If We Never Meet Again...Thank you for visiting our website!
While I hope this will be the first of many
visits, I realize that it’s possible that our “cyberpaths” may never cross
again. Just in case
they don’t, will you take the next few minutes to read about a discovery that
changed my life and my eternal destiny…and has changed the lives of millions of
people. It all starts with discovering our purpose for being here in the first
place…
DISCOVERING YOUR PURPOSE FOR BEING
HERE
Life
was intended to be much more than just working to stay ahead of bills, living
for weekends, and marking time between birth and death. Life was meant to be a
very satisfying experience, not just an existence.
In
fact, according to a very special book called the Bible, the purpose of life
originally included friendship with God Himself in a perfect world of love and
trust. It was possible because "God created [mankind] in His own
image."1 He shared with them qualities like His own--intelligence, conscience,
personality, speech, the ability to choose. The things that still give our
lives meaning today.
Despite a great start, there came a time when the
first man and woman, Adam and Eve, chose to go against one of God's
instructions to them. The consequences were immediate. Their disobedience--what the Bible calls
sin--broke their once-close relationship with Him.2 Even worse, sin's eventual
result was physical death. Death opened the door to sin's final outcome,
eternal death--separation forever from God.
From their day to ours human history can be
summed up this way: "Although they knew God, they did not honor Him as God
or give thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their
foolish hearts were darkened. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God....The
wages of sin is death."3
We have
all followed in the footsteps of our forefathers. Disobedience. Deceit. Lies.
Using others. Loving money. No time for God in our lives. No wonder our lives
offend God...we offend our friends, even though they're sinners like us!
RESTORING A BROKEN RELATIONSHIP
As
hopeless as it sounds, when mankind ruined things God had a solution. His plan:
Have someone who had never done wrong take the place of everyone who had done
wrong--that's all of us! An innocent substitute for guilty wrongdoers.
Two
thousand years ago the plan went into action. Jesus Christ, God's Son, became
one of us. In His 33-year lifetime as the unique God-Man, He fulfilled every
requirement and expectation God ever had for us. He never once sinned against
His Father or those around Him. In other words, Jesus qualified as the perfect
substitute for all the rest of us.
His
death on a cross was not the tragic end of the world's greatest teacher; it
only appeared to be "just" another cruel Roman execution. Actually,
in dying Jesus carried through with His desire to take the eternal death
penalty for us all.
The Bible puts it this way: "God shows His
love for us in that while we were all sinners, Christ died for us....that
whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son
into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.
Christ...suffered once for [our] sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that
He might bring us to God"4
Because He is the one and only God-Man, Jesus'
suffering equaled the eternal judgment in hell that we all would otherwise
experience. That's
how much He wanted to restore God's original purpose for us.
Jesus' resurrection from the dead three days
after His burial5 proved that, in paying the death penalty for us, He had also conquered
death, not only for Himself, but for all those who believe in Him. That means those who trust God
to forgive their sins will also share in Jesus' resurrection life forever in
Heaven.6
There's
more. Those who admit that their sins caused Jesus' death and trust God to save
them from sin's judgment receive eternal, spiritual life the moment they
believe. Jesus put it this way, "I have come that they [who trust in Me]
may have life, and have it abundantly."7 That's the restoration
of the lost original relationship and more!
MAKING A PERSONAL CHOICE
Those are the basic facts of my most important
discovery. Even if
we never see each other again, I still want you to experience God's purpose for
you. God offers you forgiveness and eternal life, but it's your decision. What
will you choose--to prepare for eternity your own way or by taking God's way?
If you want to accept God's offer of eternal
life, you can put your choice into words like these:
Dear God, I admit I have sinned against you many times in
my life.
I'm
convinced that Jesus died in my place and took the judgment
that I
deserved for my sins.
I accept
your offer of forgiveness.
I want
the new life Jesus promises to those who believe in Him.
Thank
you for letting me find out how to know You!
Quotations from the Bible:
1Genesis 1:27
2Genesis 3
3Romans 1:21; 3:23; 6:23
4Romans 5:8; John 3:16-17; I Peter 3:18
51 Corinthians 15:1-8
6John 14:1-3
7John 10:10
(from the web site: http://lmi.gospelcom.net/ifwenevermeet.php)