New Life

A look at the New Life

that Jesus offers
 Copyright © 2020 John L. Phillips

Published by BeaconLight Trust

PO Box 91, Banstead

Surrey, SM7 9BA
United Kingdom

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ISBN 978-1-906526-40-5

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New Life
A look at the New Life
that Jesus offers
Could life be better?
On a scale of 1 to 10 (where 10 is ‘Life just could not
be any better’), where do you rate your own life?
As you have picked up this booklet, I suspect you
might rate it well below 10.

If you are tired of your life as it is now and if you are

serious about wanting a fresh start, then there is no
better news than this: it is precisely what God wants
for you too.

With God, life will be better

God offers us a fresh start because He loves us: He loves
us more than we can possibly imagine. That should not
surprise us for He created us in His own image, in order
that we might live in harmony with Him.

Sadly, things went wrong from the very beginning:

Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden.
And every person who has ever lived (apart from Jesus)
has inherited Adam's rebellious nature.

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God is absolutely pure and righteous and hates
everything which is impure. That includes not only
the things we have done, of which we are only too
ashamed, but also our everyday failings (including
our thoughts) which do not trouble our consciences.

Whether we think that we are doing really well or

whether we know we have completely messed
up – or whether we fall somewhere in between
– one thing is certain: we have all failed to meet
God's standard. We must not fall into the trap of
measuring ourselves against others. It is God's
standard that counts.

The Bible tells us:

… for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of

God,
Romans 3:23

God cannot simply turn a blind eye to our sin: He

is just and demands justice. And justice demands
punishment.

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God’s justice and mercy
But God is loving and merciful and does not
want to punish us. So He sent His Son, Jesus, to
take the punishment in our place. Jesus willingly
surrendered His life to satisfy the need for justice.
Out of obedience to His Father and out of love for
us, He endured the most brutal and horrific death by
crucifixion.

The Bible tells us:

For 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

God made him who had no sin to be sin

for us, so that in him we might become the
righteousness of God.
2 Corinthians 5:21

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Two days after Jesus died, God raised Him to life
again. Because Jesus took our sin upon Himself, and
paid the penalty for it, God is able to show us mercy
by forgiving our sins and offering us a fresh start.
And He will not simply patch up our old life but
will give us a new life – a new beginning – and it is
available to everyone who will receive it.

Sadly, there will be no mercy for those who continue

in their rebellion against God: they will face His
judgment when Jesus returns to earth to judge
every person who has ever lived.

The Bible tells us:

Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but

whoever does not believe stands condemned
already because they have not believed in the
name of God’s one and only Son.
John 3:18

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Jesus, Son of God
The Son of God has always existed: He was in
heaven with His Father before the very beginning
of creation. Then, just over 2,000 years ago, He took
on human form when He was born to a virgin. He was
given the name, Jesus, meaning ‘rescue’ or ‘save’1, for that
was God’s plan – that Jesus should save us from our sin.

Jesus Himself said that He was the only way by which

anyone can get right with the Father:

The Bible tells us:

Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and

the life. No one comes to the Father except
through me.'
John 14:6

At the age of 33, Jesus fulfilled His mission as He

willingly sacrificed His own life to rescue us from the
punishment our sin deserves.

After two days He rose from the dead and, after forty
days, went back to be with His Father in heaven.

Matthew 1:21
1

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New Life with God now
a new identity – a new creation ‘in Christ’.

The Bible tells us:

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation

has come: the old has gone, the new is here!
2 Corinthians 5:17

a new status – adoption into God’s family.

The Bible tells us:

For he has rescued us from the dominion of

darkness and brought us into the kingdom of
the Son he loves,
Colossians 1:13

See what great love the Father has lavished on

us, that we should be called children of God!
And that is what we are!
1 John 3:1a

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As children of God, we will enjoy:

a new peace – no longer an enemy of God and

condemned; now reconciled and forgiven.

The Bible tells us:

Once you were alienated from God and were

enemies in your minds because of your evil
behaviour. But now he has reconciled you by
Christ’s physical body through death to present
you holy in his sight, without blemish and free
from accusation – if you continue in your faith, ...
Colossians 1:21-23a

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for

those who are in Christ Jesus,
Romans 8:1

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 a new hope – no longer without hope; now
securely anchored to God.

The Bible tells us:

... you were separate from Christ … without

hope and without God in the world. But now
in Christ Jesus you ... have been brought near
by the blood of Christ.
Ephesians 2:12-13

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul,

firm and secure.
Hebrews 6:19a

a new helper – God's Holy Spirit who lives within

us to comfort, teach, help and strengthen us.

The Bible tells us:

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the

Father will send in my name, he will teach you
all things and bring to your remembrance all
that I have said to you.
John 14:26 (ESV)

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New Life with God forever

a new destiny - as a child of God, we have the

promise of a place in heaven.

