What Must I Do?
We need to be like the prodigal son (Lk 15:11-24) who had to come to grip with the state that he found himself in because of the wrong choices that he had made. We also must face up to our actions that have separated us from the goodness of God (Isa 53:6) and take the appropriate steps to correct our situation. It is a choice each one of us must make, no one else can make this choice for us.
The first thing that needs to take place before we can come to God is a heart of repentance. It means that we are sorry for the sins that we have committed and are willing to forsake them and seek after God. True repentance should result in a complete change of thought and attitude with regard to sin and righteousness.
2 Cor 7:10 For godly sorrow works repentance to salvation, which brings no regret. But the sorrow of the world works death. WEB
- Godly sorrow is having a repentant heart for the wrong we have done.
- Worldly sorrow is a sorrow for the punishment received for sin but not for the sin itself.
Prov 28:13 He who conceals his sins doesn’t prosper, But whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy. WEB
Ps 51:1-4 Have mercy on me, God, according to your loving kindness. According to the multitude of your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity. Cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I know my transgressions. My sin is constantly before me. 4 Against you, and you only, have I sinned, And done that which is evil in your sight; WEB
- David is a good example of what a repentant heart looks like.
Acts 3:19 “Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, so that there may come times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord, WEB
- There is a refreshing that takes place when we are cleansed from our sins and enter into a right relation with God.
If we are truly repentant, we are then in a place to be redeemed. Redemption comes through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ which became the ransom for sin.
John 3:16-18 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through him. 18 He who believes in him is not judged. He who doesn’t believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God. WEB
1 Tim 2:5-6 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all; the testimony in its own times; WEB
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me. WEB (Jn 10:7-9; Ac 4:10-12)
- Jesus was the only one God counted worthy to pay the redemption price for man.
- Salvation will come to us when we are willing to have our transgressions paid for by having faith in the redemption we have available to us through Jesus Christ.
- Allowing Jesus to redeem us is saying that we are willing to serve him unto righteousness and we will no longer be servants of sin. (Rom 6:16-19; John 3:36)
This is a choice that involves not only our heart but our mind and actions as well.
Rom 10:9-11 that if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart, one believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in him will not be disappointed.” WEB
- Disappointment only comes when we are outside the will of God.
John 5:24 “Most assuredly I (Jesus) tell you, he who hears my word, and believes him (God) who sent me, has eternal life, and doesn’t come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. WEB
1 John 5:11-12 The testimony is this, that God gave to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He who has the Son has the life. He who doesn’t have God’s Son doesn’t have the life. WEB
Rom 12:1-2 Therefore I urge you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service. 2 Don’t be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God. (Prov 11:27) WEB
The apostle Peter lays out the steps that will lead to God and to salvation.
Acts 2:36-38 “Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” 37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized, (see study on Water Baptism) everyone of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (see study on Gift of the Holy Spirit) WEB
- Being baptized in water is an act that we do that states we are willing to live to God and die to sin.
Rom 6:8-11 But if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him; 9 knowing that Christ, being raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no more has dominion over him! 10 For the death that he died, he died to sin one time; but the life that he lives, he lives to God. 11 Thus also consider yourselves also to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. WEB
There are great rewards for those that are willing to sell out for God and walk with him in righteousness and purity with a humble heart.
1 Peter 3:10-12 “He who would love life, And see good days, Let him keep his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit. 11 Let him turn away from evil, and do good. Let him seek peace, and pursue it. 12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And his ears open to their prayer; But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” (Ps 34:14-16) WEB
Phil 3:7-11 However, what things were gain to me, these have I (Paul) counted loss for Christ. 8 Yes most assuredly, and I count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and count them nothing but refuse, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, that which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed to his death; 11 if by any means to the resurrection from the dead. (Heb 11:6) WEB
- Paul did not count all the things that he could gain in this world worthy to be compared with what he would receive in Christ Jesus. (Heb 11:1-12:3)
But there are those that hate that which is good and love doing wrong because of the gain they can receive by their evil deeds. (2 Pet 2:12-15) They are not content in doing evil themselves but work hard to lead others away (2 Tim 2:2-7; 3:13) from doing that which is right in the sight of God.
Matt 24:11-13 Many false prophets will arise, and will lead many astray. 12 Because iniquity will be multiplied, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end, the same will be saved. WEB
Heb 3:12-14 Beware, brothers, lest perhaps there be in any one of you an evil heart of unbelief, in falling away from the living God; 13 but exhort one another day by day, so long as it is called “today;” lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our confidence firm to the end: WEB
- Walking with God is a way of life based on a relationship with him.
If we stumble and fall in our walk with God we can cry out to him and be forgiven and restored. (1 Jn 1:9) (Ps 40:11; 51:1-4)
1 John 2:1-2 My little children, I write these things to you so that you may not sin. If anyone sins, we have a Counselor (or advocate) with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous. 2 And he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the whole world. WEB
If we will trust and obey God, he will accomplish all that he has promised to those that will love and believe in him. (2 Pet 1)
Phil 2:12-13 So then, my beloved, even as you have always obeyed, not only in my (Paul) presence, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is God who works in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure. WEB
- The work of God is believing in the redeeming power of Christ (JN 6:28,29)
Jude 24-25 Now to Him (God) who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, NASU
John 10:29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of my Father’s hand. WEB
2 Cor 13:4 For he was crucified through weakness, yet he lives through the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we will live with him through the power of God toward you. WEB
- It is the power of God that will keep us, it is not by our own strength that we will be delivered.
Knowing God is to have eternal life.
John 17:3 This is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and him whom you sent, Jesus Christ. WEB
- This is a knowledge that comes by experience.
- We are experiencing eternal life when we are in fellowship with our God and with his Son.
1 John 1:3 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us. Yes, and our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son, Jesus Christ. WEB
When we receive Christ as our ransom we enter into a covenant (2 Cor 3:4-6) relationship with God (Mic 6:8) and receive all the wonderful benefits which go along with it which are beyond comprehension. (1 Cor 2:9) We show our love to God when we keep what he commands (Jn 15:9-11) and his commandments are not burdensome. (1 Jn 5:3) If we do so we will abide in his love and our joy will be filled to the full. (1 Jn3:21-24) (Ps 16:11)