2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

According to the Bible, God offers forgiveness to those who place their faith in Christ alone. And those who come to Christ in faith also find certain hope! In Romans 15:13, Paul writes,"Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost."  

Biblical hope is based on the certainty of forgiveness and eternal life that we find in Christ alone.  You may be surprised to learn that the Bible clearly states that we cannot earn forgiveness through our own good works.  In Ephesians chapter 2, the apostle Paul writes, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves:  it is the gift of God:  Not of works, least any man should boast (Eph. 2:8-9). 

No good works - including Baptism - are good enough to get us into Heaven.  Why is that?  In Romans 3:23, the Bible says that "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."  God's perfect holiness and justice requires that a penalty be paid for sin.  In fact, in Romans 6:23, the Bibles teaches that "the wages of sin is death."  The good news of the gospel is that the son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, paid that penalty for us by shedding His blood and dying upon the cross in our place. It is only through repentance and faith in Christ that our sins are forgiven.  Romans 6:23 says, "the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."  If you will repent and receive Christ as your savior, the Bible says that you can know for certain that you have eternal life (1 John 5:13).

How may I know that my sins are forgiven?

1.  Understand that Christ died on the cross and paid for all our sins. Jesus Christ was the perfect sacrifice that satisfied God’s demand for justice against our sins. Because Jesus did that for us, eternal life is offered to us as a free gift. God paid the price for our sin Himself!

2.  Turn  and receive Christ as your savior. The Bible teaches that, in order to receive forgiveness of sins, we must repent and place our faith in Christ.    Repentence involves a change of mind that produces a change in action.   Repentence normally involves sorrow over our past sins - especially when we realize that Christ died on the cross in our place.   The Bible say, "...there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth."  (Luke 15:10)

The Bible says that "...Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:13) "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16). The word believe in John 3:16 means to place your trust in Christ. If you will place your trust in Jesus Christ as the one who paid for your sins on the cross of Calvary, and in nothing else, God promises you both forgiveness of sin and eternal life. 

The Bible says that those who know Christ as their Savior may know that they have eternal life. If you repent and receive Christ, your salvation is certain.  In 1 John 5:13, the Bible says,  "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God." 

Here’s a sample prayer you can pray: 

Dear Lord Jesus Christ, I acknowledge that I have sinned against a Holy God and my sins have separated me from Him. I believe that you, Jesus, are the Son of God, and I believe that you died and paid for my sins on the cross  and that you rose from the dead.  Today, I'm choosing to turn away from a life of sin and to turn toward you, Lord.  I trust you alone, Lord Jesus, for my eternal salvation. 

God bless you my friend! If you have made this decision, please contact us and let us know. And please be baptized by immersion in a Bible-believing church such as ours. Get involved, and learn what it is to live the Christian life.

Also see:

• Why do I Need Jesus Since I Already Believe in God?

• Download: Understanding Biblical Christianity (Presentation)

• Free Biblical counseling may be available. Click to learn more.

• Information about visiting our church

Have questions?  Please send e-mail to Pastor Hammond at Hammond.Robert@gmail.com, or call / text to 203-543-7456.

keywords:  how to be saved, gospel, forgiveness, how may I know Christ?, finding hope, how to get saved