we can become friends with God. We can’t save ourselves by trying to be good. That’s because none of us can ever be good enough for God. But Jesus has done everything that is needed to save us. That’s great news! There are four things you need to do to begin a friendship with God. a: admit your sin. Admit that you do, say and think wrong things. Tell God you are sorry. Ask him to forgive you and help you to change. There will be some things you will have to stop doing. There are some things you will have to start doing. B: Believe that Jesus is God, and that he died for you to take the punishment for your sin. Believe that he came back to life, and that he is alive today. If you are not sure, you may need to find out more about Jesus. You can do this by talking to the person who gave you this leaflet. Or visit www.christianityexplored.com. C: Come to Jesus as your rescuer, and give up trying to save yourself. He said that he came to save sinful people by dying on the cross. You can trust him. d: do what Jesus wants – not what you want. Jesus is God and Lord of everything and everyone in this world. He proved this by coming back to life. If you want him to rescue you, you must give control of your life to him. If he is your ruler, he will make you God’s friend. If you are ready to talk to God about these things, then talk to him now. This prayer may help you:
Dear God, I have done and said and thought things that are wrong. I am really sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you for sending Jesus to die for me. Thank you that he came alive again. I give my life to Jesus as my Lord and rescuer. Please help me to live as one of your friends. Amen
What haPPens noW? Do you remember what the angel said? ‘You will name him Jesus – because he will save his people from their sins.’ Jesus welcomes everyone who comes to him. If you have come to Jesus, then he has saved you. Your sins are forgiven. That’s great news! When you are forgiven by God, you become his friend for ever. He loves you and will always be with you. This is what Christmas is really all about. It will not be easy to give your life to Jesus. Your friends and your family may not like it. It may be hard to change some things in your life. But God will help you to change and to live as one of his friends. Meet with some of God’s other friends – Christians. They will help you. You can learn more about Jesus together. See if you can join a group at a local church, or ask the person who gave you this leaflet. Tell them that you have become one of God’s friends too. © The Good Book Company 2007. www.thegoodbook.co.uk Bible quotations from the New International Reader’s Version.
why did Jesus come?