Genesis 1:1"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."
All of creation points to a Creator, not the random, chance mutations of the evolutionary process. Since God created us, we are accountable to Him.
Genesis 1:31 "And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day."
God created a perfect world with no sin or death. People did not kill and eat animals. Animals did not fear man or kill each other. All lived in harmony. (Genesis 1:29,30)
Genesis 2:16,17 "And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."
God provided Adam and Eve with everything they needed and put only one restriction on them. They were not permitted to eat from one tree in the garden. There had to be this limitation in order to test their obedience. Satan, in the form of a serpent, encouraged Adam and Eve to disobey. (Genesis 3:1-6)
Romans 5:12 "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:"
Eve ate of the forbidden fruit and gave to her husband, Adam, who also ate. Adam is held accountable for his disobedience. Some ask why such a great punishment for eating a piece of fruit. It wasn't really what they did, but the act of disobedience itself, choosing their own way over the clear instructions God had given to them.
Romans 3:10,11 "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God."
Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
The sinful nature has been passed to all humans. We all sin and we all face death. If you think you are not a sinner, test yourself against God's 10 commandments. Ever told a lie? Even a small, white one? Ever disrespected your parents? Not kept the Sabbath day holy? It only takes one small sin to make you a sinner.
Romans 5:8 "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
God provided a way for sinful mankind to be made righteous, through the death of His own Son, Jesus Christ, who came to earth in human form to live the perfect life and to take the punishment that we deserved, on Himself. Romans 10:9 "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."
It is not through good works that we are saved from eternal punishment, but through faith in Christ, confessing our sins, and accepting Him as our Savior and Lord.
John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him (Thomas), I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
Acts 4:12 "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."
Jesus is the only way to the Father, the only means of our salvation. Believing in God, or some higher power, or our own good works is not enough. 1 John 5:12 "He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life."
Do you have life? Do you believe that Christ died for your sins? Have you confessed and repented of your sins and committed your life to Christ? There is no better time to do so than now. "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." 2 Corinthians 6:2
If you have never prayed before, you may not know what to say. More important than the words is the condition of your heart. Repeating a prayer mechanically will not save you. There are no magical powers in the words; we are saved through faith in Christ. Just pray to God from your heart repenting of your sins and confessing your belief in Christ and your desire to live in obedience to Him.
Here is an example if you don't know where to start.
Father, I know that I am a sinner and have not followed You or believed in Your Son. Forgive me for my sinful life. I believe that Jesus died for my sins and was resurrected from the dead. Help me to love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to do Your will for the rest of my life.