The Bible tells us:

In his great mercy he has given us new birth

into a living hope through the resurrection
of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an
inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.
This inheritance is kept in heaven for you,
1 Peter 1:3b-4

Contrary to popular belief, a place in heaven is not a

reward for good people. As we have already seen, no
one is good by God’s standard. Heaven is for those
who have their identity in Christ.

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The cost of this New Life
Yes, there is a cost to the life that Jesus offers and no
one should sign up for it without understanding what
it involves. Jesus makes a big demand upon those
who want to be His disciple: He has to be at the very
centre of their life.
It may mean giving up some of our interests and
relinquishing – or losing – some of our relationships:
living to please Jesus must always be our overriding
priority. We may even have to accept opposition from
our own family.
We will also find that we have a new enemy – Satan
– as we abandon his kingdom of darkness. He will
do all he can to tempt us back to our old life. But
God, by His Holy Spirit living within us, will help us to
resist him.
As a follower of Jesus we will still encounter the
disappointments, struggles and stresses that are a
normal part of life. Problems we are facing will not
suddenly disappear.

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But the cost is nothing compared with what we gain
– a life of purpose and meaning now and the peace of
knowing that we will be safe with God forever.

Ready to receive this New Life?

If you are ready to receive this New Life, you can do so
by ‘repenting’, which means:
• confessing your sins to God and asking Him to
forgive you, and
• turning your back on your old ways and, with
God’s help, starting to live His way.
To do that you can pray this prayer.

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 Dear Father God,

I am so sorry for everything in my life, past and

present, which is not right. I want
to stop living that way. I want a new life.

Thank You for sending Jesus to die in

my place, for my sins, in order to save
me from the punishment which I deserve.
I want to live to please Jesus and to make Him
the centre of my life – to be my King.

So please forgive all my sins and accept

me as Your child. Please fill me with
Your Holy Spirit to help me live this
new life which Jesus offers.

Amen

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If you have been sincere in praying that prayer, God
welcomes you into His family as His child. Do not
worry if you do not feel any different. An important
lesson to learn is not to rely on your feelings but on
God’s promises in the Bible.

One of those promises is expressed in this hymn:

O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood!

to every believer the promise of God;
the vilest offender who truly believes,
that moment from Jesus a pardon receives.1

You should now tell someone – a chaplain or church

leader – that you have become a Christian (a child of
God) and ask them to help you to begin reading the
Bible. Join a Bible study group if you can.

It is also important to start meeting with others who

are on the same journey of following Jesus. You will be
able to encourage and support one another.

1
To God be the glory! Fanny Crosby, 1820‐1915

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If you are not yet ready
Perhaps this booklet has given rise to questions or
you may just feel that you require more time to think
about beginning a New Life with Jesus.

That is understandable. But it is important to

recognise the urgency, for Jesus will return to earth
without any warning. His return will bring immense
joy for all who have received the New Life. For
others it will mean everlasting punishment, which
the Bible speaks of as hell.

Remember, heaven is not for ‘good’ people but for

those who have turned to God and put their trust in
Jesus.

Conversely, hell is not for ‘bad’ people but for those

who do not know God because they have not
repented of their sin.

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The Bible tells us:

He will punish those who do not know God

and do not obey the gospel of our Lord
Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting
destruction and shut out from the presence of
the Lord and from the glory of his might…
2 Thessalonians 1: 8-9

On the following pages we answer, very briefly, just a

few of the questions often asked. TrustIf you have other
questions, please do get in touch. We will be glad to
help you in any way we can.

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What is a ‘born again’ Christian?
Many people think that ‘born again’ Christians have
either had a special spiritual ‘experience’ or take their
faith too seriously. They may think of them, jokingly,
as ‘super Christians’.

But that is not true. Jesus Himself said that no one can
enter God’s kingdom unless they are born again.1 He
meant that they have to begin a new life (as we have
explained in this booklet), starting to live God’s way
as a follower of Jesus. There is no other way into God’s
Kingdom.

Some Christians can point to a dramatic experience

of their new birth. Others are not able to identify the
actual time or place but, nevertheless, their new birth
is genuine.

The great sadness is that many people think that they

are a Christian on account of their regular church
attendance and their ‘good deeds’. Yet, they have
never been born again by trusting Christ.

1
John 3:1-21

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Can we really trust the Bible?
The Bible is the very foundation of Christianity and if
it is no more than fiction, then the case for Christianity
is completely undermined. But there is compelling
evidence that it is the true Word of God. For example:

its unity
The Bible comprises sixty-six books, written in three
languages over a period of about 1,500 years and by
more than forty authors from different backgrounds.
But it reads as one unified volume, with a consistent
message of God’s unfailing love for His creation and
His plan of redemption.

