"Saved? Why do I need to be saved? Saved from what? Am I not perfectly okay just as I am? Or . . . deep down, does my conscience really bother me sometimes? After all, I do worry sometimes about my future . . . and especially about who and what is God, and why this is even so important . . . and if there actually is a Day of Judgment. . . . Yes, I honestly would like to be saved from being so troubled inside about these things—these thoughts that I really cannot talk about so easily with family or friends."

If this echoes your feelings, be of good courage. The Spirit of God is working in your heart, awakening your interest, drawing your heart. There is in every person an inner longing for something that this world cannot provide at any price. Social, physical and material pleasures offer only temporary satisfaction—they are like the flowers that fade. But eternal things are much deeper, reaching to the very core of our being, and fulfilling the greatest longings of our soul.

The faith that is found in Jesus Christ is unlike any other religion in the world. It is based not on what we try to do for God—but rather on what He has done for us. It is not a picture of man reaching up toward Heaven, an orphan vainly groping to find answers in the dark. It is rather a loving, heavenly Father who has warmly extended His hand down to us, providing comfort, assurance, and guidance along the path of life.

The good news is that God, the Creator of the Universe, has so loved us as to take on human flesh. Only in that way could He really "connect" with us—relating to us in our frail condition.

And why are we really so frail? Sin—which is nothing but disobedience to God's law—has so weakened our bodies and minds that we are virtually crippled by it. This law is the moral law of Ten Commandments, which most people all around the world acknowledge as a code of ethics truly inspired by God. But even when we know what the right thing to do is, we cannot seem to be able to do it to the fullest extent that we should, can we? Have you ever felt that way?

The good news is that through Jesus Christ, you can be completely forgiven for everything you have ever done wrong in the past. It's not just a person forgiving you—the Creator of the Universe officially forgives you. And there is no higher authority than that! He overrides every veto; no one can question or challenge it. Because Jesus paid the penalty for our sins and mistakes by allowing Himself to be crucified on Calvary's cross, we are free from condemnation. As we accept Him, we die—are crucified—with Him spiritually, that we may also be resurrected with Him spiritually into a new life. This is how He gives you power over wrong thoughts and habits—making you victorious in Christ.

But actually, to be "saved" is not a superficial, casual thing as some may assume, is it? Even if one has been miraculously saved from a car accident or an airplane crash,

one would know that he or she was not necessarily saved forever. After all, a similar crisis could occur again at any moment. So Christ promises to keep us safe as we abide in the gospel truth. And finally, if we continue to abide in Him, we will be saved in the future—saved for eternity—when you will be able to see God face-to-face and have your deepest longings forever fulfilled in Paradise.

Now, that's good news, isn't it? And it's the the only way—the only way that works.