Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Prepared
to Follow
Jesus
Christ?
(Just
Jesus
Evangelis
tic
Campaig
n #9)
John
1:24-27:
24 And
they
which
were
sent
were of
the
Pharisee
s.
25 And
they
asked
him, and
said unto
him, Why
baptizest
thou
then, if
thou be
not that
Christ,
nor Elias,
neither
that
prophet?
26 John
answere
d them,
saying, I
baptize
with
water:
but there
standeth
one
among
you,
whom ye
know
not;
27 He it
is, who
coming
after me
is
preferred
before
me,
whose
shoe's
latchet I
am not
worthy to
unloose.
--John, the
forerunne
r of
Jesus
Christ, is
known by
his title,
"the
Baptist."
As he
preached
to the
crowds
telling
them that
the
Messiah
was
coming
soon, he
also
baptized
many
people.
When we
think of
Baptism,
we often
think of a
ritual that
is done
after one
accepts
Christ as
Savior in
order to
identify
symbolic
ally with
Jesus'
death,
burial,
and
resurrecti
on.
However,
John
baptized
people
before
Jesus
even
began his
ministry.
So, why
did John
baptize?
The
Pharisee
s, one of
the
religious
groups
that had
come to
question
John,
also
wanted to
know the
answer to
this
question.
They
said,
"Why
baptizest
thou
then, if
thou be
not that
Christ,
nor Elias,
neither
that
prophet?
"
Baptism
was
practiced
by the
Jews
before
Jesus
came as
an act of
cleansing
. It mostly
took
place
during
the ritual
cleansing
ceremoni
es of
Gentile
proselyte
s -- nonJews
who
decided
to follow
the God
of
Abraham,
Isaac,
and
Jacob.
The
submergi
ng of the
body
beneath
the water
and the
drawing
of it back
out
indicated
one's
desire to
be
cleansed
of all past
sins and
to begin
obeying
God as
He had
revealed
Himself
in the Old
Testamen
t.
However,
John did
not just
baptize
Gentiles.
He
baptized
Jews as
well. His
message
was that
everyone
needed
to reject
their sins
in order
to
prepare
their
hearts to
receive
the
Messiah.
Merrill C.
Tenney
said, "It
is not
unlikely
that
John's
baptism
followed
the
pattern of
proselyte
baptism,
which
required
a
renunciat
ion of all
evil,
complete
immersio
n in
water,
and then
reclothin
g as a
member
of the
holy
communi
on of lawkeepers."
Again,
John
emphasiz
es that
his work
is not
about
himself,
but about
the one
who
comes
after him.
He says,
"I baptize
with
water:
but there
standeth
one
among
you,
whom ye
know
not; He it
is, who
coming
after me
is
preferred
before
me,
whose
shoe's
latchet I
am not
worthy to
unloose."
Loosenin
g the
straps on
one's
sandals
was a job
reserved
for the
lowest of
the
house
servants.
John did
not even
consider
himself
worthy
enough
to do
that.
John was
not trying
to get
people to
follow
him. He
was not
trying to
start his
own
religious
movemen
t. He was
trying to
get
people to
see their
own
sinfulnes
s and to
see that
they
needed a
Savior.
As the
forerunne
r, he was
preparing
them to
follow
Jesus
Christ.
Are you
prepared
to follow
Jesus
Christ?
Have you
recognize
d your
own
sinfulnes
s and
your
need for
a
Saviour?
Then
allow me
to show
you the
steps to
salvation
through
Jesus
Christ.
1. Accept
the fact
that you
are a
sinner,
and that
you have
broken
Gods
law. The
Bible
says in
Ecclesias
tes 7:20:
For
there is
not a just
man
upon
earth that
doeth
good,
and
sinneth
not.
Romans
3:23
reads:
For all
have
sinned
and come
short of
the glory
of God.
In fact, I
am the
chief of
sinners,
so dont
think that
youre
alone.
2. Accept
the fact
that there
is a
penalty
for sin.
The Bible
states in
Romans
6:23:
For the
wages of
sin is
death
3. Accept
the fact
that you
are on
the road
to hell.
Jesus
Christ
said in
Matthew
10:28:
And fear
not them
which kill
the body,
but are
not able
to kill the
soul: but
rather
fear him
which is
able to
destroy
both soul
and body
in hell.
The Bible
says in
Revelatio
n 21:8:
But the
fearful,
and
unbelievi
ng, and
the
abomina
ble, and
murderer
s, and
whoremo
ngers
and
sorcerers
, and
idolaters,
and all
liars,
shall
have
their part
in the
lake
which
burneth
with fire
and
brimston
e: which
is the
second
death.
4. Accept
the fact
that you
cannot
do
anything
to save
yourself!
The Bible
states in
Ephesian
s 2: 8, 9:
For by
grace are
ye saved
through
faith: and
that not
of
yourselve
s: it is a
gift of
God. Not
of works,
lest any
man
should
boast.
5. Accept
the fact
that God
loves you
more
than you
love
yourself,
and that
He wants
to save
you from
hell.
Jesus
Christ
said in
John
3:16, For
God so
loved the
world,
that He
gave His
only
begotten
Son, that
whosoev
er
believeth
in Him
should
not
perish,
but have
everlastin
g life.
6. With
these
facts in
mind,
please
repent of
your
sins,
believe
on the
Lord
Jesus
Christ
and pray
and ask
Him to
come
into your
heart and
save you
this very
moment.
The Bible
states in
the book
of
Romans
10:9, 13:
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.
For
whosoev
er shall
call upon
the name
of the
Lord
shall be
saved.
Dear
friend, if
you are
willing to
believe
on the
Lord
Jesus
Christ for
salvation,
please
pray with
me this
simple
prayer:
Heavenly
Father, I
realize
that I am
a sinner
and that I
have
done
some bad
things in
my life.
For
Jesus
Christ
sake,
please
forgive
me of my
sins. I
now
believe
with all of
my heart
that
Jesus
Christ
died for
me, was
buried,
and rose
again.
Lord
Jesus,
please
come
into my
heart and
save my
soul and
change
my life
today.
Amen.
If you
believed
in your
heart that
Jesus
Christ
died on
the
cross,
was
buried,
and rose
again,
allow me
to say,
congratul
ations on
doing the
most
important
thing in
life and
that is
accepting
Jesus
Christ as
your Lord
and
Saviour!
For more
informati
on to
help you
grow in
your
newfoun
d faith in
Christ, go
to Gospel
Light
Society.c
om and
read
What To
Do After
You Enter
Through
the
Door.
Jesus
Christ
said in
John
10:9, I
am the
door: by
me if any
man
enter in,
he shall
be saved,
and shall
go in and
out, and
find
pasture.
God
loves
you. We
love you.
And may
God
bless
you.