One decision can change your whole life. Things weren’t going as planned. We were supposed to take the commuter train to downtown Chicago, then ride the elevator to the observation floor of the Sears building, the city’s tallest structure. There, gazing upon Chicago’s famous skyline, I would take the leap of faith that had consumed me for weeks.

But now, an uncharacteristic fog had descended on the city, with reports claiming zero visibility. I had to make a game time decision. I was nervous to the point of being nauseated. Could I really do this? If I did, everything would change. This one decision would dramatically alter every part of my life.

I quickly changed plans and we ventured into a park on the shoreline of Lake Michigan. It was completely unfamiliar, it was cold and windy, and I felt like my heart would beat out of my chest. In that moment, I made my decision. With more courage than I’d ever needed before, I got down on my knee, pulled out a ring, and did the deed that’s been done millions of times before in millions of ways throughout history. “I invited my beautiful girlfriend, Stefanie Herman, to share the rest of her life with me.”

She said yes, and nothing has ever been the same.

I went from being single to having a constant companion. I went from having my own bedroom to sharing one. I went from having my own bank account to a joint one. I went from deciding my own schedule to shaping each day with another person. No longer my own, my life now belonged to another person. In that moment we launched into an amazing adventure that has grown and developed month after month, year after year.

There is only one decision in my life that has been more important or has had greater consequences than that one: the decision to say yes to Jesus when he called me to follow him. Nothing has ever been the same.

It's All About Jesus

Jesus is the most amazing person who ever walked this earth. Many people don’t realize the entire Bible teaches about Jesus. Jesus has been written about more than any other historical figure. As you read this, over two and a half billion people from across the earth have made the same decision I made to follow him—that’s over a third of the world’s population. Why?

Jesus walked the earth over 2000 years ago and changed the course of history, but He was more than a historical figure, a great leader, a revolutionary, or the founder of a movement. Jesus is the God who created you and the One who gave his life so that you could have a personal relationship with Him. When Jesus came to earth as a man, He taught with incredible wisdom, healed the sick, raised the dead, set people free from demonic oppression and showed compassion to the poor. People loved being around Him and dropped everything—their businesses, their families, their friends and homes — to follow Him.

There has never been anyone like Jesus. You may be reading this book because you have decided to follow Him or you are thinking about it. This is the best decision you could ever make. Jesus will meet you in the tiny minutia of your life and make you a part of His grand purpose for the world. Jesus will not only save you, but will also heal you, give your life meaning, satisfy your deepest longings and help you make sense of your daily struggles.

Think about it. The Bible says that one day every knee will bow before Jesus, but today He holds out His hand to you personally, promising you a full life you can’t find anywhere else (John 10:10). When you say yes to Jesus, He takes you on a journey of transformation that begins with a new spirituality, a new identity, a new purity and a new destiny. Let’s unpack those.

A NEW Spirituality

In a conversation Jesus had with His disciples shortly before He was crucified, He told them this:

I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. (John 15:16-18)

When we decide to follow Jesus, He promises to put His Spirit inside of us, breathing life into our souls. Here’s why this is so important. According to the Bible, when we come into the world, the spirit inside of us is not only dead, but Satan is always working to get us to follow him and disobey God by “gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts” (Ephesians 2:1-3).

This is a pretty ugly picture, and not what God wants for us. But this passage goes on to say: “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:4-5). Jesus called this process being “born again” because it brings such a radical change in us (See John 3:3-8). Because of God’s mercy and love, He sends His Spirit to live in us and change us from the inside out. Not only will we never be alone again, but Satan also loses his power over our hearts. This is our new spirituality.

A NEW Identity

When Jesus promised His disciples that He would send His Spirit, He added, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you” (John 14:19). Let me just tell you—when you follow Jesus, His Spirit comes in and gives you a new identity as His child. One of Jesus’ disciples explained it this way: “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1). God, who created the heavens and the earth, is now your Dad and He loves you more than you can imagine!

Perhaps you’ve never really known your earthly father, or your relationship has been painful. God is different from every other father because He is perfect in all His ways. The Scriptures tell us that our heavenly Father is always “compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love” (Psalm 103:8). He actually thinks about you continually and even rejoices over you with singing (Psalm 139, Zephaniah 3:17).

