Interested in being Heritage Oaks Worship Leader? Or do you have some musical talent you'd like to use to glorify God as part of our worship team?
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Heritage Oaks Christian Church
The Good News!
Our Lord Jesus Christ has come to earth and paid the price of sin for you and for me! His dying upon the cross for us has satisfied God's justice, and now you are simply called upon by Jesus to 'repent and believe' the gospel (good news) of our Lord (Mark 1:15). If you are an unbeliever, please understand that before you will want to be saved, you must understand that you are lost! In other words, to fully understand and appreciate the 'good news' of God's salvation, you must first understand the 'bad news' of being an unbeliever!
Put simply, the Bible sets out two, and only two ways for us in the world - God's way, and all the other ways. Which way people choose determines who is saved or lost. They either belong to God's people or the world's people. There is the narrow way and the wide way (Matthew 7:13-14), leading either to eternal life or to destruction. There is life and death, truth and falsehood, good and bad, sin and righteousness, light and darkness, the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan, love and hatred, spiritual wisdom, and the wisdom of the world. But Christ declares Himself to be the way, the truth, and the life, and no one may come to the Father but by Him (John 14:6). His is the only name under the sky by which one may be saved. (Acts 4:12) The good news is he is calling you to come to Him!
Heaven Is A Free Gift Through Grace
"The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Rom 6:23
We can't 'earn' our way to heaven by living 'a good life'. If that were true, then why did our Lord Jesus Christ go to the cross? There is not a person on this earth who deserves to go to heaven on their own merit. The good news is that salvation is, of necessity, a gift of God!
We Are All Sinners
"All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23
Our God is a Holy God - and sin separates us from God. We do not determine what sin is - God does - and He has made clear what sin is in His Holy Word. Every person - no exceptions here - who has ever lived has missed God's standard of holiness. That's why we need Christ's sacrifice - His righteousness is accepted by God on our behalf as believers. Understanding we are lost due to our sins is necessary for bringing about repentance (turning from our sins), which our Lord Jesus called for throughout His ministry.
God Loves Us
"God is love." 1 John 4:8
While God loves us as His creations and doesn't want to punish us, we should also know that, as a just and Holy God, He cannot tolerate sin and must punish it. "The soul who sins shall die." Ezekiel 18:4 Fortunately, as believers in Christ, Jesus has paid the penalty for us! So while many churches stop with "God is love" - because that's what people want to hear - they often leave out the 'just' and 'Holy' attributes that explain why salvation is necessary in the first place.
God Balanced Justice And Love Through His Son Jesus
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:16
Jesus came as God in the flesh. He died on the cross and rose from the dead to pay the penalty for our sins and to allow a place for us in heaven, which He offers as a free gift.
The Gift Of Eternal Life Is Received By Faith
Saving faith is not merely intellectual assent. It is trusting in Jesus Christ alone and what He has done rather than what we can do to get us to heaven. "What must I do to be saved? ... Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved." Acts 16:30b, 31 There simply is no other way to be saved. The good news is you can come to Jesus Christ today!
Salvation Is Available To You - Right Now!
The Bible says, "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." You can do that now by simply praying and meaning something like the following:
Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner and do not deserve eternal life. But I believe You died and rose from the grave to purchase a place in heaven for me. Jesus, come into my life, take control of my life, forgive my sins and help me to turn from them, and save me. I am now placing my trust in You alone for my salvation, and I accept Your free gift of eternal life.
If this prayer is the sincere desire of your heart, look at the promise of Jesus: "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has eternal life." John 6:47
If you, having read this, trusted Jesus for eternal life, please let us know. We want to rejoice in what God has done in your life and help you to grow spiritually. Remember, it is not 'saying the words' that saves you, but God's grace through authentic faith. If you would like more information, please email us!