What Is The Best Treat Of All?
Is it lots of candy in your trick-or-treat bag? That's great, but it won't last long! I think the best treat is having a best friend. Do you have a best friend? Do you have someone who loves you and will never give up on you no matter what? I do, and I want to tell you about him.
The Best Friend Ever!
God sent his only Son, Jesus, to earth a long time ago to do something for us that most best friends wouldn't do! God's book, the Bible, says that "God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, [Jesus] died for us" (Romans 5:8).
Why would Jesus do that? Because it was the only way for you to become a member of God's family. All the bad things you have ever done separate you from God. The Bible calls those things sins and says that "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23)--that means separation from God forever.
But the Bible also says that "everyone who believes in [Jesus] receives forgiveness of sins" (Acts 10:43) and "whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). Since you could never do enough good things to pay the penalty for your sins, Jesus--God's Son who never sinned--came to earth to pay the penalty for you! He was God's perfect substitute who took the punishment of your sins. That way you don't have to be punished for your sins--Jesus has already paid the penalty for you when he died on the cross. Three days later, he rose from the grave. Now he is alive in Heaven with God and you can join him there someday.
But more than that, God wants to invite you to be a part of his family now. Jesus has made a way for you to be in God's family forever and have Jesus as your best friend!
How Can You Have The Best Treat?
Can Jesus be your best friend? Sure! If you believe with all your heart that Jesus died for you, and if you trust him to take care of your sin payment forever, he will forgive your sins and help you live in a way that pleases God right now. To ask Jesus to forgive your sins and come into your life, you can tell him in words like these:
"Dear God, I am sorry for all of the bad things that I have done. I do believe that Jesus died for me so that I can learn to please you with my life now and live with you in Heaven forever some day. I want you to forgive my sins and help me to live the way that you want me to. I want Jesus to be my best friend forever."
If that's your true choice, be prepared to enjoy the best treat of all, the best friend ever--Jesus!
