Published: 03 October 2010 Written by Bob Stone
The story of Jesus centers around what happened to Him on the cross.
Everywhere you go, you see the symbol of the cross: sometimes empty, sometimes with Jesus hanging on it. People wear crosses around their necks and in their ears, and they hang them outside churches.
Have you ever stopped to think about how strange this is?
The cross was an instrument of torture and death; so it is a bit like walking around with a miniature set of gallows hanging from your ears, or a model electric chair dangling from your neck. The reason people focus on the cross, however, is because one of the most important accomplishments Jesus fulfilled was to die on a cross.
The central message of the Bible is that Jesus was crucified for us.
We can hardly imagine how much it cost God to allow His only Son to die on the cross. But what about the cost to us in accepting His offer?
Talk to God in prayer. As you pray, you need to:
Make sure, however, that following Jesus is what you want to do.
If so, read the prayer that follows.
"Father God, I want to become a real Christian. I admit that until now, the wrong things I have done have cut me off from You. There are many things I have said and done and thought that I am ashamed of and sorry for. I do not deserve Your love or forgiveness, but I know it is available to me right now. I trust that Jesus died for me on the cross, so I can have a new relationship with You. Please forgive me now, especially for keeping You on the sidelines of my life, and not allowing You to really be my God. I place my life into Your hands. I want to serve You from this moment on. I want to be a follower of Jesus for the rest of my life." Amen.