I am an imperfect dad, but I love my kids so much that at times I can hardly contain it. Every night I am home, I tuck them in and kiss them on the forehead, telling them I love them — even my teenagers (I don’t care if it embarrasses them)! I wake them each morning with a gentle touch and say, “Good morning man of God!” to my sons and “Good morning beautiful!” to my daughter. If I treat my children like this, as an imperfect dad, how much more does your Father in heaven want to express his affection to you! You can rest assured: you are no orphan. You are never alone. You now are a child of God. That is who you are.

A NEW Purity

One of my favorite stories of Jesus’ life is when some religious leaders brought a woman that they’d caught in sexual immorality to Him. They knew Jesus had a reputation for being compassionate, and since their law required stoning for her sins, they were clearly trying to set him up. As the story goes, Jesus paused and wrote in the dirt with His finger, then looked up and told them: “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her (John 8:7). What could they say to that? One by one they slipped away until only Jesus and the woman were left. He looked at her and asked: “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” (v. 10). When she told him no, Jesus responded, “Then neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin” (v. 11).

Did you know that Jesus did not come to condemn you for your sins either, but to save you from them? (John 3:17). The Scriptures tell us clearly that we’ve all sinned in so many ways — lying, cheating, stealing, lusting, coveting — even adultery or murder: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Because of that, we deserve to die (Romans 6:23). But Jesus gave his life to pay for your sins and mine, so that just like the woman caught in adultery, we can “go and sin no more” (John 8:11).

Because of Jesus’ death, God sees you as beautifully pure. He forgives you of everything you’ve done in the past and then promises that “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). It is as if you stand before a judge, knowing you are in the wrong, but hearing him proclaim over your life: “Not guilty!” You have a new purity.

A NEW Destiny

There’s a lot of talk today about how important it is to plan our futures, to know where we are going and to plan out how we will get there. But how many people go through life not knowing their eternal destiny? This is tragic. Jesus taught very clearly that every person will end up in one of two places — heaven or hell, describing hell as a place where “the fire is never quenched and there is weeping or gnashing of teeth” (See Matthew 8:12, 13:42, 50; Matthew 22:13, 24:51, 25:30 and Luke 13:28). Hell is the place reserved for those who reject God’s gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ.

But Jesus told His disciples: “Because I live, you also will live” (John 15:19). When you decide to follow Jesus, you gain a new destiny — heaven! We can’t even begin to imagine the wonder of eternal life in heaven. Most importantly, it is where Jesus lives and reigns and where we will see him face to face, surrounded by scores of angels. Because all who put their trust in Him find their home in heaven, we will see friends and relatives who have followed Jesus there — it will be a grand reunion!

In a beautiful description of heaven, Scripture tells us it is a place where there are no more tears, no more sickness or disease, no more killing or death! In heaven we will experience unending peace, fullness of joy, perfect health, and the perfection of nature. Heaven is one of the greatest gifts we who follow Jesus look forward to!

But we don’t have to wait until we die to experience this incredible destiny. Jesus said: “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3). The minute Jesus comes into your life, you have the privilege of getting to know him — a journey that He called the abundant life, and it includes all the benefits we will experience fully in eternity. Knowing Jesus is your destiny, one that begins the minute you decide to give your life to Him, and it will get better and better until the day you enter the gates of heaven and bow before Him.

Nailing it Down

I hope you can see that there is nothing better than giving your life to Jesus. When you decide to follow Him, you have everything to gain and nothing to lose. Maybe as you’ve read this chapter, you’re not sure whether you’ve made the decision to say yes and receive Jesus into your life as Lord and Savior. If not, why not settle it once and for all right now? If you want to begin a journey of knowing Jesus and receiving all that He has for you, stop now and pray the following prayer:

Dear Jesus, I need you. Thank you for dying on the cross for me. I repent of my sins. Please forgive me. Thank you rising from the dead. I am deciding to follow you now. Please be my Lord and my Savior.  receive your gift of the Holy Spirit. Please fill me. Amen.

If you prayed that prayer and truly meant it, you have made the greatest decision you will ever make! Congratulations and welcome to your new life!

This is the beginning of your destiny! Get ready for an amazing ride!