The only reasonable explanation is that God Himself

was behind the human authors, directing their writing.

its historical accuracy

There are other writings and numerous archaeological
discoveries which support the historical accuracy of
the Bible. All the available evidence makes it the best
documented book from the ancient world.

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 its fulfilled prophecies
About 2,000 of the Bible’s prophecies have already
been fulfilled. Prophecies concerning Jesus’ birth,
the nature of His death and His resurrection were all
recorded several hundred years earlier.

its New Testament writings

The New Testament authors, and many hundreds of
other believers, knew Jesus personally and many of
them saw Him after His resurrection. They were so
convinced that Jesus was truly the Son of God that
they were willing to suffer and many were killed for
their faith.

Three of the four gospels are believed to have been

written within forty years of Jesus’ death. They were
not disputed by those who had heard Jesus teach and
witnessed His miracles.

It is estimated that more than 100 million Bibles are

printed each year. It is the best-selling book in the
world of all time, far ahead of all others.

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Was Jesus really raised from the dead?
There is overwhelming evidence for the resurrection of
Jesus. Consider the facts.

Jesus died
Roman soldiers were professional executioners. It is
inconceivable that they failed to ensure that Jesus
was dead. Dying from crucifixion could take days,
but the Bible records that Jesus died within a few
hours, probably because of the brutal treatment He
had received.

The soldiers normally broke the legs during a

crucifixion to hasten the death but they didn't bother
with that with Jesus: they could see that He was
already dead. But a soldier did thrust a spear into His
side. It cannot be disputed: it was the dead body of
Jesus that was laid in the tomb.

the tomb was empty

But there was no sign of the body when the disciples
went to the tomb two days later. They discovered
the enormous stone had been rolled away from the
entrance.

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One theory is that the body could have been stolen,
but by whom and why? And if it had been, surely it
would have turned up eventually. If the authorities
had had any part in its disappearance, they would
have been quick to produce it to put an end to the
reports that Jesus was alive again.

Jesus was seen alive

The disciples saw Jesus. They felt His wounds and they
ate with Him.1 On one occasion He was seen by more
than 500 people.2

the disciples were changed men

Jesus’ disciples were totally transformed. They were
no longer afraid as they had been when Jesus was
crucified. They committed themselves to preaching
the truth about Jesus, despite the risk involved.

They were willing to die because they were now

convinced that Jesus truly was the Son of God, who
had been raised from the dead and who was now in
heaven with His Father.

1
John 20:19-21:14; 2 1 Corinthians 15:6

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Do you have to be baptised to be a
Christian?
It is wrong to think that baptism makes you a Christian
or that you can only be a Christian if you are baptised.
But baptism is important. It enables a new Christian to
demonstrate publicly that they are a follower of Jesus.

Being immersed under water is a wonderful picture of

the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. It signifies,
too, that the person has died to their old, sinful life
and been raised to a new life, cleansed from their sin
through God’s forgiveness.

Jesus instructed His disciples to go and make

disciples and to baptise them.1 And they obeyed that
command. On one occasion, about 3,000 people
repented and were baptised.2

And so, many churches place great emphasis upon

new believers being baptised once they have begun
the new life which Jesus offers.

1
Matthew 28:19; 2 Acts 2:41

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Is God still in control of the world?
If God is all-loving and all-powerful, as the Bible tells
us, He must care about all the evil and suffering in the
world and He must be powerful enough to step in and
stop it. So, why doesn’t He?

The world today is not the world which God created.

The world He created was perfect but He created
humans with the freedom to make choices. And in the
Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve abused their freedom
when they deliberately disobeyed God. God’s
creation was corrupted by sin and has continued to be
ever since.

God acted against the great evil in Noah’s day by

destroying the earth through the great flood. The
world today is in the same state, just as Jesus said it
would be.1 But God has not lost control. He will bring
an end to all this world's evil when He chooses. Then
Jesus will return and everyone who has not turned to
Him in repentance will face God’s wrath and eternal
condemnation.

1
Matthew 24:36-44

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Is hell a real place?
Many people scoff at the idea that there can be a real
place like hell and many others believe that only the
most evil of people will end up there.

We can believe that or we can take note of what

the Bible tells us. And when we read the Bible, we
cannot escape the fact that hell is just as real a place
as heaven. (It is no surprise that far more people are
willing to accept the reality of heaven than of hell).

Jesus spoke about hell more than anyone else. He

gave solemn warnings. He described it, amongst
other things, as a place of torment.1 The Apostle Paul
spoke of it as a place where people ‘... will be punished
with everlasting destruction and shut out from the
presence of the Lord...’ 2

What a contrast to heaven, where Jesus reigns and

where all who have trusted Him for forgiveness will
live with Him forever, regardless of the mess they may
have made of their lives.

1
Luke 16:23; 2 2 Thessalonians 1:9

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