This is a question that many, many people ask - and some at many different times of their lives...well, there is an answer. First, we must get to the root of the issue of someone who is asking this - why did they ask to receive Jesus as their personal Saviour and how did they go about it...also, it may have a lot to do with the person that lead them through the process as well.

The reason that someone would pray to receive Jesus as their Saviour would be because they see their need for a 'Qualified Saviour' - someone who is able and willing to save them from the predicament they and no one else can get them out of. You see, we were all born with sin - thanks to Adam and Eve going against God's only command not to eat from a certain tree in the Garden of Eden and at that moment, sin entered their lives and the world. It is from that single act that the entire human race has been born with sin - eternally separated from God's love, forgiveness, mercy, grace and justification (being made as perfect as the Saviour we so desperately need). You see the Bible says, in Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God". There was no going back, no second chances, nothing...but God in His incredible mercy and grace still wanted to have an intimate relationship with us who He created in His own image - awesome thought, isn't it? Check this out again - God still wanted to have a personal relationship with us, even though we were dead in our sins. How is this possible?? Romans 6:11 states, "In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus." Jesus, God's Son is the reason and THE ONLY reason we can be reconciled with God. Jesus came to earth, to live a sinless life only to die on the cross for our sins, IN OUR PLACE...the cross and the death He died on the cross, was meant for us! Jesus paid the penalty of sin which is death - Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is DEATH, but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.", so we can live eternally with Him. Jesus not only died for us, but was victorious over death as He rose again from the dead! Only the ultimate God can do that!! God's gift of salvation, given freely to us has nothing to do with anything we did to deserve it - we did nothing to deserve it, so we can do nothing to lose it if we truly accept it. If someone helps lead you to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, they need to explain that it is a gift we accept once and once only - we can never lose it, because we did nothing to earn it. With that, doing good works or deeds cannot make us any better in God's eyes - we don't do things to make Him love us more - we do things that please Him because it's a natural outpouring of our hearts - we want to do them - He can't love us anymore than He already does.

So spend time with Him daily praying and in His Word - the Bible - that's how we get to know God more and become more like Him. He talk to Him through prayer - He talks to us through His Word. If you attend Taproot Church and have accepted Jesus Christ as your Saviour, we want to take you through a 1 to 1 discipleship course. It's a 9 week study of learning how to get to know Jesus - the Saviour who died for you and how to tell others about the gift that you accepted - we are committed to helping you grow in your relationship with Jesus.

Now know this - when you accept Jesus as your Saviour, it's not a magic spell that instantly makes you successful, healthy or rich...in fact Jesus said that walking through life with Him will undoubtedly make your life harder - so why would anyone in their right minds choose Jesus?! Because without Jesus, we die, spend eternity separated from Him and are desperately lost - forever. There is no going back - nothing. But here's the good news! Walking with Jesus now, He promises never to leave us, forsake us or leave us without hope. He'll carry you through each and every hardship you face - and with Jesus carry you, nothing can take you out of His hands - NOTHING. You see, our rewards will come in Heaven - the place He's preparing for those of us who have accepted Him as our Lord & Saviour - given complete control of our lives because we can't do anything in our own strength. God made us, He knows what's best for us - if we give up the selfishness we all have and surrender to Him, we WILL experience life with a sense of peace we've never had before along with a promised hope that even if we die physically, we are immediately in the presence of Jesus! What an awesome promise!

If you do not have a saving, personal relationship with the person of Jesus Christ, please call or email our church office and we would love to talk with you more about how that can be a reality, today. We here at Taproot love you and pray that Jesus will not only be the Lord of your life, but that you'll walk closely with Him for the rest of your life. God bless you guys - choose Jesus today.

In His Service,

Dav