Recognize your sin demands a payment.

We all have sinned and fallen short of God's standard of holiness (Romans 3:23). There is no one without sin (Romans 3:10). "But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear" (Isaiah 59:2) In other words, God is perfect and without sin, therefore because he is perfect, he cannot have fellowship with sin. This separates us from God and keeps us from his fellowship.

 

Understand your sin demands a payment.

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23) It also promises that the gift of God is eternal life. In other words, Jesus Christ went to the cross for you... and for me... to make the payment for sin that you and I should have made. He took our place! What a great love!  Romans 5:8 describes love in this way, "But God demonstrates  his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us". 2 Corinthians 5:21 "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

 

By our self-seeking nature we are imperfect.

 It is obvious that we need a new nature, a nature that God can look upon with acceptance. You must be born again - a command from God.  John 3:5 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit."

 

Confess your sin to God.

To confess means to agree with God about your sin and choose to turn away or "repent" of your sin. You are choosing to step away from your old life and ways in order to follow God and live out His amazing plan for your life. 2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."

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Receive His gift of forgiveness.

Understand that His forgiveness is a gift. We cannot work for it or else we could boast, and no one shall boast before God. Romans 3:21-22 "But God has a way to make people right with him without law. And God has now shown us that way which the law and the prophets told us about. God makes people right with himself through their faith in Jesus Christ. This is true for all who believe in Christ, because all are the same."

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Thank God for coming into your life.

Surrender everything you know about you... to everything you know about Him. Romans 10:10 tells us "For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved."In other words, we must believe in our hearts that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and that He rose from the grave. We confess that truth in our hearts and with our lives.