verse INFLATION cannot affect! [1] A Problem (sin and its price), [2] A Present (God's gift is Life), [3] A Person (Jesus Christ), [4] A Prayer (to receive the Gift).
• Rom 8'2. "The LAW of SIN and DEATH"! If the LAW finds you GUILTY, even of SPEEDING, you must pay the price. How do we measure up to GOD's LAWS? Not too well, of course!! They should make us run to JESUS for our lives. We are GUILTY, we can be FORGIVEN, we can be SAVED because "the LAW of the SPIRIT, of LIFE in CHRIST JESUS, sets us FREE!"
• Rom 10'9-13. God calling for a response - Believe in your heart - Confess/Call with your mouth - The key word in Rom 10 is SAVED.
• 2 Cor 5'21 with Isa 53'4-12. The GREAT EXCHANGE! JESUS taking our sin, being MADE sin, for us... so that we might become RIGHT WITH GOD. Don't EVER think that GOD doesn't care about YOU!
• Eph 2'1-13. Dead in trespasses and sins (Like everyone else) - Without God (Lifeless: separated from, condemned by God) - Without hope (Knew no way of escape) - Without Christ (Powerless: no pardon for, no power over our sin) - '4 But now in Christ Jesus all that's changed!
• Rev 3'20. A visit from Jesus, who is outside - [outside a Church, in fact, but it can easily apply to you, me, anyone!] - He's knocking - We must open the door and invite Him in! Invite JESUS to STEP into your life!

• THE BIBLE says: 1. All have sinned - Not all saved. 2. All must face God in judgement - Not all go to heaven. 3. Christ died for all & Christ invites all - Not all say "yes". 4. The Bible says"Whosoever believes and calls on His Name will be saved", Rom 10'9,13.

PERSONAL TESTIMONY.

One of the most convincing things you can hear outside of the Bible, is the testimony of someone whose life has been changed from meeting with Jesus!

• eg1- Jn 4'28-30, 39-42. The woman at the well - "I've found a Man!"
• eg2- Mk 5'15-20. Legion - "Go and tell them what the Lord has done for you!" He did, and when Jesus reached his city, the whole MULTITUDE ran out to meet Him!
• eg3- Act 4'19-20. "We can't help telling others!" - They'd been told not to - Threatened - But they were so excited about Who Jesus is and what He can do!
• eg4- MARKS/EVIDENCE of MY own conversion (Eric). WHY did I decide for Jesus?: I heard about the RETURN of Jesus - The END of time - Judgement! - Eternal Destiny - I suddenly believed, KNEW... it's TRUE - it's going to happen! - My SIN will keep me OUT... I NEED to be SAVED!HOW did I make my choice real?: Decision to ASK Jesus to SAVE ME! - Prayer. CHANGES 1: PAST behind me - FREEDOM - PEACE. CHANGES 2: HOPE - and JOY! CHANGES 3: PURPOSE in my life... I want others to know. (I really believe!)

URGENT MOMENTS.

• 2 Cor 6'2. "NOW is the time". WARNING! - TAKE ACTION! Sometimes in life we need to move F-A-S-T!
• Child - playing with an electric plug: we GRAB them, they cry like crazy, but we saved them - that's what matters!
• Blind man - walking near a cliff: "Watch out!" we shout. We frighten him, but save him!
• Drowning man - needs air... I'd suggest the Kiss of Life! Read Jn 20'21-22
• House on fire! - you don't play games, have a bath, watch tv, or go to bed. You GET OUT! Read Acts 2'37-41. "Save yourself!"
• Doctor - medicine - take it - uuggh - it's for your good - the doctor is doing his job and is trying to help!
• Life and Death - Jn 3'17. Rom 6'23 - Truth - Face Facts - Our Need - God's Offer.
• You can be SAVED! Goalie SAVES a GOAL; Fireman SAVES a CHILD; Mountain Rescue SAVES a CLIMBER; Swimmer SAVES drowning child... we know what these mean. JESUS SAVES PEOPLE from sin, judgement and hell, for life, heaven and glory.
• YOU have the choice, YOU can be saved, YOU can live for ever, YOU can invite Jesus to step into your life... or NOT. Read Rom 1'6. ... which WILL YOU choose, what will you DO!

Index of related Christian information & stories:

My FaithI Believe there is a God
Chess in the Bible?!An Easter Allegory... Chess in the Bible?
An Unusual Meeting... Daniel's Story
An Easter Painting, one of my famous Family Service sketchboard stories! The Great Exchange
A set of One Line Bible verse messages, designed to make you think... _Bible Answers

For more information, or a free Booklet, write to: Eric Hallsworth, 45 Stretham Road, Wilburton, Cambs CB6 3RX, England, or e-mail..._ eric@elhchess.demon.co.uk