WHO IS JESUS AND WHY IS HE IMPORTANT?
Who God is and what He’s done can often be topics at the center of confusion and debate. Alive or dead, good or bad, past or present – all questions that change the picture. We believe the picture finds its clarity in Jesus.
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. – John 14:6
Jesus made these bold claims – saying that as this human man, He not only knew God, but that He was God, both statements with incredible weight, then and now.
It was a big deal then because those statements upset the religious leaders of His day so much that they killed Him. But is it still a big deal today? In our modern culture, as we go to work and school and raise kids and pay bills, just trying to keep up, does His claim still matter?
It still matters because God, the creator of the universe, has a purpose for you and for your life. He is a good God that loves you and wants to help you. Because of that, His plan is better than your plan, and Jesus’ coming as a man, claiming to both know and be God, is a part of that plan. Through His death on the cross, and his coming back to life, He once and for all – then and now and in the future – covers all of what we’ve done wrong with all of what He did right. It’s about what He did.
And because of that? You don’t have to understand everything. Or get it right all of the time. Or get it right part of the time. Or match up to some list of standards. We just follow Jesus.
SO HOW DO I FOLLOW JESUS?
In the Bible, and in our lives, we see people choose to follow Jesus. Here’s what they do:
They BELIEVE in Jesus.
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
They CONFESS (or admit) to themselves and others that this is what they believe.
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. – Romans 10:9
They REPENT (or change their life direction).
For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. – 2 Corinthians 7:10
If you just made that decision to follow Jesus, we would love to know! Just fill out the form below, or call the church office at 217.698.7751
WHAT’S NEXT?
You may be asking, “Now that I’ve made the life-altering decision to follow Christ, what now?”
The next step for you is to be baptized. Water baptism is an outward expression of an inward decision to be a follower of Jesus.
To sign up for our next day of baptism or if you have questions about baptism, please complete the form below or email baptisms@fbccu.org