The penalty for sin is death (Gen. 2:17; Rom. 6:23), and that penalty must be paid. There is nothing we can do to save ourselves from our sins. "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us..." (Titus 3:5).

However, God has made a way for us to escape the penalty for our sins. He sent His Son Jesus to die for us. "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom. 5:8).

The sacrifice has been made, the price has been paid. The gift of eternal life has been offered, but we have to receive it on God's terms. God desires that all men be saved (1 Tim. 2:4), and the blood of Jesus is powerful enough to wash away the sins of the entire world (John 1:29), but God gives us the choice. We chose to sin, we must choose to be saved. How do we choose? How do we accept God's gift of salvation?

Jesus said we must believe that He is the Son of God in order to be saved: "Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins" (John 8:24). He also said that we must repent of our sins: "I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3, see also Acts 17:30). Jesus said we must confess our faith in Him before men: "Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven" (Matt. 10:32, see also Rom. 10:9-10). And Jesus said that we must be baptized in order to be saved: "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned" (Mark 16:16, see also Acts 2:38, 1 Peter 3:21).

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom. 6:23). We have a choice to make about the sin in our life. We can either die in our sins and spend eternity in Hell, or we can accept God's gift of eternal life on His terms and spend eternity in Heaven if we live a righteous life.