God Has a Plan for You

God has a plan for you. He has a plan for your life. The psalmist of long ago knew this when he wrote these words in Psalm 119: 73: "Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn your commands."

God wants the best for you. God loves you. He has given you life. Have you thought about how you will use this life? The first step in using your life for God's plan is to understand why He sent Jesus.

God Planned for Jesus, the Savior

The Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world (I John 4: 14).

"Who is Jesus?" you might ask. Let's think about that. Read these facts carefully.

From the time Adam and Eve chose to disobey God (sinned), all people have chosen to sin.
God worked out His plan for saving people from sin.
Jesus had to die on a cross in order for people to have forgiveness for their sins.
Even though Jesus died on a cross, He is alive today.

God Wants You to Know Jesus as Savior

God's Word says that Jesus is the Savior - the only Savior. In Acts 4: 12, we read: "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."

How do I trust Jesus as Savior?

At some point in your life, you will realize that you sin, disobeying God's teachings, every day. You will feel bad because you break God's rules for living. Such feelings come when God is speaking (making an impression on your mind) to you. Although God does not speak out loud to you, you can know when He is speaking. God may speak as you read your Bible, as you pray, or through the words of someone you know.

As you realize that you have sinned against God and have disobeyed His teachings, you will feel a need to be forgiven. This is the first step toward becoming a follower of Jesus.

Here Is a Plan for You

Study the following chart carefully.

Accepting Jesus as My Savior
1. Conviction	Becoming aware of a great need for God.
(Acts 4: 12)
2. Repentance	Being very sorry for the wrong things I do - the sins I commit.
(Acts 3: 19)
3. Faith and Surrender	Trusting God for His forgiveness; giving God control of my life.
(Romans 10: 9)
4. Forgiveness and Salvation	Being pardoned and saved from my sins by accepting God's mercy and love.
(I John 1: 9)
5. Living and Sharing	Doing God's will and by faith obeying His teachings.
(Ephesians 2: 10)

Can you discover where you are in your relation with God? Maybe you need some help from a Christian counselor or friend. Perhaps you should talk with someone you trust for better understanding.

Your Decision is Personal

The important decision to trust Jesus as your Savior is a personal decision. No one can make that decision for you. No one can tell you when to make that decision. That is a matter between you and God. True, the people in your life can help you better understand about salvation, but they cannot make your decision for you. Nor should you make decisions about salvation just to please another person. Such a decision should come when you know that God is speaking (making an impression on your mind) to you.

Baptism Is the Next Step

We are baptized because we have been saved, not in order to be saved. This is important to remember.

God's plan includes your becoming a Christian and giving your whole life to Him. After you have made this decision, you can let others know what you have done by making public your choice to follow Jesus and by being baptized. In being baptized, you are showing that just as Christ died for your sins, your old sinful nature is now dead. You are becoming a new person in Christ.

And remember, God does not leave you by yourself to become a new person. He helps you day by day as you live out your life in His plan.