Summary
God exists (Romans 1:18-20; Psalm 19:1; Hebrews 3:4). He loves us: John 3:16 “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.” Romans 5:7-8 “For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Denying God and turning away from Him are among the greatest sins (Romans 1:28-32; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10; Exodus 20:3-7).
Man in his natural state is a sinner, a slave to sin. He cannot free himself (1 John 1:8-10; John 8:34; Romans 3:23; Romans 7:18-20; Romans 1:28-32). Despite his will, he remains attached to sin. The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). It brings about wickedness, disasters, and other curses. To avoid all this, blood sacrifices were needed to be forgiven for sins (Hebrews 9:22).
God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to free us from the bondage of sin and to give us access to eternal life (John 8:31-36; John 3:16; Revelation 5:8-9; Romans 8:2; John 1:12-13; 1 Timothy 2:5; John 14:6; Acts 4:12; John 15:22; Isaiah 49:6; 1 John 3:5-10). He died for us on the cross so that His blood would purify the sins of all who sincerely repent after committing them and who also forgive those who have offended them (Hebrews 9:12; 1 John 2:2; Matthew 6:14-15). This is a grace that God has given us for our salvation and not the result of our works (Ephesians 2:8-9; Colossians 1:21; Romans 5:10).
To benefit from this, one must believe in Jesus Christ, repent of their old sinful life, be baptised in water, and be born again (John 20:31; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; John 3:3; John 3:5; Luke 7:30; Matthew 28:19; Titus 3:5). We must invite Jesus Christ into our lives to become our master (Revelation 3:20; John 13:13; Romans 14:11).
Before being baptised, one must have believed and repented. Baptism is a voluntary act that marks our commitment to God and our entry into Christian life (1 Peter 3:21; Luke 3:3; Acts 2:41). It also helps to destroy satanic, spiritual, or demonic bonds that were in our lives and prepares us for receiving the Holy Spirit of God. It crucifies the flesh of sin, allowing us to walk in newness of life as a child of God, keeping His commandments (Romans 6:1-7; Acts 2:38; Galatians 3:27; Hebrews 10:22; Ephesians 5:26; Deuteronomy 7:5). The Christian is thus freed from sin, dead to sin (Romans 8:2; Romans 6:1-2; Romans 6:11-13; Romans 6:22; 1 John 5:2-4; 2 Timothy 2:19).
Once you become a Christian, you must start your spiritual birth by appropriating and applying the following words:
- “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33),
- “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind,”
- “And thy neighbour as thyself” (Matthew 22:37-39), and
- “Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world” (Titus 2:12; Exodus 20:3-17; Matthew 7:12).
Next, you should develop the knowledge of God through a Bible reading plan, or listening for those who cannot read (Matthew 4:4; Hosea 4:6; Hosea 6:6; John 15:7; John 6:63; Psalm 119:105; Jeremiah 29:13; Isaiah 48:17-18; 2 Peter 3:18) and walk in keeping God’s commandments. This is what shows that you are a Christian and that you will have salvation, blessings, and success (Luke 8:21; 1 John 3:10; Matthew 7:18-23; John 14:21; John 8:11; 1 John 5:2-4; Proverbs 28:9; Joshua 1:8; Revelation 12:17). Remember that Jesus Christ came to free you from sin. Let’s meditate on what Jesus Himself says:
Matthew 7:21-23: “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? and then will i profess unto them, i never knew you: depart from me, YE THAT WORK INIQUITY.”
Do not believe that being numerous in sin will save you, for in Noah’s time, only 8 people were saved on the whole earth, and the rest perished (1 Peter 3:20; Matthew 24:37-39; Luke 17:26-30). Do not believe those who say that because we are under grace, we are free to live in sin, as if forgiven, denying the liberation of Jesus Christ, for a life of sin leads to destruction (Matthew 10:22; Mark 13:20; Revelation 22:15; Hebrews 10:26-27; Hebrews 12:14; Romans 6:1-2; Romans 6:11-13; Romans 6:16; Romans 6:18; Romans 6:22; Revelation 21:7; Luke 1:75; Ephesians 5:5; Galatians 5:19-22; James 1:22; John 14:21; Luke 11:27-28; Matthew 7:26; Matthew 19:17; 2 Peter 2:20-22; Acts 8:20-22; 1 Corinthians 10:1-13; 1 Corinthians 11:27-30; Romans 8:13-14; Romans 2:13; Acts 26:20; Ephesians 5:8; James 2:14-26; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-7; 1 Thessalonians 4:8; Romans 14:12; Ephesians 6:10-18). However, Jesus says: “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:36).
