For any person to accept Jesus, the Messiah of Israel and Saviour of the nations, is to receive new life! There is no salvation in any other name, "for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).

This wonderful salvation can only become a reality in your life if you realise:

Every person on earth is born a sinner, for we all receive the nature of our ancestor, Adam (Rom. 5:12-15). King David wrote the following in this regard: "Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me" (Ps. 51:5).

Paul also confirms that no man can be saved by his ancestry, or by virtue of his membership of a particular group or nation:

"What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin. As it is written: there is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God. They have all gone out of the way; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one" (Rom. 3:9-12).

Man has a sinful nature. That means that he is not only inclined to sin, but that he constantly sins. Consequently, he is not only under God's judgement because of his sinful nature, but also because of his own record of sins. Every sinner deserves to be punished, whether he has constantly sinned or not, and the punishment for sin death: "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 6:23).

To wilfully disobey God's commands, is to sin. You must be judged for your sins, and the only way you can go to heaven and escape eternal death, is by receiving God's forgiveness. In this regard the Bible says:

"Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God" (1 Cor. 6:9-11).

The god of alcohol (Bacchus) and the god of money (Mammon) are two of the idols of whom we read in the New Testament. Drinking leads to licentiousness (Eph. 5:18), and covetousness is regarded as the root of all kinds of evil (1 Tim. 6:10). Apart from that, the sinful nature of man is inclined to various acts of sin, and it is a natural collaborator with the seducing powers of the kingdom of darkness.

The Bible repeatedly mentions specific sins, and we are left in no doubt whatsoever as to the nature of sin. No man can plead ignorance, and we all know that sin separates us from God (Is. 59:2). If we want God to renew our hearts, then we must repent and confess our sins to God, and in faith accept His forgiveness together with the gift of eternal life.

The Lord does not judge a sinner, whatever his sins may be; for He sent His only Son, Jesus, to seek and save those who are lost. But those who are not prepared to confess their sins, those who refuse to acknowledge that they are sinners, cannot be saved:

"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us" (1 Jn. 1:8-10).

So, if you want Jesus to help you, you must start by acknowledging that you are a sinner. As long as you deny your guilt, there is no way He can help you. Jesus also said: "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance" (Lk. 5:32).

Jesus shed His blood for our sins. He paid for our iniquities with His life. About the role of His blood in the process of redemption, the Bible says:

"And according to the law almost all things are purged with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission" (Heb. 9:22; see also Lev. 17:11).

Jesus paid the full price for the sins of all mankind when He died on the cross:

"...knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot" (1 Pet. 1:18, 19).

He was the sacrificial lamb that was slaughtered for our sins. The heavenly elders testified to this fact:

"You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation" (Rev. 5:9).

The prophet Isaiah said the following about the suffering Messiah:

The Lord invites every sinner to talk to Him and to re-establish the relationship that was broken by sin:

"Come now, and let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool" (Is. 1:18).

Are you ready for this interview in which all the sins that separate you from God, must be confessed and forsaken? Remember that if you do, the Lord will forgive your sins, set you free from its bondage and never think of it again:

"You have lovingly delivered my soul from the pit of corruption, for You have cast all my sins behind Your back" (Is. 38:17).

"I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins" (Is. 43:25).

"For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us" (Ps. 103:11, 12).

Remember that he who denies his sins and tries to hide them, can never receive forgiveness:

"He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy" (Prov. 28:13).

Confess your sins without holding back anything whatsoever. Don't try and justify yourself by meaningless arguments. If you are sincere and honest, God will give you a new life - eternal life. Then you will be born again and become a child of God and He will then be your Father.

If you are a Jew, remember that you will always be a Jew. Accepting Jesus does not make you less Jewish than before. No, you will become a born again Jew, also called a Messianic Jew, and you will love your people and your country even more than before! Please don't identify with twisted 'Christian' teachings, such as replacement theology, that is apathetic towards Israel. Remember that many Christians are Christians in name only. They have not been born again and they only speak of God without serving Him with their hearts and lives.

If you have been born again, you will also know that you need the power of the Holy Spirit to remain strong and upright in this sinful world. Only He can equip you to become a witness for God. Pray to be filled with the Holy Spirit:

"And if sinful persons like ourselves give children what they need, don't you realise that your heavenly Father will do at least as much, and give the Holy Spirit to those who ask for Him?" (Lk. 11:13 LB).

Peter says, "...but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct" (1 Pet. 1:15). This is only possible if you commit yourself to God with all your heart; deny your old, sinful nature and subject every aspect of your life to the authority of the Holy Spirit. "I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh" (Gal. 5:16).

Give God your all and look forward to the return of the Messiah. This hope will draw you closer to Him: "Everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure" (1 Jn. 3:2). Put your trust in Him to do a deep and lasting work in your heart:

You should really have a strong expectation of the coming of the Messiah, and of the glorious things that will be revealed when He comes. That hope will give you courage to endure the present difficult situation in which you may find yourself. Put your faith and trust in the Lord, however difficult your journey in the present evil world may seem to be.

"By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called... By faith he sojourned in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God" (Heb 11:8-10).

Are you waiting for that city of God? On the isle of Patmos, John had a vision of this wonderful city:

"And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away... Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying: Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people... And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying; and there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. Then He who sat on the throne said: Behold, I make all things new! (Rev 21:1-5).

In the last chapter of the Bible, Jesus, the Messiah, says:

"Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book... I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star" (Rev 22: 7, 16).

The morning star appears at the darkest hour of the night. But it brings with it the promise of a bright new day that will dawn over this troubled and spiritually dark world. The Messiah of Israel, who is also the Saviour of all men who put their faith in Him, is the only hope for the future of this dying world. The destiny of mankind is in His hands. There is no way of escaping your appointment with Him: He is either your Saviour, or He will be your Judge. Those who refuse to be reconciled with Jesus and accept His authority over their lives, have every reason to fear and tremble in anticipation of this appointment. Those who belong to Him can proceed on their way rejoicing, awaiting the sudden appearance of the Messiah in the midst of His faithful followers.