Does this description of sinfulness from Titus 3:3 sound like you? “…foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving [diverse] lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.” Perhaps you aren’t hateful and don’t begrudge anyone’s wealth, beauty, or success. But, unless you’re deceived, you know you’ve behaved foolishly or disobediently at some point. And this one gets us all: we’re “serving lusts” when we think “I shouldn’t…” but do it anyway. Romans 3:10 says “There is none righteous, no, not one.” God is righteous and must judge sin. Rom. 6:23 says “the wages of sin is death.”
God also loves us and made a way “that he might be just, and the justifier” (Rom. 3:26) of sinners. Titus 3:4 says “But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,” Despite our sin, God loves us and took action accordingly. Rom. 5:8 says “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” God sent Jesus “who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.” (Rom. 4:5) Christ justified us by His work on the cross, so our salvation comes “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:5-7)
This free offer of salvation is unique to Christianity. Religions teach you to earn a good afterlife. Perform this; be that; do it well enough, and then…maybe. You can’t be sure, because you mess up a lot. Christianity is not a religion; it’s a faith that the work which Christ completed through His death, burial, and resurrection is solely sufficient for our salvation, that this finished work is offered freely by grace, and that those who trust in Him are “sealed unto the day of redemption.” (Eph. 4:30)
So what do you need to do to be saved? Believe that Jesus Christ has already done it! Do you believe that you are a sinner condemned before God, but that Christ has freely offered salvation to you? Then put your faith solely in Christ’s finished work! Receive His gift of salvation now, and pray to Him thanking Him for His grace!
*This Gospel message can be included on our Door Hangers and Gospel Tracts.