All of us have done things in our lives that we are ashamed of. How would you feel if you could know for certain that you have been forgiven everything that you have ever done wrong in your life? Every person who has ever lived has sinned and, because of this, falls short of what God wants us to have in our lives. What is sin? Simply stated, sin is the transgression of God's law, the 10 commandments.

Do you think that you have kept God's Devine Law? In your own estimate, are you a good person? Why don't we take a short test to see how you measure up against God's standards.

1. Have you ever told a lie? Even a "small" lie? If I was to tell you a lie, what would that make me? A liar, right? How many lies do you have to tell in your own life to be a liar? Ten, a hundred, a thousand, or just one? Now, because you have lied, what does that make you? If your honest with yourself, that makes you a liar. You have broken the 9th commandment, "thou shall not bear false witness".
2. Have you ever stolen anything? Even something as small as a paper clip? You see, the monetary value of what has been stolen is not important here. The simple fact that you have stolen something of any value makes you a thief and bears witness that you have broken the 8th commandment, "thou shall not steal".
3. The 7th commandment prohibits adultery, but Jesus has taught us that if you even look at another person with lust that you have committed adultery in your heart. Have you ever lusted for someone? Then you are an adulterer at heart and you have broken the 7th commandment, "thou shall not commit adultery".
4. Have you ever murdered somebody? Most of us look at this commandment and think to ourselves, "I've never killed anyone". But Jesus taught that if you are even angry with someone without just cause, you have committed murder in your heart! Ever been angry with someone for the wrong reasons? Then you are a murderer at heart and you have broken the 6th commandment, "thou shall not kill".
5. One last look. The 1st commandment commands that we should have no other gods before God. Have you ever held something to a higher level of importance in your life than you have held God? Has money, your job, your wife or husband, your children, or anything else been more important to you than God? In all honesty none of us has held God first in our life at all times. That is why it is written, "there is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one". God's word doesn’t even leave us the possibility that we have put God first in our lives. You have broken the 1st commandment, "thou shall have no other gods before Me".

This is only a small look at God's law, we have only looked at five of the ten commandments. And, if you have been honest with yourself, you will have admitted to being a lying, thief who has committed adultery and murder in your heart. You will have also seen that it is not possible, by God's admission, that you have always kept God first in your life. Your conscience is now bearing witness against you. As one person has put it, "your in big trouble".

God desires that every person should have peace, joy, hope, and above all of these love. If you were to die today, do you know for certain that you would be with God in Heaven? "But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners..." "And, it is appointed to men once to die, but after this the judgement;" "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, said the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them;And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more." "For Godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation..."

God has offered you and me the guarantee of eternal life in heaven if only we believe in His son Jesus Christ. Jesus has said "I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father unless they come through me". God’s mercy which is rich because of the love that He loves us with offers every person the same gift. Because of God’s love for you and me, we can be saved by His grace through our accepting faith in Jesus Christ; not by doing things in an attempt to find God’s approval, we could never do enough, but because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

If you do not yet have a saving faith in Christ Jesus, why not take the oppurtunity you have right now and pray a prayer to God asking Him to allow Christ into your life. If you would like the assurance of knowing that you have been forgiven and the knowledge that you will spend eternity in heaven, pray a prayer similar to this one. Lord God, I have sinned against you all my life, but now I want to make peace with you by accepting Jesus Christ into my life. Lord God I want Jesus to be my new and only Lord and savior. Lord I want to change my past ways and turn from them, and I ask that you may allow Jesus to be the one who helps me to change. Lord I ask that Jesus may enter into my life, to dwell in me, so that your word may live in me and be revealed to me so that I may have life. Thank you Lord for loving me, for accepting me, for providing me my salvation. I come to you in the name of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. Welcome to God’s kingdom!

After praying this prayer, you have been forgiven all, and you have repented before God, you have accepted the gift of salvation that God has offered, praise God! God says that you have now become a new creation. If you have prayed for your salvation, change will become evident in your life. It may be slow at first, but the love, the joy, the peace, and the hope in your life will continue to grow. You now need to find a good bible teaching church that has Jesus Christ as its center. Get involved, learn about Jesus, and read God’s word. I pray that your new faith in Christ may grow and that you may become a good work for your Lord and my Lord. Amen.