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| Salvation message letter to unsaved friends and family
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Salvation message letter for unsaved friends and family
All too often something keeps us from explaining God's salvation message completely and clearly to loved ones. Too many are slipping into eternity for us to continue ignoring this. If the opportunity to share the salvation message just never seems to be right, consider mailing them a heart-felt letter explaining it.
I encourage you to copy this salvation message letter and mail it via the post office to your non-Christian friends. Make sure you personalize the letter. Their soul is too valuable for us to be lazy. Also e _mail this text or a link to this web page www.integrity-tr.com/Salvation-Message-Letter.html to all your Christian friends and encourage them to send letters like this to all their non-Christian friends. You also have my permission to post this salvation message letter on any web site (churches, blogs, evangelism sites, etc.). Please don't give me credit for it. Use anonymous or just omit the source.
Suggested Approach 1. Think of a friend, coworker, sales clerk or family member you would like to send this salvation message letter to and customize it for them. 2. Call them and set a time to meet (for breakfast/dinner?) in about ten days. 3. Mail a hard copy of your letter (printed on both sides). Feel free to copy and paste the salvation message on this web page (Ctrl+A, Ctrl+C, Alt+Tab, Ctrl+V). 4. Pray, pray, pray! 5. Meet them (be prompt with Bible in hand) and discuss your letter. 6. Repeat steps 1-5 for the rest of your life. ----------------------------------------------------
Dear __*_Name_*__ ,
I know this is a very long letter. This is the longest letter I ever sent. It took me a very long time to complete. This will take a while for you to read. But this isn't much longer than a chapter in your average book. If the topic wasn't so important I wouldn't have sent such a long letter. Initially I started to handwrite it, but I had to make so many revisions, I couldn't legibly improve on thoughts that developed as I wrote the letter.
This poem triggered the thought that I need to write this letter to you sooner rather than later.
My Friend My friend I stand in judgment now, And feel that
you’re to blame somehow. You knew the Lord in truth and glory, But never
did you tell me the story. Though we lived together on earth, You never told
me of the second birth. You taught me many things, that’s true, I called
you friend and trusted you. We walked by day and talked by night, And yet you
showed me not the light. Yes, I called you friend in life, And laughed with
you through joy and strife Over the years there were numerous times I wanted to make a clear presentation about the good news written in the Bible. But, I withheld speaking this important truth for a few reasons. I didn't want to make you feel uncomfortable, sometimes I was nervous and feared you would think less of me. I didn't want to come across as pushy. I thought timing might get better later in the day or later in the friendship. I could go on with excuses, but as I reread this poem, I can't help but feel I didn't do right by you.
Since Christmas is approaching, this is good timing to reflect on this message and make this Christmas the most meaningful one. Although this letter may not do a good job of communicating my love for you and my desire for your best interests, I hope you know that is in my heart.
There are verses in the Bible that give credibility to the above poem:
Luke 16:19-31 [Jesus speaking]
"There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and
who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor
man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with
what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came
and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the
angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried,
and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw
Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out,
'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end
of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in
this flame.' But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that you in your
lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad
things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And
besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed,
in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be
able, and none may cross from there to us.' And he said, 'Then I
beg you, father, to send him to my father's house-- for I have
five brothers --so that he may warn them, lest they also come into
this place of torment.' But Abraham said, 'They have Moses and the
Prophets; let them hear them.' And he said, 'No, father Abraham,
but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' He
said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither
will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead
I know we had a few conversations of a spiritual nature, but those are no substitute for a thorough presentation about God's love and plan for us, how our sin separates us from God, the eternal consequences of sin and the good news about how we can get restored.
If I had the cure for all cancers and kept it to myself, the world would call me cruel. But humanity has a greater and more universal problem than cancer. It is sin. Unlike cancer, the remedy for sin is accessible to all and is free.
I hope you know me well enough to know that I don't have a 'higher than thou' mindset. I too am a sinner in need of a savior, no more or less than anyone else. I don't deserve heaven. Although I was born with a sinful and selfish nature, that eventually changed after I asked God to help me. I could disclose the skeletons in my closet, but there is no need to do that. We all have deep dark things we try to forget or justify.
