Chapter 1: Introduction to Christianity
Normally the flight from Nassau to Miami took Walter Wyatt, only sixty-five minutes. But on December 5th, 1986, he attempted it after thieves had looted the navigational equipment in his Beechcraft. With only a compass and a hand-held radio, Walter flew into skies blackened by storm clouds.
When his compass began to gyrate, Walter concluded he was headed in the wrong direction. He flew his plane below the clouds, hoping to spot something, but soon he knew he was lost. He put out a mayday call, which brought a coast guard Falcon search plane to lead him to an emergency landing strip only six miles away.
Suddenly Wyatt’s right engine coughed its last and died. The fuel tank had run dry. Around 8pm Wyatt could do little more than glide the plane into the water. Wyatt survived the crash, but his plane disappeared quickly, leaving him bobbing on the water in a leaky life vest.
With blood on his forehead, Wyatt floated on his back. Suddenly he felt a hard bump against his body. A shark had found him. Wyatt kicked the intruder and wondered if he would survive the night, He managed to stay afloat for the next ten hours.
In the morning, Wyatt saw no aeroplanes, but in the water a dorsal fin was headed for him. Twisting, he felt the hide of a shark brush against him. In a moment, two more bull sharks sliced through the water toward him, again he kicked the sharks, and they veered away, but he was nearing exhaustion.
Then he heard the hum of a distant aircraft. When it was within a half mile, he waved his orange vest. The pilot dropped a smoke canister and radioed the cutter Cape York, which was twelve minutes away; “Quick, there are sharks all around this guy!”
As the Cape York pulled alongside Wyatt, a Jacob’s ladder was dropped over the side.
Wyatt climbed wearily out of the water and onto the ship, where he fell to his knees and kissed the deck. He had been saved!
Although, we may never have been in a situation like this, nevertheless, we also need to be saved – not from the danger of sharks but from the consequences and penalty of our sin.
To understand this more fully, let’s consider what many people believe today about man and eternal life and compare these attitudes to what The Bible actually has to say.
Going Deeper…
Some People Believe
Man is basically good and therefore has no need to be saved.
What The Bible Says
Romans 3:10, 23
- 10 As it is written: “There is no one good enough, not even one;
- 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the standards of God.
Some People Believe
God will overlook our faults.
What The Bible Says
Romans 6:23 – For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Hebrews 9:27 – Just as a man is destined once to die, and after that to face judgment
Some People Believe
They will be allowed into heaven because they have lived good lives.
What The Bible Says
Ephesians 2:8.9
v.8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God –
v.9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
The Bible makes it very clear that Jesus died for our sins. We deserved to die because of our sin but Jesus came and died in our place. He was a substitute on our behalf so that our sin can be forgiven and washed away.
How Can I Receive This Forgiveness?
Step One
God’s Purpose: Eternal Life
God loves you and wants you to experience life to the full. Life with maximum joy and peace and eternal life.
The Bible says ….
“For God so loved the world that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not die but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
“I have come that they may have life, and that they may have life to the full,” John 10:10
“We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:1
Step Two
The Problem; Our Separation
God created us in His own image to have an abundant Life. He did not make us as robots to automatically love and obey Him. God gave us a will and freedom of choice.
Man chose to exclude God from his life and do things his own way. We still make this choice today, which results in us being separated from God.
The Bible says…
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal Life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23
Our Attempts To Reach God
People have tried many ways to bridge this gap between themselves and God.
The Bible says …
“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” Proverbs 14:12
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8, 9
No bridge reaches God … except one.
Step Three
God‘s Bridge: The Cross
Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose from the grave. He paid the penalty for our sin and bridged the gap between God and us. The Bible says…
“But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”– Romans 5:8
“For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ.” 1 Timothy 2:5
“For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.” 1 Peter 3:18
God has provided the only way. Each person must make a choice.
Step Four
Our Response: Receive Christ
We must trust Jesus Christ as the Lord of our life and receive Him by personal invitation.
The Bible says…
“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9
“Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in his name. He gave the right to become children of God.” John 1:12
He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. 1 John 5:12-13
Where are you?
Are you ready to receive Jesus Christ right now?
Here is how you can receive Christ:
- Admit your need (I am a sinner)
- Believe that Jesus Christ died for you on the cross and rose from the dead to take away your sin
- Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour and be willing to turn from your sins (repent)
- Through prayer, invite Jesus Christ to come in and control your life (Receive Him as Lord and Saviour)
Prayer
Jesus,
I believe you are the Son of God and that you died for me. Forgive my sins. I receive you and ask you to take control of my life. Thank you Father for loving me and making me your child. Amen.
Receiving Christ, we are born into God’s family through the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit who dwells in every believer.