Sam Fordham: Welcome back Ask Dr. Fordham. And we're picking back up where we left off with I Have Decided, the guide for training decision advisors, helping people know what kind of decision they need to make when they want to make a decision or commitment to Christ and what that means. And we're coming to the second part of the book, which has to do with with those actual decisions and making those decisions. But again, this is I have decided. That's from Keith's book. And you can get that on Amazon along with the other books that he has written. But please like, subscribe, and comment. That helps with the algorithm and getting this message, these informational things out to other people. And to you if you do the notification, then you'll get it when we come out with another episode. And then Keithford.com. That's this is a ministry of the Keithford Evangelistic Association Incorporated. Keith Fordham: Yeah. They need to le leave off the WWW. Sam Fordham: Well, it's too late and it's there. You whether you type it in or you don't, it w it won't matter. But if you get to Keithford.com, Keith Fordham: Yeah, yeah, but for them type in key for like I Yeah, okay. Sam Fordham: it'll it'll get you there. And Keith Fordham: Okay. Sam Fordham: that is again, they're a five one C three nonprofit organization. And so if you make a donation, especially through that website to their ministry, that is a tax deductible gift. And again, that helps with with the propagation of the gospel, but also education and other endeavors that Keith Ford Evangelist Association is involved with. All right, now I'm going to talk more slowly as we go into the next part because we're looking at part two of I Have Decided, an aid for making personal commitments to Christ. Evangelist Billy Graham said, Salvation is an act of God. It is initiated by God, wrought by God, and sustained by God. And what a great quote that is. But The first decision we're going to be looking at is: I have decided to accept Christ as my personal savior. Keith Fordham: And when we do that, the person comes forward. It's wonderful that you've decided to become a Christian. This decision means that you are now a follower of Christ. And because you've accepted him as your Savior and acknowledged him as Lord, that is boss of your life, you're now surrendering total control of your life to Jesus. Be assured you won't be disappointed. Here are the steps to accepting Christ as explained in the Bible. number one you need to realize that God loves you and He wants you to have eternal life. Eternal life means a full and meaningful life right now and life in heaven after we die. The Bible explains it. And would you read that, Sam? Sam Fordham: Yeah, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. John three sixteen. Keith Fordham: when you realize that God loves you and He wants you to have that eternal life, Jesus put it in these words: I have come that they might may have life and that they may have it more abundantly. God planned this kind of life for you and He wants you to have it. So why don't people have it automatically? And here's the reason. Sam Fordham: Brings us to number two. Keith Fordham: You are a sinner and your sin separates you from God. A sinner is a person who refuses to give God his rightful place, that is con total control in his life, and one who breaks the laws of God. Because we are all guilty of doing these things, we are all sinners. Sin is a very serious matter. In fact, it's the most costly thing in the universe because it cost God his Son so that we could be saved. Sin separates us from God both now and forever. Separation from God is sin's penalty, and the Bible and the ill this next illustration, as you put it up, show it. Sam Fordham: All right, I'll I'll show it in just a second. Keith Fordham: Okay. Sam Fordham: it before we get there though, we've got a couple of verses. All we like sheep have gone astray. We've turned everyone to his own way. And of course the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all, Isaiah fifty three, six. Romans three twenty three, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. And then Romans six twenty three, the wage of the wages of sin is death. And so the question is, can anything be done? And that brings us to that first illustration you mentioned. Keith Fordham: Yeah. Yeah, man, our sinfulness on one side, sin separates us from God. And th because of that well Yeah. Yeah Sam Fordham: Right. So we cannot you cannot save yourself. so you have to realize that we cannot through our human efforts bridge the separation that our sins have caused. And man in our pride is prone to embrace a do-it-yourself salvation, which utterly fails. And the Bible, and again, this illustration will explain it better, for by grace you have you are saved through faith. That not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. And then Titus three, five says, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy, he saved us. Through the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Spirit. None of our own human efforts can bridge that gap that we saw just a moment ago and And there's a way that seems right to a man, Proverbs says, but in the end it is the way of death. So people try good works, they try religion. Keith Fordham: Religion, philosophy, and morality all fall short of God's glory. So no matter what you do, you cannot make it to God on your own. Jesus Christ is the only remedy for your separation from God. The penalty for sin must be paid. Either we have to pay it, and that is by burning in hell forever, or Or we need someone that God would accept to pay the price. Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, took our sins himself, died on the cross, rose from the grave, and thereby paid the penalty for us. By his death and his resurrection, he bridged the gap and makes a new life possible for all sinners. Jesus Christ is the only remedy. the Bible says, He who knew no sin, that is Jesus, became sin for us, but God demonstrates his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Sam Fordham: Dir during the time when you're counseling with someone, you're speaking to them, giving them decision advice, you wouldn't want to interject like I'm about to, but Keith Fordham: Yeah. Sam Fordham: at the date of this recording, we've just seen the governor of California commute the sentences of some five hundred or more, however many it was, death row individuals. And there are some who would liken God's forgiveness of sin to that. The problem is what the governor out there did is say, we're we're not going to meet out justice. but got but God says no, justice is a requirement that has to be met. And so again, Christ paid the penalty for our sin. He went to the the chair that we should have or the cross that we should have. And that is how God demonstrates his love. So we have redemption, that is salvation, through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins, Colossians 1.14. And again, J Jesus said, I am the way, truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except or but through me. And so Christ is the one that paves the way for man to once again have fellowship with God. Keith Fordham: He bridges the gap, and it's only through Christ that we get to heaven. No other way. Now, eternal salvation is available, and Jesus Christ has bridged the gulf and provided the only way to God. That is the only way to come to God. And so we must receive Him. turn from our sins, turn from our self efforts, turn from our self trust, and receive Jesus alone as our Savior. Now God has done his part, and the Bible explains our part. It says, Repent, therefore, and be converted that your sins may be blotted out. The Bible also says, Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner. And by the way, that is the sinner's prayer Jesus gave. And what's so amazing in telling the story, this sinner man standing afar off, and this Pharisee is standing close. And God said he would not so much as lift his eyes toward heaven. And he he looked down and he had a humble heart, and that's what we need Sam Fordham: Yeah. Keith Fordham: to have. And by the way, the reason we close our eyes when we pray today is because this man would not even lift his eyes toward heaven when he prayed. Sam Fordham: Mm. Keith Fordham: He humbled himself. Now Sam Fordham: Mm. Keith Fordham: you've got to turn from your sins and self-efforts and receive Christ. As many as received him, to them gave he the power, that is the right to become the sons of God. We received Jesus Christ by repenting of our sins, trusting him and him alone through faith for salvation, confessing him as Lord, and by inviting him through prayer into our hearts. So you see, we must turn from sin and self-effort, and that is repenting, because it's a change of mind and a change of heart when we turn to him. And the Bible says, Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. And we call on him in faith. Forgiveness and eternal life are available this minute, this very split second, right now. Now Sam Fordham: And then sixth is the idea that the decision is yours. It's not for somebody else to make. It's for you to decide. And so Keith Fordham: And the questions are, do you believe God wants to give you eternal life? Do you want eternal life? Do it you admit you are a sinner? Do you agree that you cannot save yourself? And do you believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay the penalty for your sin? Are you willing to repent of your sins and receive Christ as your Savior and Lord? And just a few weeks ago I was teaching a class and I went through these questions and then Sam, could you give us that next slide? if you answered yes to all these questions, then either pray this prayer as your own or pray your own prayer, asking forgiveness and inviting Jesus Christ into your heart. And in this classroom of 20 men, well, it was 19 men, one man came in late. In fact, it was an hour and a half class and he came in at the seven o'clock mark and I went over just what I we've Sam and I have talked about and I got to this part and I said, now when you have somebody come forward to receive Christ, you need to let them read the prayer or just tell them, would you like to pray this prayer and ask Christ in your heart, repent of your sin and be saved. And so when I did that, I I said, now here's the way you do it. And Sam, if you don't mind, I'm gonna say the words and you pray out loud after me. And this is what we did in the class. Lord Jesus, Sam Fordham: Lord Jesus Keith Fordham: I trust you. Sam Fordham: I trust you. Keith Fordham: I trust neither in anything Sam Fordham: I trust neither in anything Keith Fordham: Nor any el one else. Sam Fordham: Nor anyone else. Keith Fordham: Sink or swim, I trust you. Sam Fordham: Sink or swim, I trust you. Keith Fordham: Jesus of Nazareth Sam Fordham: Jesus of Nazareth, Keith Fordham: Through your death, Sam Fordham: through your death. Keith Fordham: burial and resurrection to save my soul. Sam Fordham: