Series: Presentations of the Gospel #1

How Would You Like to Have “A New Life?” By C. John Miller

(Presented by C. John Miller in A Faith Worth Sharing. Phillipsburg, N.J.: P&R, 1999.)

Have you ever felt there was something missing in your life? Something important but you didn’t know what? That may de the new life God wants you to have. A life of joy, peace, and fulfillment. A life…which you can receive today. Carefully consider these Five Important Facts…and find out how you can get that new life and become a brand-new person.

 FACT 1 – A loving God sent His Son Jesus into the world to bring you a new and abundant life.

Jesus said, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:37b-38).

Jesus also said concerning those He loves, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10b).

This new life brings you the fruit of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22). It also gives POWER!

God’s Holy Spirit gives you the power to overcome…feelings of loneliness, stress, fear of people and the future (1 John 4:18).

And the power to break habits like…selfishness, depression, uncontrolled anger, prejudice, sexual lust, overeating, overdrinking, and drug abuse (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).

But Why Are So Many People Without This New Life?

 FACT 2 – Because…people are self-centered, not God-centered.

This means that by nature you are spiritually dead and deceived (Ephesians 2:1a: “You were dead through your trespasses and sins.”

TO BE SPIRITUALLY DEAD AND DECEIVED is to be centered on yourself and not on your Creator, and to believe…

A BIG LIE

People show this, according to Romans 1:21-31 by being…unthankful to God, perverted, greedy, jealous, bitter, proud, mean, devious, and foolish.

Since man’s first sin. He has tried to be INDEPENDENT of God. Actually each human being is entirely DEPENDENT on God for breath, food, health, shelter, physical and mental abilities. THE BIG LIE: SELFISH INDEPENDENCE: self-trust, self-boasting, self-reliance, self-analysis, self-hating, self-seeking.

 FACT 3 – Self-centered man is separated from a holy God by three barriers.

A Bad Record – Romans 3:23, “All have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God.”

A Bad Heart – Mark 7:21, “From the heart of man come evil thoughts.”

A Bad Master – John 8:34, “everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.”

The consequences of sin result in eternal separation from God. “The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23a)…whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him (John 3:36b).”

 NOW:

 A dry, thirsty, unsatisfied life.

A guilty, accusing conscience (depression, fears, anxiety).

An aging body that must shortly die.

 FUTURE:

 Loss of friendship and earthly joys forever (Matthew 8:12).

Frightful pains of body and conscience forever (Mark 9:48).

Dreadful thirst of soul and body forever (Luke 16:19-31).

 FACT 4 – God’s Solution! No barriers!

A Perfect Record – 1 Corinthians 1:30, “Christ…is made our righteousness.”

A New Heart – Ezekiel 36:25-26, “A new heart I will give you.”

A Good Master – Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

“The blood of Jesus, God’s Son, cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7b).

The Benefit of Jesus’ Death…Love’s Biggest Gift

“The free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:23b). Jesus, the God-man, is the biggest gift of the Father’s love. On the cross Jesus suffered all the torments of hell as a substitute for His people (John 3:16; 10:15). He was legally condemned by God as their representative, removing the barriers of a bad record, a bad heat, and a bad master. The Father’s love can do no more. Risen from the dead, Jesus now lives to give you a new record, a new heart, Himself as a new master—and the free gift of eternal life now!

You Need to Make Sure

God says you either have a NEW LIFE or you are a lawbreaker DEAD in your self-centeredness. Are you personally alive or dead? If you are still dead, you need to know…

 FACT 5 – How to receive the Lord Jesus into your life…

1. Turn…In sorrow from your sins: “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon Him while He is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteousness man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God for he will abundantly pardon” (Is. 55:6-7).

2. Trust…in Jesus alone to save you: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31a)…”I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

Repentance is…not our suffering or our good works to earn our salvation, but a turning from our sins to the living God through Jesus Christ.

Trust in the Lord Jesus is…accepting, receiving, and resting on Him alone as the Savior from our sins.

 Begin a NEW LIFE

Will you surrender your life to Christ by turning from your self-centered way and trust in Him alone? Here is a guideline to help you confess your sins and come to know God through taking the Lord Jesus Christ as your own personal Savior.

 Make this Verbal Profession & Confession of Faith:

“Heavenly Father, I am really a selfish person. I have wanted my own way—not Yours. I have often been jealous, proud, and rebellious. You are my Creator, but I have acted as though I was lord of all. I have not been thankful to You. I have not listened to Your Word the Bible and have not loved Your Son. But now I see that all my sin is against You. I now repent of this evil attitude. I turn from all of my sins and trust that Jesus has shed His precious blood to cleanse me from all my guilt. I now receive Him as mu Savior and the Lord of my life.”

I, ______________, turn from my sins and take Christ as my Lord and Savior. By His help I promise to obey Him in every part of my life.

How Does This New Life Continue? The same way it began—in faith and prayer.

1. Pray constantly. Prayer is talking to God. Keep doing it all the time. Include in it praise, thanksgiving, confession of sins, petitions for others’ salvation, and requests for help.

2. Read your Bible. Study your Bible every day. It is the food for your new life and your sure guide. In it you meet Jesus and learn to claim His promises for your life.

3. Worship with others. Meet with a church where the Bible is taught and obeyed and where Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior.

4. Witness to others. Tell your friends what Christ has done for you—and wants to do for them. Be tactful and back up your words by improvement in manners and doing deeds of kindness.

* Gospel tracts: World Harvest Mission – 100 West Ave. W960 – Jenkintown, PA 19046-2697

ABOUT JACK MILLER

C. John “Jack” Miller, PhD., founded World Harvest Mission (WHM) and the New Life Presbyterian network of churches. A pastor, seminary professor, and author, he wrote Outgrowing the Ingrown Church, Come Back Barbara, Powerful Evangelism for the Powerless, A Faith Worth Sharing, Repentance, and The Heart of the Servant Leader. He and his wife Rose Marie have five children and twenty-four grandchildren. Jack went to be with the Lord in 1996. WHM is a movement of people empowered by God’s grace to plant churches around the world. For more information, visit whm.org.