There Must Be More To Life!

The Gospel is a message of hope, love, and new life in Jesus Christ.

 

What's It All About?

We all want to be loved. We all want to know why we’re here.

The good news is this: You were made to know God— Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He made you to walk with Him and live in His love. Life doesn’t make sense without Him.

Christianity isn’t just about going to church. It’s about a relationship with God through Jesus.

Jesus is the eternal Son of God, but He also became fully human. He was born as a baby, grew up, got hungry, tired, and even wept. He knows what it feels like to live in this world.

At the same time, Jesus is truly God. The Bible says He is “the exact image of God” and “Immanuel — God with us” (Hebrews 1:3; Matthew 1:23). Everything Jesus did, healing the sick, calming storms, forgiving sins, showed that He had God’s power and authority.

Jesus is both fully God and fully man. That’s why He is the only one who can bring us back to God. Only someone who is truly human could stand in our place. Only someone who is truly God could carry the full weight of our sin and defeat it.

Here’s one way to picture it:

As the Evangelist Billy Graham once illustrated, imagine a world of ants, busy running around, not knowing a flood is coming. You want to warn them, but every time you speak, your voice sounds like thunder and only scares them. The only way to save them would be to become like an ant so you could speak their language, walk their paths, and lead them to safety. That’s a little like what God did. He became one of us, Jesus, so we could understand Him, and He could lead us back to safety.

Jesus lived a perfect life. He never sinned. He healed the sick, loved the poor, and told the truth. And then, He did something amazing: He died on the cross, not for His own sin, but for ours.

Three days later, God the Father raised him from the dead, defeating death and sin once and for all. Now Jesus reigns as King, and one day He will return to make all things new.

Why Did Jesus Die?

 

Jesus died in our place.

On the cross, He took the punishment we deserved. He took our guilt, shame, and sin. He died so we could be forgiven and brought back into a relationship with God.

He paid the price. He did everything needed to make us right with God, willingly obeying His Father. We don’t earn it. We simply receive it.

“The Son of God loved me and gave himself for me.” —Galatians 2:20

When God shows us His mercy and brings us to new life, everything begins to change. What once seemed unimportant or hard to believe now stirs something deep in us. Our desires, thoughts, emotions, and direction in life begin to turn toward God. He gives us the gift of faith—opening our hearts to trust in Jesus Christ. When we come to God in repentance and faith, we receive all the blessings that Jesus has secured for those who belong to Him. These are some of the gifts God gives to everyone who is joined to Christ:

• An Exchange: At the cross, Jesus took all our sin and shame as if it were His own. In return, He gave us His goodness and perfect life as if we had lived it ourselves. God now sees us as clean and right in His sight, not because of anything we have done, but because of what Jesus has done for us.
• Forgiveness: All our sins; past, present, and future are washed away. We are no longer guilty before God.
• Peace with God: We are no longer under God’s judgement. There is no condemnation, no fear of death, and no need to hide. We are fully accepted as His children.
• Life In The Spirit: God gives us His Holy Spirit, who comes to live within us. He changes our hearts, helps us to love God, and gives us the power to live in a new way.
• Adoption: We become part of God’s family. He calls us His children, and we can call Him “Father”.
• Hope: We have a sure and certain hope, not just for when we die, but for now. One day, we will be with God forever in heaven. But even today, we can walk with Him, no matter what we face. He gives strength when we are weak, comfort when we are sad, and joy that nothing can take away.

The Bible tells us that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). We didn’t love God first—He loved us. The Father sent His Son to rescue us, even though we had turned away from Him.

If you are experiencing a desire to know God, to be forgiven, or to follow Jesus, that desire is not something you stirred up on your own. It’s God at work in your heart. He gently and powerfully draws us to Himself. That’s why the Bible says, “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near” (Isaiah 55:6).

When we sense His grace calling us, we must not ignore it. We are to respond by turning from sin and trusting in Jesus. This is called repentance and faith.

Here are three simple words to guide you:

• SORRY – Tell God that you are sorry for your sins and the ways you’ve lived without Him.
• THANK YOU – Thank Him for loving you, for sending Jesus to die in your place, and for making a way back to Him.
• PLEASE – Ask Him to forgive you, to make you new, and to fill you with His Holy Spirit.

When we become Christians, we are not left to live the Christian life alone. We must ask God every day to fill us with His Spirit. The Holy Spirit helps us pray, gives us strength to obey, and helps us understand the Bible. He stays with us always.

Here is a simple prayer you can make your own:

Heavenly Father, I know I have sinned and need your mercy. Thank You for loving me and for sending your Son, Jesus, to die for me.

Lord Jesus, thank You for giving Your life to save me. Please forgive me, make me clean, and unite me to Yourself. Fill me with your Holy Spirit, help me to pray, help me to understand your Word, and lead me in your ways. Amen.

When you trust in Jesus, you become part of God’s family. You’re not meant to walk this new life alone. God gives us brothers and sisters in Christ to help us grow, worship, and walk together.

Here are four simple next steps:

1. Tell someone

Let someone you trust know you’ve put your faith in Jesus. This helps to make it real and encourages others too.

2. Read the Bible

Start with the Gospels—Matthew Mark, Luke & John. They tell the story of Jesus and help you get to know Him better. Ask God to speak to you through His Word.

3. Pray

Talk to God every day. You don’t need fancy words. Just speak to Him as a child speaks to their father. He loves to listen.

4. Join a Church

You need a spiritual home, a place to belong. At Balintore United Free Church, we seek to teach the Bible clearly and help you grow in your faith. Church is where we sing, learn, pray, and grow together with others who love Jesus. You are warmly invited to come and be part of the family.