The Elect- Are YOU one?

1Pet 1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved If you are the "whosever" that called on Christ alone to save you...then you are indeed part of the elect. If you have not done this, keep reading! If you are saved...skip to the last paragraph for a touching illustration I recently heard.

I love the illustration our Pastor used concerning understanding the whole "elect" issue..not that we can understand beyond what we need to know in order to be saved...but, anyway, I am going to end up running myself in a corner here if I don't just get to the point ;) Pastor Nutt told us to think of a door that has a sign "Whosoever" over it- when we call on Christ to save us, we walk through that door. Once through that door if we look over it on the other side-it says "The Elect".
God's Plan of Salvation WE CAN KNOW!
1 John 5:13 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
Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved


Step 1- Admit you are a sinner (I am! The Pope is! )Know that we cannot get to Heaven by being good-we are all sinners and cannot save ourselves
Romans 3:10 As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one.
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
We are either sinful or sinless...and noone is sinless.
God loves us and wants us in Heaven, but our sin separates us from God-
The BAD NEWS
We deserve to be punished for our own sins
Romans 6:23a "The wages of sin is death..."
Christ is our Savior who paid the debt of death owed when He died on the cross and defeated death when He resurrected from the dead.
Romans 5:8 But God commendeth (proved) His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
What did we owe? death Romans 6:23
What did Christ pay? death Romans 5:8
If we could get to Heaven by being good, Christ would have died for nothing. Galatians 2:21

Step 2-Believe on Christ as the Savior who died for you
The GOOD NEWS
Romans 6:23b "...But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
How do we receive this FREE GIFT?
by ASKING and Believing
Romans 10:9-10,13 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation...For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Gal 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
We Must Trust Christ Alone- many have asked Christ to save them, but without repentance-a change of mind about their sinful life(Lk 13:3) or without fully transferring their trust for salvation from themselves to Christ (Phil 3:4-9). It is a belief that only Christ can save you...just saying words to a sinner's prayer will not save you apart from believing in your heart.

Step 3- Call on the Lord Jesus and ask Him to Save you
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.
Sample Prayer (the words alone will NOT save you-you must believe and receive Christ's payment for your sin-the Lord knows your heart call on Him the best you know how..He WANTS to save you)
Jesus, I know I am a sinner who deserves to be punished for my own sins in a place the Bible calls Hell. I believe that you took my place on the cross and paid for my sins when you died and rose again. I know I can't save myself so I now repent of my sins and trust in You alone as my Savior. Please forgive my sins, save my soul and give me a home in heaven. Please take over my heart and life, I give it to you right now...the best I know how. Thank you for hearing and answereing my prayer and for saving my soul. Amen. If you prayed this prayer please email me and let me know, I want to give you some first steps for new Believers and rejoice with you in your decision!

Think of this...during the French revolution, there was a father and son who both were arrested for a crime. The father's was a misdemeanor which he would be released for, but the son's was a capital crime for which death was owed. Both father and son had the same names as they were a Sr and Jr. The morning in which the son was to pay for his crime by hanging, the father, who was innocent of his son's crime, begged the inmates to not make a noise and let his son sleep when his name was called so that he could accept the punishment for his son's crime and his son could walk as there was not a punishment due for the father's crime. The son's name was called and the father took his son's place and died that his son might go free....and go free he did as the debt of death was paid. As touching as this story is, the father could only take the place for ONE debt -he could pay for a crime which he did not commit. If he had committed the crime, he would not be able to pay with only his life for both. The sins of the world had to be taken on by one who knew no sin and owed nothing..that is why CHRIST is the only way. He was the only possible substitute. He is God and knew no sin-He clothed Himself in flesh, was tempted but sinned not, that He might be a perfect sacrifice for the sins of ALL who will accept Him. What wondrous love..not just to die for one, but to be infinitely perfect and loving enough to die for all. How can that beautiful truth not touch the heart of the world?

pictures courtesy of allposters.com