Jesus invites you, saying, "Come to me, all of you who are tired and are carrying heavy loads. I will give you rest." He says, "If you are thirsty, come to me and drink!" and, "those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life." "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."
Jesus said, "I didn't come to invite good people to turn to God. I came to invite sinners." But if you agree with God, who says, "No one is good except God." "All have become corrupt. No one does good, not a single one!" You are ready for His invitation.
Shown by pride, lying, envy or lust. Jesus also said, "You cannot be my disciple unless you carry your own cross and come with me." This does not mean "self-reform" or cleaning your own life up. It does mean you choose Him over the old comforts and let Him do the cleaning. You have to understand, God is perfect and will not tolerate sin.Not even a liar will ever enter into heaven. But Jesus was known for receiving - and changing sinners.
Jesus asks, "Do you believe in the Son of God?" This is more than agreeing to facts about Him or just saying a prayer. Those who come to God must trust Him, knowing he rewards those who look to him. Jesus said, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent."
That's what the Cross was all about. It isn't just dropping the charges, but charging them to His own account. We have all strayed in so many ways. Each one of us has turned to go his own way, and all our sins were laid on Jesus. By judging sin at the cross, God forever showed us two things: how seriously He takes sin, and how much He loves us. He was canceling the record of charges against us, taking it away by nailing it to His cross. That's what Jesus meant when He said, "It is finished." And that's how we can understand the love of God—He laid down His life for us.
He also had the power to take His life up again. It was impossible for the grave to hold Him, and He rose again and appeared alive to more than 500 witnesses after His death.
This is why Jesus said, "The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who refuses to believe in the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him." Rejecting the free gift of salvation, purchased at the cost of God's own blood, only leaves a person under condemnation. The people of his own day mostly did not receive Him. But to those who do receive Him, believing on His name, He gives the right to become children of God.
Dear God, the Bible means me when it says sinner. On my best day, nothing I did was acceptable to you. But it also includes me when it says you welcome sinners. I don't want a false hope anymore. I trust Jesus and believe He died in my place and rose again. Will you now forgive me and wash me clean and give me eternal life? I know you will because of your promise. I ask this in the name of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.