You're searching for something more out of life. You've found so many dead-ends in self-fulfillment that it's actually sickening to hear the word "self" anymore (a lot of you can relate to this). As much as you may have...it's still not enough. Believe it, or not...."self" is not what God had in mind when He created us.   In order to receive God's perfect gift of salvation, you'll first have to open the door to your heart. What does this mean? Let's look:   God loves you very much. How much? As far as the East is to the West, and the North is to the South. He knows the exact number of hairs on your head, and all the intricate designs that make you who you are. He designed you with extreme care. He is intimately in love with His creation....you.   God has a plan for your life. He has had a plan and a purpose for your life even before you were conceived.    God gave us the choice to either follow Him, or reject Him. The first man, Adam, chose to reject Him, and as a result....everyone has disobeyed God and is a sinner. Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;   Check out your life with the 10 commandments. Even if you are sure that you are a good person. Don't skip any one of the ten. Exodus 20:1   Now that you know for sure that you're a sinner, this means there is absolutely no way you could ever be good enough to get to Heaven. You can never "get there" on your own merits. You cannot clear your sinful slate.   The key is found in John 3:16 and also in Ephesians 2:8-9. Jesus Christ paid the price of our sins so that we could be joined to God. Jesus took our penalty and died in our place. According to God's perfect standards, we should die for the sins we've committed against Him.   But wait....God loves us so much that He sent HIS SON to take our place once and for all time to come.   How then, do we get to Heaven? The Bible teaches that when we confess with our mouths (verbally), and believe it in our hearts that God raised Jesus Christ from the dead (total trust)....you will be saved. Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.   It comes down to a choice. You either believe it, or you don't.   When you choose NOT to believe it, God is very clear. All of us, whether saved or not, will be held accountable for rejecting Him. We all will be judged. However, the lost (the ones who chose NOT to believe Him) will be condemned to Hell. He will say, "Depart from Me, I do not know you." Romans 14:12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Matthew 7:22-24 "And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."   Do not let yourself be deceived by the world. We are not in Hell right now while we live. Hell is not a place where you'll meet up with old buddies to party, either. These are deceptions spewing from the mouths of fools who choose destruction.   The Bible is very clear about Hell being a place of eternal fire with wailing and a gnashing of teeth. You will not see another person. You will be eternally alone and forsaken by God our Father. Matthew 13:50 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.   However, when you choose to truly believe it that Jesus is Lord, and that He has risen from the dead, even if your faith (belief) is small at first, you will be saved from the condemnation of Hell. You need to tell God that you know you are a sinner (refer to the 10 commandment checklist to be sure that you're a sinner again). Then you need to choose to repent of your sins. (This means that you turn completely in the other direction away from sin). The next thing to do is to invite God into your life and ask Him to be your Savior and Lord of your life. (This means that you begin to live His way and no longer live your own way). You do these things through prayer. Now, praying to Someone you have never seen before may seem a bit strange and difficult at first.    Here is an idea that has worked for quite a few other people who were first getting into the habit of talking to God in prayer: Take a chair and sit it beside you, or across from you. Close your eyes and imagine that Jesus is sitting right there on the chair with you (because really....He is with you always).   With your eyes closed, start confessing (telling Him) your sins.  Tell Him that you have chosen to believe in Him.  Tell Him that you want to change from all the old sinful ways, and walk right with Him according to His Word. Ask Him to guide you and direct your life. Ask Him to bring someone into your life that will help you to learn Him, trust Him more, and grow in Him. Ask these things in Jesus name because Jesus is the only bridge that covers the gap between you and God. Then thank God for giving you His Son to take your penalty of death, and thank Him for raising Christ from the dead. Thank Jesus for saving your soul from the condemnation of Hell.   Pray it in whatever words you would normally use. God made you...He knows your language. You do not have to use elaborate words to make your points known to Him, for He already knows them....He wants you to tell Him yourself. He wants you to depend on Him with everything.   After this you will want to get a Bible. If you cannot afford a Bible, there are many Godly churches who will give one to you. Read it and study it. Learn to know God through it. 2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.   Pray about everything. As we said above, God wants you to depend on Him for everything. Depend on Him during the good times, the bad times, and the blah times. Praise Him in the midst of your storms, and praise Him in the midst of your joys.   Get involved with a Christian Bible study with other brothers & sisters in Christ.  The fundamental basics are the first things to learn about God. Make sure you get with a group that will stick to the basics.   IF you have made a decision to follow Christ, please take a moment to contact us and let us know. We want to pray for your continued growth in Christ! If you have questions about the Bible, please feel free to submit them as well and we'll do our best to answer them. We are blessed to have you with us in the family of God! Praise the Lord!