for our sins. The Bible says, “In this is love, not that we
If you accept the fact that you’re a sinner, if you be-
you have to get this next part.
loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be
lieve that Jesus died to pay the penalty for your sin,
the propitiation [payment] for our sins” (1 John 4:10).
and if you want to confess Christ now, personally,
The payment: Christ. This is the good news of the gos-
just begin to pray that to Him. Pray this prayer from
pel. This is what separates biblical Christianity from
THE CHOICE
all false religions of the world including aberrant
Let me tell you, Hell is not deep enough to contain the
Christianity itself. There are many false religions and
wrath of God upon those who reject His only provision
Lord, I know that I’m a sinner. It’s not a piece of news to
one true one, one authored by God Himself. In all
for your forgiveness. “It is a fearful thing to fall into the
me. God, I know I’ve broken Your law, I know I’ve failed
false religions, there is this thread: “I will do this my-
hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31). The outrage
You. I know I’ve not been the person that You want me to
self. I will get there.” In every aberrant religion, you
of God, the wrath of God that will never be satisfied will
be. I know that I deserve Your judgment. I’m not resist-
find people cutting themselves or doing penance or
be poured upon those who reject Christ as the only way
ing that reality. I just want to know that I’m forgiven. I
kissing rings and bowing down or making a journey
to Heaven. God offers you forgiveness freely, and if you
want to receive the gift of eternal life. Come into my life
to some sacred location, trying to do what God has al-
say, “No, I’ll go my own way. I’ll find a way. I’ll get up
and forgive me. I choose God’s forgiveness. Forgive me,
ready done for us in Christ.
there. I’ll convince you.” No, you will not.
Lord Jesus. Come into my life and wash me and make
Now, I’m here to tell you, the only way to have your sin forgiven is to throw your arms around this truth with your whole heart, with all that you have: the payment is Christ. God sent His perfect Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sins. He died in our
your heart:
me clean. Grant to me according to your mercy the gift But to those who believe what the Bible says, believe
of eternal life. Thank You. In Your Holy Name. Amen.
in what Christ did on the cross, trusting in Him alone for salvation, there is good news. “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).
place. As our substitute, as the payment for the debt
Now comes the choice. No one can do this for you.
we owed to God because of our sin. Then three days
The most important decision of your life is to believe
later, Jesus rose from the dead, proving that God had
in Jesus Christ. Be reconciled to God through faith in
accepted Christ’s death on the cross as the payment
Christ. It is your only hope.
Good News Tracts 1300 Crescent Street Wheaton, IL 60187 For helpful Christian literature, please write to the address above or visit our web site at www.goodnewstracts.org. Bible references: ESV.
©2010 Good News Tracts. Printed in the U.S.A. Cover image: ©Phil Morley/Veer. Taken from “Ten Choices to Change Your Life Forever: I Choose God’s Forgiveness”, ©2001 by James MacDonald and Walk in the Word (www.walkintheword.com). Used by permission.
lightly dismiss sin. Sin is not a trifle—it is a terror. So,
JA M E S M AC D O N A LD
SALVATION What You Need to Know About the Most Important Decision of Your Life
How many people, do you think, like good news? Do you like good news? I think it’s safe to say
fabric of what God created them to be, and the effects
the heart. It is eating away at the fabric of your being
“For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in
of sin entered the world. Romans 5:12 says, “Just as
and will do so until it consumes you. That is sin—a
steadfast love to all who call upon you” (Psalm 86:5).
that everyone likes good news. But here’s something
sin came into the world through one man, and death
spiritual disease.
I’d submit to you: sometimes people like good news so
through sin, and so death spread to all men because
much that preachers only give good news. The prob-
all sinned.” We are born as sinful people, and we are
lem is you can’t really appreciate the good news until
sinful by birth, we are sinful by nature, we are sinful
you get the bad news. The good news is never really
by actions. Every breaking of God’s law, every viola-
as good until the bad news is understood. Who gets
tion of another person, every self-exalting, others-
excited about a solution to a problem they don’t recog-
debasing, wounding action is because of sin. Every
this verse is that whoever believes in Him “should
nize? I promise to get to the good news, but not before
problem in our bodies, every physical problem that
not perish.” So then everyone who does not believe
God won’t just take your sin away from you; He’ll put
you and I have, every struggle that we have now or
in Him will perish. Everyone. Perish means to suffer
it so far away you can’t find it anymore. That’s how
you will really appreciate it when we get there.
will have in the future—all of it is because of sin.
in hell and experience the just wrath of the Almighty
forgiven you’ll be. He’s not going to say, “Actually,
God. “Perish” is an eternal death sentence.
I was thinking about that sin last night and I spoke
THE BAD NEWS
The Bible says that “all have sinned and fall short of
spending a good amount of time on the bad news, so
“Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity…he does
The prognosis: perish. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved
not retain his anger forever, because he delights in
the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever be-
steadfast love” (Micah 7:18).
lieves in him should not perish but have eternal life.” The least emphasized (and often overlooked) part of
“As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12).
a little too soon. Now I’m mad again.” God’s not like
The whole world is winding down. It’s getting worse.
the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). We have failed where
So the bad news is that the problem is sin and the
It’s twisted. It’s broken. Romans 8:20 says that all of
we needed to succeed, and we have fallen where we
prognosis is perishing. And unless God had stepped
“creation was subjected to futility.” The universe is in
were supposed to stand. And the result? Romans 6:23
in, nothing would alter that course. That’s the real-
bondage to decay. All it can do is break down and fall
says, “the wages of sin is death.” Had there been no
ity. So…ready for some good news?
apart and continue to get worse.
sin, there would be no death.
The problem: sin. Now, things weren’t created this way.
Genesis 6:5 says, “The Lord saw that the wickedness
The provision: forgiveness. Even though the cost of sin
pretty good deal, this forgiven by God thing. So, God’s
When God made Adam and Eve originally in the Gar-
of man was great in the earth, and that every inten-
is death, you and I can be forgiven of our sin. Forgiven.
going to just say, ‘Oh, never mind, it’s okay.’ and then
den of Eden, they were perfect. Creation was perfect.
tion of the thoughts of his heart was only evil con-
God is a forgiving God. There are passages throughout
wipe away my sin?” No. No. No. You do not under-
But when Adam and Eve chose to sin, it tore at the
tinually.” Sin is a virus of the soul. It is gangrene of
the Bible that speak of God’s forgiveness:
stand the true gospel if you think that God is going to
THE GOOD NEWS
that. He will put your sin so far away from you, you couldn’t find it if you wanted to. He will totally forgive you. He will never bring it up again. Let me ask you a question. Do you want to have all of that sin washed away? You’re like, “That sounds like a
If you accept the fact that you’re a sinner, if you believe that Jesus died to pay the penalty for your sin, and if you want to confess Christ now, personally, just begin to pray that to Him. Pray this prayer from your heart: Lord, I know that I’m a sinner. It’s not a piece of news to me. God, I know I’ve broken Your law, I know I’ve failed You. I know I’ve not been the person that You want me to be. I know that I deserve Your judgment. I’m not resisting that reality. I just want to know that I’m forgiven. I want to receive the gift of eternal life. Come into my life and forgive me. I choose God’s forgiveness. Forgive me, Lord Jesus. Come into my life and wash me and make me clean. Grant to me according to your mercy the gift of eternal life. Thank You. In Your Holy Name. Amen.
Good News Tracts Salvation (Walk in the Word Series) Pastor James MacDonald explains that the most important decision anyone can make is to believe in Jesus Christ. Bible references: ESV. Package contains 25 tracts.
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