The Four Spiritual Laws are a way of sharing the good news of the salvation that
is available through faith in Jesus Christ. It is a simple way of organizing the
important information in the Gospel into four points.
God
LOVES you and offers
a wonderful
PLAN for your life.
God's Love
"God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes
in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:16).
God's Plan
[Christ speaking] "I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly"
[that it might be full and meaningful] (John 10:10).
But why is it that most people are not experiencing the abundant life?
...
Man is
SINFUL and
SEPARATED
from God. Therefore, he cannot know and experience God's love and plan for his life.
Man Is Sinful "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans
3:23 ). Man was created to have fellowship with God; but, because of his stubborn
self-will, he chose to go his own independent way, and fellowship with God was broken.
This self-will, characterized by an attitude of active rebellion or passive indifference,
is an evidence of what the Bible calls sin.
Man Is Separated "The wages of sin is death" [spiritual separation from God]
(Romans 3:16).
This diagram illustrates that God is holy and man is sinful. A great gulf separates
the two. The arrows illustrate that man is continually trying to reach God and the
abundant life through his own efforts, such as a good life, philosophy, or religion
- but he inevitably fails.
The third law explains the only way to bridge this gulf...
Jesus Christ is God's
ONLY provision
for man's sin. Through Him you can know and experience God's love and plan for your
life.
He Died in Our Place
"God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ
died for us" (Romans 5:8).
He Rose From the Dead
"Christ died for our sins...He was buried...He was raised on the third day, according
to the Scriptures... He appeared to Peter, then to the twelve. After that He appeared
to more than five hundred..." (<1 Corinthians 15:3-6).
He Is the Only Way to God
"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to
the Father, but through Me'" (John 4:6).
This diagram illustrates that God has bridged the gulf which separates us from Him
by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross in our place to pay the penalty
for our sins.
But, it is not enough just to know these three laws...
We must individually
RECEIVE Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; then we can
know and experience God's love and plan for our lives.
We Must Receive Christ
As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even
to those who believe in His name" (John 1:12)
We Receive Christ Through Faith
"By grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the
gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast" (Ephesians 2:8,
9).
When We Receive Christ, We Experience a New Birth
(Read John 3:1-8.)
We Receive Christ by Personal Invitation
[Christ speaking] "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears My voice
and opens the door, I will come in to him" (Revelation 3:20). Receiving Christ involves
turning to God from self (repentance) and trusting Christ to come into our lives
to forgive our sins and to make us what He wants us to be. Just to agree intellectually
that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for our sins is
not enough. Nor is it enough to have an emotional experience. We receive Jesus Christ
by faith, as an act of the will.
These two circles represent two kinds of lives:
Which circle best describes your life?
Which circle would you like to have represent your life?
The following explains how you can receive Christ...