Epilogue

Epilogue

I am often asked why I chose these fifty-two particular questions from the more than three thousand questions recorded in Scripture. My goal in these pages was to address the broadest spectrum of topics possible. This necessitated my leaving out some of my own favorite Scripture questions. (That fact just may call for a Jesus Code II with fifty-two more Scripture questions every believer should be able to answer—as well as a Joshua Code II with fifty-two more Scripture verses every believer should know!)

One such question—omitted because so many that were included dealt with the same subject—was that of Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, who asked, “What shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” (Matthew 27:22). This is the question each of us must confront. You will either accept Him . . . or reject Him. You will either say yes to Him . . . or no to Him. Not to decide on this issue . . . is to decide.

It may be that, while you were journeying through these pages, God’s Spirit has been nudging you to put your faith and trust in Christ for the forgiveness of your sin and the gift of eternal life. Heaven is God’s personal and free gift to you: it cannot be earned, nor will you ever deserve it. We are all sinners who have fallen short of God’s perfect standard for our lives. He is a God of love and does not want to punish us for our sins, but He is also a God of justice and therefore must punish sin.

This is where Jesus stepped in. He is the holy and sinless God-man who came to take your sins in His own body and die on the cross as punishment for your sins. However, just knowing this fact is not enough. You must transfer your trust from yourself and your own human efforts to Christ alone and put your faith in Him for your own personal salvation.

Jesus said, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him” (Revelation 3:20). If you would like to receive this free gift of eternal life, you can call on Jesus right now . . . this very moment. He promised that “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved” (Romans 10:13). The following is a suggested prayer:

Dear Lord Jesus,

I know I have sinned; I know I don’t deserve eternal life in and of myself. Please forgive me for my sin—and thank You for taking on my sin in Your body and dying on the cross on my behalf. I trust in You as the only One who saves me from eternal separation from a Holy God. Come into my life right now. I accept Your free and gracious offer of forgiveness, abundant life, and eternal life. Thank You for coming into my life as my Savior and my Lord.

A prayer cannot save you, but Jesus can save you—and He will. If this prayer reflects the desire of your heart, you can claim the promise Jesus made to those who believe in Him: “Most assuredly . . . he who believes in Me has everlasting life” (John 6:47).

You can now join millions of Christ’s followers in answering Pilate’s question, “What shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” by confidently affirming, “I will believe Jesus is the one and only Savior, and I will put my trust in Him . . . for now and for eternity.”