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Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Strong words. Who is this Jesus that says if we cast our burdens on him he will give us rest? Why would we want to? Doesn’t the world offer enough to keep us pleased? Won’t tomorrow take care of itself? In the book of Psalms, David said that the world would continually increase in riches. Remind you of the way things are going today? Seems as though everyone has wealth, yet the world continues on in the vain hope of finding further contentment . Happiness and real hope remains distant as ever for numerous people.

Absolute true happiness will not be found in worldly possessions, for it is the nature of human beings to never be satisfied. Proverbs 27:20 (KJV) tells us the same. “Hell and Destruction are never full, so the eyes of man are never satisfied”. What we need to seek isn’t of this world anyway. The apostle Paul says we must set our minds on Godly things, not earthly things.

Another question: How should we secure happiness or hope? How can we? Where is our optimism to come from? For theses questions there is only one true answer, and that is seeking and finding the savior of this world, Jesus Christ. Without him, we would be estranged from God for all eternity. Man has a sinful nature, because we all sin, and there must be an atonement for our sins. Our Heavenly Father, in his infinite wisdom, knew humans were incapable of saving themselves, so God lovingly gave us the most precious gift he could. He gave his son Jesus Christ for the redemption of all humanity.

Perhaps the most often quoted verse in the Bible is this: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Jesus said “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). God made it very plain that the only concrete hope we have in this life and the only way to live in heaven for eternity is through believing in and accepting Jesus Christ. This indeed is the ultimate wealth.

So, how do we secure salvation for ourselves? Let’s look at God’s word, the bible. Romans 10:9-11 says “That if you confess with your mouth, ’Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart and that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the scripture says, ’Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.’” Jesus said “the time has come, the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15). He also said “He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16).

The plan is simple: God says we must repent of our sins and confess before men that Jesus Christ is our only hope, that we believe he is the Son of God, and we accept him as our personal savior. To repent means to turn away from our sinful lifestyle and follow Christ’s example, and to be baptized in Christ announces to the world that we have received him and we now belong to God’s family. The act of baptism is symbolic insomuch that it represents death to our old selves (way of sinful living) and new birth in Jesus’ name (Holy Spirit takes up residence in our hearts).

We must understand, as estranged sinners, there is nothing we can personally do to assure our admittance into heaven. We are born into sin, and only by the sin-offering of Jesus Christ (his shed blood on the cross) can we expect salvation. He paid the price of our sins by freely giving his life on the Cross. Think of it as Jesus paying our bond, liberating us from prison. It is by God’s grace (free gift!) that Jesus died for us. This is how much he earnestly loves us!

Ephesians 2:8 tells us “For it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast”. Titus 3:5-7 says “he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might be heirs having the hope of eternal life”. In it’s simplest form Paul said in Romans 10:13 that “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved”.

So, what does it mean to not accept this magnificent gift God is offering us? 1 John 5:12 tells us that “He who has the Son has life; He who does not have the Son of God does not have life”. My friend, you just cannot afford to miss out on God’s wonderful promise of eternal life. If you choose to reject Christ, then you will be separated from him forever in hell. Hell is a place for those who consciously and knowingly rejected Christ’s love at some point in their life, and never turned back. This is indeed hard to digest, but effusively backed by scripture and ultimately our choice (see Romans 1:20 & 2:8, 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9). However, there is absolutely no need to worry, because as a believer in Christ you have God’s assurance of eternal life in heaven, and God is not capable of lying. “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13).

But do not delay, because once you hear the message of the Gospel, danger arises. “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil (Satan) prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:13). The devil will do anything he can to keep you from accepting Jesus into your life. Satan would like nothing better than to add you to his lost family for eternity, an eternity of suffering and regret. Put on the armor of God and resist him. Join the family of life!

“...I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20). “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (Matthew 24:35).

The apostle Peter was asked this same question as he was addressing a vast crowd. He responded by saying, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).

In Romans 10:9-10 the apostle Paul says “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved”.

If you sense God speaking to your heart and want to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, go to a quiet place and take some time to talk it over with him. Explain to God that you realize you need his forgiveness and salvation. Tell Jesus that you are genuinely sorry for your sins and that you need him to take control of your life and start afresh. And don’t feel you have to know all the words to say, because God will undoubtedly speak to your heart in quiet moments listening to Him.

Next locate a local church that will baptize you into God’s family. The church you choose needs to encourage fellowship among believers, believe in the authority of the Bible, and promote the spreading of God’s message of love and forgiveness through Jesus to people everywhere.

Sustain your Christian walk by studying and applying God’s Holy Word, the bible. Pray for guidance every day and remember to disclose daily sins, for the Lord will surely forgive you. Stand firm in your faith and God the Father will richly bless your life!

“Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city” (Revelation 22:12-14).

These same city gates are unbolted and wide open, with Christ beckoning us through. All we merely need say is “Yes Jesus”, and God’s grace, love, and fellowship will be known to all do.