Many people have their own beliefs about God and His ways. God doesn't adapt His ways to conform to our beliefs any more than parents conform to their children's beliefs. Assumptions and wishful thinking are among the worst ways to conclude anything about God. We need to learn what God says about Himself. In this age of political correctness and moral relativism, God has not changed. Moreover He has the final say ... in everything. Let's take a look at what God has to tell those who make incorrect assumptions about Him. Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said, "Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Now gird up your loins like a man, And I will ask you, and you instruct Me! Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding," Chapters 38 to 42 in the book of Job in the Bible are rich with verses that establish God's authority and gives people a better perspective of reality. Then the LORD said to Job, "Will the faultfinder contend with the Almighty? Let him who reproves God answer it. Then Job answered the LORD and said, Behold, I am insignificant; what can I reply to You? I lay my hand on my mouth." It is vain for us to expect not to be held accountable for our sins or that they are insignificant in comparison to the sins of criminals who make the news. People are not God's standard for righteousness ... Jesus is.
Matthew 10:26 "... for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known."
What are the wages of our sin? Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Our Universal Dilemma If someone had the cure for all cancers and kept it to them self, the world would call them cruel. But humanity has a greater and more universal problem than cancer. It is sin. And sin is what makes God sentence people to hell for eternity. But unlike cancer, the remedy for sin is accessible to all and is free.
Many people think we get into heaven by being a good person. But how good is good enough? If someone were to compare us to repeat offenders in prison, we would compare favorably. But if our works were to be compared to Sister Theresa of Calcutta, we would fall far short. And is Sister Theresa good enough to stand before a perfect and Holy God and proudly state I am so good that I deserve heaven for eternity? At what point does God say, "You did enough, you no longer need to worry about your eternal destiny?" The fact is, if being good is the criteria for making it into heaven, nobody can know before they die how much good is good enough to make it. The following Bible verses make it clear that salvation is not earned by doing good works, but is a free gift of God. ... all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.... Ephesians 2:8-9 To break the law and stand before a judge you need to break only one law to be found guilty, suffer the penalty and be labeled a convict ... right? It is the same with God's laws. Just because we don't regularly commit the worst sins, we are not innocent.
We don't need to go too far down the list of the Ten Commandments to learn we are in trouble. E.g. Thou shalt not use the Lord's name in vain, honor your mother and father, thou shalt not commit adultery/fornication, thou shalt not steal and the one about lying is universally convicting. Our sin separates us from a perfect and Holy God. Lying to God about our innocence is not an option to get into heaven. :-)
If you stand before a judge who knows you, you get a pass [assuming he/she doesn't disqualify himself]. He/she will not judge you and convict you. It is the same with Jesus. He is our Judge and He passes on condemning His own.
John 3:18 [Jesus speaking]
John 5:22-24
[Jesus speaking]
Christians who are so in name only (not by practice) and non-Christians have something in common. They both have a secret fear that the Bible might be true. Today with easy access to Bibles and people who are willing to share their knowledge of the Bible, there is no excuse before God to not investigate this issue. It is safer to believe in Christianity than not to. If the Bible is wrong, Christians lose nothing. If the Bible is right, we have all that is needed for eternal life in heaven.
Luke 12:48 [Jesus speaking]
Some people believe that upon physical death, their soul simply ceases to exist. This is a minority opinion and is only an opinion. It is not supported on a solid basis. It contradicts what the souls of most people tell them. Moreover it contradicts the words of the only One Who came back from the dead to tell us about it. If souls simply cease to exist upon death of the body, then life is meaningless and our emotions are a pathetic waste of energy. But life is not meaningless! God has a divine purpose for you. With logic, reason and a little faith, eternal life is a more plausible conclusion.
Personal Dilemma Twenty-seven years ago I realized that I didn't know where I was going to spend eternity. I then realized that nothing is more important than making sure I make it into heaven. If this is true, then this means God must have a way laid out for us to know before we die where we will spend eternity. I began to try to figure it out on my own, but couldn't. So I prayed to God that He would show me before I die, where I will spend eternity and I sure hoped it would be in heaven.
I began to read the Bible and became very nervous when I got to John 3:3. There Jesus declares, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." I immediately knew I was in serious trouble. I was not born again because nobody told me I needed to be born again. I didn't know what it was, but knew I needed to find out.
I learned everyone is born physically alive, but spiritually dead. From birth we focus on the physical. God commands us to have a spiritual birth (the second birth) and to begin focusing on spiritual and eternal matters.
The Good News Some people trivialize what often is referred to as the Good News of the Gospel. Many think they know what it is, yet they can't explain it. Moreover they have not personalized it.
