By Tom Shanklin

Recently I was reading one of those self-help books. . .the kind that tell you how to be a success in ten easy lessons.

I like books on success, and this one was enjoyable and even full of Bible principles. But I was about two-thirds through the book when I realized that there was not a word in it about the blood of Jesus Christ and His sacrificial death at Calvary.

Written for a secular audience, this book embraced many good positive Bible truths, but the direction that the author took could have appealed to anyone who had a basic belief in God.

The truth is: these principles will work for anyone and anyone can find success in life. But true success, eternal success is only found in the Savior, Jesus Christ. Jesus himself said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

He then added, “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.” The truth is: the only way to know God is through Jesus Christ.

We have a philosophy floating around the world these days that says, “There are many paths to God. For some it’s Buddha, for others it’s transcendental mediation. Someone else finds his way through nature and some even find their way through Jesus.”

But I want to be honest with you folks. I could write a nice self help book, too, that would help you be successful in business, have better attitudes and less ulcers. But the truth is: Many people are very successfully spending their lives, making money, having a nice home life and heading straight to hell.

That’s plain isn’t it?

People complain about hell fire and brimstone preachers, but the fact is that there is a very real and present danger of eternal damnation which lies ahead for many people. And the sad part is: it isn’t necessary.

If you saw a small child running across a lawn, about to fall into a deep hole which could easily cause his or her death, wouldn’t you do something about it. I believe you would. And I want to do as much for you spiritually.

Here’s the facts: Buddha can’t save you. The Virgin Mary can’t save you. Better attitudes can’t save you. Making money and being “successful” can’t save you. Nothing but the blood of Jesus can save you!

When God changed my life in 1977, he spoke these words to me which I will never forget: “Precious is the blood of the lamb, which was shed for you.”

Modern man rejects it. Intellectuals scream in protest. But the truth is: God has provided salvation through substitution. The blood of Jesus at Calvary paid the price for your salvation and mine. As Jesus said, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

When Jesus died on the cross, He took on the sins of the whole world. He took the punishment which we deserved. God loved us so much that he provided this solution for our sin problem.

Because of the sin of the first man Adam, and the sin nature which has been passed down from generation to generation since that time, mankind has been in a state of separation from God. When the human spirit is separated from God, the Bible calls it “dead.” Death is the absence of life. God’s Word says that when we believe in Jesus (that is trust in and adhere to him as Lord) that we receive the gift of eternal life.

Now this eternal life is the life of God. When eternal life comes into your human spirit, you become Born Again. You become a new creature. You have passed from death unto life. Your were dead in your sins. But when you received Jesus, God forgave your sins, and by the power of the Holy Spirit imparted His life unto you.

It’s kind of like having a dead battery in your car. The battery is in the car, but it has no life. When you receive Christ, he gives you new life, and puts a power generator, the Holy Spirit, within you to charge you up continually.

Jesus told it another way to a woman of Samaria. He said, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” This living water is the life-changing power of the Holy Spirit. The woman did not understand, and when she questioned Jesus, he said, “. . .whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”

He’s talking about an endless supply of Holy Ghost power. That power is available to you today. It’s a power greater than nitro glycerin, able to destroy the works of the devil in your life. When you accept Jesus, hold on to you hats, God is going to work mightily in you.

When we talk about accepting Jesus, there is a lot of confusion in people’s minds. Some think it means accepting the fact that Jesus walked on the earth 2,000 years ago. Others believe it is uttering a prayer in which you state, “I accept Jesus. . .”

It is fine to say a prayer stating, “I accept Jesus,” but if you really accept Jesus, then you must accept Him for all that He is. Jesus is the risen Savior of the world. So in order to accept Jesus, who must believe that Jesus’ death paid the penalty for your sin. You must believe that Jesus is alive today and that He will give you life as you call upon His name.

Also, Jesus is Lord. Therefore, in order to accept Jesus, we must accept His Lordship in our life. We must repent, or turn away from sin, and make a willful choice to follow the Lord. Without true repentance, there is no true salvation. The first command out of Jesus’ mouth during His earthly ministry was “repent”. . . that is, turn from sin and unto God.

When we are saved we come into the Kingdom of God. When you are in a kingdom, if you are a good citizen, you obey the King. If you are changing countries, you renounce the old King and pledge allegiance to the new King. Jesus is your new King. So, you need to renounce Satan, your old king, and pledge allegiance to your new king, Jesus.

Becoming a child of God requires no special formulas. It only requires a willing and believing heart. If you have never really made a firm commitment to Jesus Christ and had your sins forgiven, pray this prayer out loud in faith believing that God will wash your sins away through the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Dear God, forgive me of my sin. I’m sorry for my past life. I make a willful choice, right now, today, to stop sinning and follow You. I make Jesus Lord of my life right now today. I will never go back to the old way of life. I renounce Satan and all his works. And whatever you show me to do, or not to do, that is what I will do. I will follow you wherever you lead. I know Jesus is alive and that He is my Lord and Savior. I thank you for the gift of eternal life. I receive it now. I thank you for the miracle of new life, that now today, because your Word promises it, I am a child of God and I am Born Again.

If you meant that prayer with all your heart. I declare to you by the Word of God that you are saved from destruction and hell and are a new creature in Christ.

Now I encourage you, spend your life serving a pleasing God. Keep reading and obeying His Word, praying and spending time with other Christians, and you will be a victorious and successful Christian. Be sure to get involved in a good Bible-believing church, pray and read your Bible daily, confess your faith to others and be baptized. I encourage you to find a strong local church where the Bible is taught. I would also like to send you a booklet I have written entitled “Becoming a Strong Christian” to help you in your walk of faith. Write and request your free copy today or download it free here.