Was Jesus a great teacher? A prophet? The son of God? A kind man? Jesus lived, taught and demonstrated amazing miracles in Israel over 2000 years ago. While most religions teach that he was a great teacher, a prophet and a kind man, the bible says so much more. 

When Jesus taught on earth, He claimed to be one with God the Father (John 10:30). He said He is the light of the world, and whoever follows Him will not walk in spiritual darkness (John 8:12). He called Himself the way, the truth and the life, the only way to God the Father (John 14:6). And His followers attested that He committed no sin (1 Peter 2:22).

What if He wasn’t just a great teacher, a prophet and a kind man. What if He truly was the son of God? What if His life and ministry are actually of eternal consequence?

History and the present show us that humanity can’t save itself. We’re all imperfect people with a bent toward self and sin. Somewhere deep inside of us we know something is off. We’re missing the mark, missing God’s design for our lives. Intervention is needed, and we believe Jesus is that intervention. 

The only proper consequence for sin before a holy, perfect, just God is death (Romans 6:23). Because of His sinless life, Jesus alone could take the punishment for all of humanity. He declared: "God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). He chose to die in our place (Romans 5:8) by being crucified. But when He died, He didn’t stay dead! By the power of God He rose again on the third day, seen by hundreds of witnesses. Now, because of God’s love, the payment for sin has been made. God looks at followers of Jesus as forgiven, freed from condemnation and the bondage of sin and death (Romans 8:1), and given the gift of eternal life. 

If you do believe, we rejoice with you! The Bible tells us that “if you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).

If you’re not ready to say you believe, or if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us. We at Wilmot Centre Church would love to walk with you in this process. We believe there is no more important decision that you will ever make.

Wherever you’re at, we encourage you to take time to talk with God and tell Him how you feel. If you’re at the place of saying yes to Jesus, talk to Him like you would to a friend, and here is a suggested prayer that might be of help:

Loving God, I believe Jesus was more than a good teacher, prophet and kind man. I believe He is your Son and He is Lord of all. I believe He lived a perfect life and died a terrible death, and You miraculously brought Him back to life. I acknowledge the payment for sin must be death. I thank you that Jesus showed such amazing love for me by choosing to die in my place. I confess that I often miss the mark and sin against you. I ask for Your forgiveness, and I receive it. Thank you for forgiving me and giving me the gift of new life now and for eternity! I want to walk in the good plan and design that you have for my life and for humankind. Please help me to follow You faithfully for the rest of my life. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

If you said that prayer or something similar, you’re part of the family of God, and the Holy Spirit of God lives in you! You now have access to a new level of peace, hope, love and abundant life through Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1-2). We are saved by God’s grace, through faith in Jesus, not by any good things we do (Ephesians 2:8). We are fully loved by God, our heavenly Parent, and that ongoing, deepening relationship leads to our wanting to live in a way that honours Him.

Being a follower of Jesus means you’re part of the family of God and you’re wanting to learn what Jesus taught and modeled about how to live. God has given us His words through the Bible and the Holy Spirit, to guide and direct us as we live. Talk to God often, asking Him how He would have you live.

You’re not meant to do this alone! Find a church, a group of followers of Jesus, who can help you on your journey. Reach out to us or to someone you know who loves Jesus. Let somebody know you’ve made this commitment to follow Jesus, and ask for help and guidance. We would be delighted to walk along with you on this journey after God’s plans and designs.