Don't clean up your act, simply accept forgiveness

So many today believe that they have to clean up their act in order to have a relationship with Jesus or more importantly to receive salvation.

This just isn’t the case; all you have to do is turn and repent of your sins after making the decision to make Jesus the Lord of your life.

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9

“that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)

A friend and I were talking just the other day. He had a great story to explain or describe how silly it is that we would need to clean up our act prior to coming to Christ.

The story went something like imagine that you had lost your child in the woods for several days. After the several days you are really starting to loose hope that you would ever find your child again. Surely no child could live in the wilderness among the bears and other predators for days on end with no food, no water and no shelter.

But then what if you were out searching and you saw your child across a field. You would both start running towards each other, almost like in the movies where the man makes it back alive from a war and he and the long lost love are running in slow motion to embrace each other. However, what if as you get closer you notice your child is really dirty. Covered in mud, maybe even has some leaches on them, perhaps some dried blood from a cut or two. Would you stop and so “No way, you go take a bath and then I will give you a hug and a kiss?”

Honestly, I don’t think you would. I think you would be so happy to realize your child was alive that you would run right up, hug them and tell them you love them.

How much more would our Father in Heaven embrace us if we were to come running back to Him?

“But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I (Jesus) did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” (Matthew 9:13)

“I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.” (Luke 15:7)

We do not need to clean up our act in order to ask Jesus to come into our hearts. All we need to do is realize that we are a sinner in need of a Savior. Jesus said that if we seek Him we will find Him.

Jesus did not condemn the woman caught in adultery in John chapter 8. He simply told her “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

With Jesus all you need to do is simply ask Him to be the Lord of your life and He will be faithful. In the instant you ask Him to be your Lord the Holy Spirit will immediately take up residence in your heart and begin to change you from the inside out. If you ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins and to be the Lord of your life you will be received with forgiveness just like the prodigal son.

Won’t you trust Jesus for your Salvation today?