Some people trivialize what often is referred to as the Good News of the Gospel. Many think they know what it is, yet they can't explain it. Moreover they have not personalized it.
Most people think nobody can know before they die whether they will be sent to heaven or hell. I thought the same until I realized that is far too important of a matter to be left to chance. Once you arrive at your eternal destiny it is too late to change course. One hundred years from now we will be dead. One million years from now our bodies will still be dead, but our spirits will be alive ... somewhere. What could possibly be more important, than to know where you will spend all of eternity? God is too loving to keep that a secret until it's too late to change course.
So how can we transition from insecurity to eternal security? We do this by telling God: 1.) I acknowledge that I am a sinner and my sin separates me from You. 2.) I truly repent of my sins and ask You to forgive me of my sins. 3.) I confess Jesus is Lord and that You raised Him from the dead. I receive Jesus' shed blood and resurrection as His payment for my sins. 4.) I ask for your Holy Spirit to come into my heart to help me walk the straight and narrow path that leads to life.
Soon after I prayed that prayer, I read: Matthew 10:28 " Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." Once I knew I was in right standing with God, this verse brought me more peace than anything I ever experienced.
What I am communicating to you is not new or unique. This is the simple Gospel message that has been preached for 2000 years all over the world. This is the message people lived for and died for. This is the message that has been banned by many government officials and promoted by a few government officials. This is the message that stopped people in the midst of suicide and divorce. This is the message that put families together and tore them apart. This is the message that converted people from all sorts of backgrounds: rich, poor, fools, wise, slaves, kings, queens, prostitutes, alcoholics, drug addicts, religious fanatics, atheists, but mostly common people.
1 Corinthians 2:14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.
The first few times I read the Bible, I couldn't understand it, as the above verse declares. We need to pray to God and ask Him to give us understanding. I encourage you to take a moment now to simply ask God for His help in understanding His words and His ways.
At this point you read the basic Gospel message that changed the lives of millions of people. The following paragraphs answer more questions people have about God's ways. Feel free to continue reading to learn more about Him, but if you are ready to get right with God you may want to skip down to the Salvation Prayer below.
The significance of the blood of Jesus You probably watched Charlton Heston play Moses in the movie The 10 Commandments. In that movie there is a true scene where the streets are dark and quiet as the angel of death moves down the street killing all first born males in homes that do not have the blood of a lamb sprinkled on the door posts. That was the original Passover holiday of the Jewish people. The angel did not inquire about who lived there or about good deeds or bad deeds. He just looked for the blood of the lamb. Those with the blood of a lamb covering the door posts were passed over and got to live. Households with no blood covering suffered death.
Passover is another sign pointing to our Messiah (Savior), Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us, without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness [of sins], Hebrews 9:22. Just as the blood of an innocent lamb protected Jews from physical death in Egypt, so too the blood of Jesus (the innocent and sinless Lamb of God) protects us from spiritual death. When we stand at the Great White Throne Judgment, God gives a pass to those who have the blood of Jesus covering their sins. He doesn't see their misdeeds, but the righteousness of Jesus Christ covering them.
John 14:6 "Jesus said ..., 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.'"
Sincerity of Faith Most people are quite complacent with the belief system they were born into. Many people think God doesn't care what you believe, as long as you are devout to your beliefs. Besides the obvious question about how 'devout' is 'devout enough,' we need to ask if God really doesn't care what people believe or practice.
Proverbs 16:25 There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.
The news media occasionally reports on people who have enough faith to stand before a speeding train and believe with all their heart that mind over matter will prevail and they will not be hurt. And many more people believe if they strap a bomb onto themselves and kill Jews or infidels, they will receive 70 virgins in heaven. Their devotion to their faith is unquestioned, but reality sets in upon impact. The Bible is clear that God requires us to learn about Him, His ways and practice the right things.
Many people think all religions are equal and that they all lead to the path to heaven. Those who are informed about the doctrines of the various religions know that is impossible, because they contradict each other. Religion is man's way of reaching God. Christianity is God's way of reaching man. Sounds like a play on words, but this illustrates the uniqueness of Christianity.
Time Tested I am a skeptic and do not make hasty irrational decisions. It has been 27 years since I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior. That was, by far, the most important and best decision I ever made. Most born-again Christians feel the same way.