burial and resurrection to save my soul. Keith Fordham: I know I'm a sinner. Sam Fordham: I know I am a sinner. Keith Fordham: I ask you to forgive me. Sam Fordham: I ask you to forgive me. Keith Fordham: I know you are alive right now. Sam Fordham: I know that you are alive right now. Keith Fordham: And I invite you into my heart to be my Savior and Lord. Sam Fordham: I invite you into my heart to be my Savior and Lord. Keith Fordham: I'm willing to turn from my sins and Sam Fordham: I'm willing to turn from my sins Keith Fordham: and give my life to you. Sam Fordham: and give my life to you. Keith Fordham: Thank you for saving me. Sam Fordham: Thank you for saving me. Keith Fordham: Amen. Sam Fordham: Amen. Keith Fordham: And when I got through doing that, I was going to ask the class to turn and give their testimonies to each other. And when I did, one of the men said, Well, listen, Brother Keith, you're filling in tonight, but we just did that about three or four weeks ago. And this young man who had come in late, his name was Lonnie Thurman, and Lonnie was twenty-five years old, had a beard, he was forced to sit right next to me because i they filled every seat but the one that was closest to the very front. And when they did, they said that I was in my mind I was trying to think, well, what do I need to do? And all of a sudden that Lonnie raised his hand and when he did, he said, I didn't do that. He said, I don't have a testimony. I'm Sam Fordham: Mm. Keith Fordham: really not saved. And I Sam Fordham: Yeah. Keith Fordham: need to be. And I said, when? He said, right now. And so we Sam Fordham: Mm. Keith Fordham: just stopped the class. We got got on our knees. And I led Alonia in this prayer, Lord Jesus, I trust you, neither in anyone or anything else. And by the way, this is the Spurgeon prayer that he had in his tract, at least the first part of it. And that that he used over all those years ago to lead men and women, boys and girls to Christ. But Lonnie prayed that prayer and I tell you, we had folks crying in there and we went to the right hand of fellowship and while we have it, and buddy, every man in the building's over hugging him, shaking his hand, and I came came to find out later that several had been witnessing to him for years. And talking about God's divine appointment. He came in at the very right time, to trust Christ. And Sam Fordham: Well, and that goes to the last last part of that chapter says, formed by God, deformed by sin, but transformed by Christ. we ought to be telling everyone, you know, the questions that you have there to ask after after you you've presented the gospel once again to the person that's trying to make a decision, and you're trying to help them understand that's a decision they need to make. do you believe God wants you to have eternal life? Do you want eternal life? do you admit that you're a sinner? do you agree that you cannot save yourself? Do you believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay your sin penalty? Are you willing to repent of your sin and receive Christ as your Savior and Lord? Those are questions that are all all pertinent to a person trying to decide if they are going to receive Christ as their savior. And then at the end there you say, Tell everyone you know what Jesus has done for you. And what a great thing it is, that testimony. and again, any anybody that's saved is gonna want other people to know that they are saved or something's wrong. so Keith Fordham: Absolutely. I d Daddy, my my my dad in nineteen ninety four last week I was in revival in Dawsonville, Georgia, which is north of Atlanta and coming up up that way. And there was a young one of the staff members said, Keith, I'm from Forest Park and I was saved in the nineteen ninety four Billy Graham crusade. Well I'd taught the training to the counselors the in the Noonan area and Sam Fordham: Right. Keith Fordham: I happened to be there. I had I preached my own revival Sunday through Wednesday and I was only there like on Thursday night. I think that was the night he got saved. But it at any rate we had Daddy had a a medical doctor come forward and the medical doctor said, Mickey, I I I prayed the prayer with Billy Gray a while ago, but Jesus is not on my inside. How do I get him on my inside? And so my dad said, Well, Doctor, you gotta understand, and this was a surgeon, and literally the surgeon asked the question I thought a six-year-old kid would ask. He said, Do they have to cut you open to get God on the inside? And Daddy said, Doctor, God is a spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. And if you'll pray and ask God or ask Christ to come in your heart, His Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, will enter into you, forgive your sins, and dwell in you, and make sure that you are on your way to heaven. And so the doctor prayed this time with understanding and received Christ and was saved. Sam Fordham: Yeah. That's wonderful. All right. Well next time we'll pick up I think maybe with assurance. Is that what's next? On the order of things. Nope. Believers baptism is what we'll pick up with next time. So until then. Keith Fordham: Let me see. Believers baptism. Yeah. And that's not taught at the Billy Graham Crusades and we I I just thought this this book is for local churches and so I I thought that's a big deal. Sam Fordham: Yes, yes, which is where it's most applicable. Keith Fordham: Yeah. Sam Fordham: So that's makes sense. All right, until next time, we will hope that you're blessed.