HAVE YOU REALLY HEARD?

[cimi]

`````````````````````HAVE YOU REALLY HEARD?``````````````````

When we were children, many of us heard frustrated
parents asking if we really heard their reminder to finish
an unwanted chore. We may have claimed to have
heard, but our attitude and actions said otherwise.

What about your own response to the gospel. Have
you heard it? Have you responded? It's easy to put off
making a decision, and this becomes an even greater
tendency when it seems a long way off.

The gospel is a simple but heart-penetrating truth. The
Bible tells us that all of us have sinned and fallen short
of God's perfect standard of righteousness (Rom. 3:23),
resulting in separation from a holy God (Rom. 3:23),
the Bible also says that because of God's compassion for
us, he became a man and allowed Himself to be nailed
to a cross to pay the penalty for our sin (1 Peter 3:18).

It's not enough just to know these great truths. We
must respond to them by personal choice. The Scrip-
tures tell us, "As many as received Him, to them He
gave the right to become children of God, to those who
believe in His name" (John 1:12).

Will you respond to this spiritual truth? It can be
expressed in a simple prayer like this: Jesus, I know I'm
a sinner and can't save myself. Thank You for dying on
the cross to pay the penalty for my sin. I receive You as
my Savior and Lord. Take control of my life and make
me the kind of person You want me to be.

If you sincerely prayed that prayer, you can have the
assurance that Jesus Christ has come into your life and
given you the gift of eternal life (1 John 5:12-13).
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Adapted from What About Those Who Have Never Heard?