Over the years I had hundreds of conversations with people about the Christian faith. Many like-minded Christians helped me develop my walk with the Lord. I also had many conversations with people in cults trying to convert me to their religion. I also had many conversations with atheists. I sat in many classes to learn more about the Bible and God's ways. We discuss the tough issues of the day, issues tougher than most atheists raise. Nothing has shaken my faith. As a matter of fact, my faith continues to strengthen.
Why so much suffering and evil Many people wrestle with the age-old question: If God is good, why is there so much evil in this world? But when people are asked, "Would you want God to have created you as a robot or as one with free will?" They consistently respond, "Free will." As you know, with free will comes responsibility and consequences. The sin of humanity, not God, is the cause of evil.
We don't need to worry about evil going unpunished. God promised to right wrongs and take care of evil doers. But __*_Name_*__ it is more important for us to realize that God's original plan for us was that we would be in paradise with Him, forever. Adam and Eve only knew good when God created them. They learned evil only upon eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Now all generations suffer the consequences of knowing and choosing evil.
God didn't create us to be robots and force us to obey and love Him. He wants people who genuinely decide on their own to obey Him and love Him. God hates evil so much, that He paid the ultimate price to reconcile us to Him and take us away from all this evil and suffering. He does not want to condemn us. God wants us to accept His offer of eternal life.
People won't sell both their eyes for $1 billion dollars. The value of the quality of their temporal life on earth is worth at least that much to them. Yet many have a callus disregard for the quality of their eternal life.
Jesus' salvation is not a cheap gift to be disregarded God has emotions too. We all heard the saying, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. If you stand before a judge who loves you and you return that love, that judge will forgive you or pay your penalty and let you go free. But if this Judge learns His love for you is scorned, watch out!
Jesus willingly dying on the cross in payment for your sins, was the absolute highest price anyone ever paid for anything! And ... that was for the salvation of your soul! What can you offer to God in payment for your sins? Can you think of anything more precious than an only born child? But children are tainted with sin and are in need of a Savior just like you. Jesus is sinless, thus only He is eligible to be our Savior. To reject this ultimate sacrifice, brings His fury.
But God loves you so much that He didn't hold back His precious Son, but allowed Him to be our sacrificial Lamb, so that we could get back on track with His original plan for our lives (paradise with Him for eternity).
Isaiah 1:18
Romans 10:9-13
__*_Name_*__, I hope you pray the following prayer with deep sincerity. If you do, you too can have the confidence that you are in right standing with your Creator. No matter what happens to you from then on, you will spend eternity in heaven.
1 John 5:13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
Salvation Prayer Dear Father in heaven, I confess that I am a sinner and my sins have separated us. I want to be reconciled to You. I ask You to bring my sins to remembrance so that I may repent of them and come clean. I sincerely repent of my sins and ask for Your mercy to forgive me of my sins. I accept Jesus' crucifixion, His shed blood and resurrection as His payment for my sins. Now I ask for Your Holy Spirit to come into my heart to help me walk the straight and narrow path that leads to life. Thank You in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen!
Let's discuss this letter over dinner next week. Feel free to mark this up and ask whatever you want.
With the love of Christ,
Ron Jasnow.ski ---------------------------------------------------
KEeEP ^ ^
Be careful about putting too much in your letter. You can discuss more in person later. This plan of salvation letter is an excellent open door for future Christ-centered discussions.
If people begin to express displeasure with your attempt to help them, ask: "If you saw my house was on fire would you try to save me? If the person says yes then say, "Just as you would attempt to save me from fire, I want to help save your soul from hell, will you allow me to?"
Watch the Everything Skit at GodTube.com and pray about how you could lead one person per month out of the pit and to Christ. This probably is the best mime ever created for international evangelism.
Print this for a reminder. Feel free to forward this message to all who love the lost and those who fear approaching the pearly gates empty handed. If you have a letter that worked, please share it with me ... in any language! I'd be glad to post it on my web site for others to use.
Click here if you want to learn How to make witnessing opportunities come to you.
About the Author For years I wanted to send a salvation message letter like this to people I've been praying for. I searched the internet for a salvation message letter like this and never found one. So I wrote this letter and mailed my first one April 2007.
I am not a pastor. I train managers in Character-Based Leadership Skills. I simply am a Christian who is making a sincere effort to be obedient to the Great Commission and have a heart for helping people experience the most important event in life. I go to a non-denominational Bible-believing church. I do not promote any religion, just a right relationship with our Creator.
Ron Jasnow.ski Palatine, Illinois 60074 USA
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