Walking with Jesus Christ gives you salvation, eternal life, divine protection, deliverance, grace, and many other blessings (Matthew 11:28; 1 Peter 5:7; Deuteronomy 11:26-28; John 14:21; 1 Peter 3:10-12; Joshua 1:8; Matthew 6:25-34; Psalm 27:2-3; Psalm 23; Psalm 91; 1 Chronicles 29:12; Isaiah 53:3-12; Acts 10:43). Beware of false pastors and prophets who promise you wealth, marriage, miracles, etc., in exchange for your money; they are generally authentic sorcerers and fraudsters.
God’s promise is based on repentance and obedience, which opens the door to all His blessings. Many prayers outside this framework are useless (Proverbs 28:9; Deuteronomy 30:15), for disobedience opens the door to God’s wrath, curses, and makes one vulnerable to the devil and witchcraft (Deuteronomy 30:15; Numbers 23:20-23; Deuteronomy 13:1-3; Deuteronomy 13:6-11). The times are evil; disasters, deaths, accidents, and wars remind us of this. We must repent and invite Jesus Christ into our lives, and the best time if you have not yet done so is now (2 Corinthians 6:2; Revelation 9:20)! He is not a fable but a living being with whom you can engage and experience a true relationship, to speak of what you live and not what you have been told (John 4:42).
Note that repentance is not merely asking for forgiveness with words. Repentance involves 5 steps: confessing one’s sins to God, sincere regret for those sins, sincerely asking for forgiveness, committing to abandon them (not to repeat), and if possible, repairing the damage caused by the fault. One cannot always repent of the same faults, as this indicates that one is not doing what is necessary to abandon them, does not truly regret them, or is still a slave to sin. Yet Jesus Christ came to set us free. If we are still slaves, our relationship with Jesus Christ is questionable (Romans 8:13-14; John 8:34-36; Romans 8:1-17; Proverbs 28:13; 2 Chronicles 7:14-15).
Stop all forms of spiritism, idolatry, magic, witchcraft, and stop listening to or consulting horoscopes or astrologers (Deuteronomy 18:10-14; Leviticus 20:6). Stop bowing before statues of all kinds or addressing prayers to anyone other than God (no prayers to Mary, saints, ancestors, spirits, or others) (1 Timothy 2:5; Exodus 20:3-6; Deuteronomy 18:10-14; 2 Corinthians 6:15-17; 1 Chronicles 10:13; Matthew 12:46-49; Luke 11:27-28; Jeremiah 44:17-18; Jeremiah 44:25-28; Matthew 6:7-15; Ephesians 2:18; Hebrews 7:25; 1 John 2:1; John 14:23).
Get rid of statues of Jesus, Mary, or other religious statues (Exodus 20:4-6; Deuteronomy 7:25-26; Deuteronomy 7:5; Deuteronomy 12:3; 2 Kings 18:4; Deuteronomy 16:22; Deuteronomy 4:15-19; Romans 1:22-24; Acts 19:24-26). Get rid of crosses, even those without statues. It is wood; it is not our God.
It is a form of idolatry, as many were crucified before and after Jesus Christ (Deuteronomy 29:17; Deuteronomy 28:64). Burn everything you have that is supposed to have spiritual powers, all talismans or other items from magicians, traditionalists, sorcerers, etc. (Deuteronomy 7:25-26).
Release the chains by which you have spiritually bound people, open the locks in which you have confined people, renounce any spiritual pacts you have made… You must absolutely do this if you believe in God and Jesus Christ and wish to be with Him (Isaiah 58:6-12).
If you have remained in a life of sin, if you are distant from Jesus Christ, now is the time to come to Him, for the end is near. Do not put it off until tomorrow. There is a repentance prayer at the end of this document to help you.
NOTE: The texts of the references mentioned above can be consulted further in this document. To quickly find the corresponding verses online, use “Bible Gateway,” which you can access through the following link and replace the word “statue” in the search box with the desired expression: Bible Gateway. You can copy an entire block of references, paste it into the search box, and run the search to see all the corresponding verses, which you can view by scrolling through the results.
If you use the Jerusalem Bible, stick to the 1950 edition. Generally, avoid using any Bible edition published after 1950 (including Louis Segond 1985, Parole de Vie, Parole Vivante…), as there are many modifications in the verses that sometimes change their meaning completely, leading to a new interpretation given in that revision, which can significantly deviate from the original meaning. For more information, here is the link to the webpage where you can access all social networks for more teachings on Christianity: page https://telegra.ph/Liens-vers-mes-publications-chretiennes-10-08. You will find how to access resources for clarifications on what is here or to deepen your knowledge on other aspects of Christianity, particularly on the new birth.