It's the gift of "salvation" - but what is salvation? First, let's see what salvation is not. Salvation is not the same thing as "religion."
That's right - when you have a girlfriend or boyfriend (or you get married), do you want a "religious experience" with that person, or do you want a relationship with them? You want a relationship, of course! The same holds true with God - He just wants a one-on-one relationship with you, like you would have with a friend. The difference is, with people sometimes you are expected to do things to earn their friendship. There's no way to "earn" this gift of a relationship with God, because it's free. In fact, the Bible says that it is "by grace you have been saved through faith... it is the gift of God, not of works, so that no one can boast," (Ephesians 2:8, 9). Do you remember when you were younger? At Christmas when your mom or dad gave you Christmas gifts, did you have to pay for them? Of course not. The same holds true with God.
Maybe you already believe in God, haven't killed anyone, and all that? Why should you care about salvation? First of all, there's no such thing as a "good person." God says in Romans 3:23 that "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." We are all separated from God by sin - until we acknowledge that we are sinful at heart and accept what God did for us. Secondly, it isn't enough to just believe there is a God, I mean according to the Bible(and most "religions") even Satan believes in God. Jesus said that unless you are "born again," you cannot see the kingdom of God (John 3:3). Now I know that many people don't like to hear the phrase "born again", it's kind of became this Christianese and I think it confuses most people because it is not well explained. Being "born again" means more than just believing that Jesus Christ/God exists - it means acknowledging your sinfullness and realizing that even though you deserved to be the one to die for your own sins, God took the penalty for us and without his sacrifice we are dead in our sins. Already condemed because we violated God. We didn't care for Him, we didn't want anything to do with Him and why should he want anything to do with us? The truth is that He does. When all we wanted was to enjoy our sin and pursue our own desires we broke His heart and all he wanted was a relationship with us. If you are Born again, in a nutshell it means you are totally relying on what He did on the cross for you as your justification. It's really that simple. He has forgiven all of your sins.
You're a "bad person"? You might be thinking that there's no way God could forgive you. The truth is, God says in John 6:37 that anyone who comes to Him will not be cast out! Remember that if you could save yourself (by being "good," or becoming a church member, or even by being water-baptized), there would have been no point in Jesus dying on the cross. He died because there is no way you can save yourself.
To receive God's free gift of salvation, you just need to ask Him for it. Pray this prayer - based on Romans 10:9, 10 in the Bible:
"Jesus, I confess that I need You. My own works are not good enough. I have sinned, and I need to receive this free gift. I confess you as Lord, and believe in my heart that God raised you from the dead. Lord Jesus, fill me with your Holy Spirit; guide me to a Bible-believing church; and help me to read your Word. Thank you for dying for me."
Remember, you're not "religious." Instead, you have a personal, one-on-one relationship with God. You can think of God the Father as your "spiritual dad" (remember He is a good Father). Think of God the Son (Jesus) as your Lord and Savior - as your "best friend." Think of God the Spirit (the Holy Spirit) as the Spirit of God that lives in you. Think about it - God actually wants to live "in you"!
If anyone ever comes to you and asks if you're sure that you're going to Heaven, you can say "yes," because of what Jesus did on the cross! Think about this verse from the Bible, found in 2 Corinthians 5:17. "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, He is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." Now you can live not by how you "feel," but by who God says you are. God says you are now His son or daughter (Galatians 3:26, 27)!
Your past cannot condemn you anymore!!
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