CREATED TO KNOW GOD
You were created to know God in a personal way—to have a meaningful relationship with Him. How do you start a relationship with God? The Bible tells to put our faith in Jesus Christ - “There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12
REALIZE…
Realize you are a sinner. No matter how good a life we try to live, we still fall miserably short of being a good person. That is because we are all sinners. The Bible says, “No one is good—not even one.” and that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Our greatest need is to be right with God - to be forgiven, redeemed and to know Him personally. We cannot do this without Jesus Christ. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23
RECOGNIZE…
Recognize that Jesus Christ the Son of God died on the cross for you. The Bible says, “God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 Jesus Christ personally carried our sins in his body on the cross to pay the penalty for our sin. Three days later, Jesus Christ rose from the dead conquering sin and death for us. This is the Good News. The Bible teaches that only through faith in Jesus Christ can you be saved - receiving both God’s forgiveness for your sin and the gift of eternal life.
REPENT…
The Bible tells us, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away.” Acts 3:19 The word repent means to confess our sin and change our direction in life. The Bible says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.“ 1 John 1:9 And, instead of running from God, we can run toward Him. If we recognize our sin and are humble enough to confess it before God and turn to Him by faith, He is faithful enough to forgive us and cleanse us from all our sins.
RECEIVE…
Receive Jesus Christ into your life. Becoming a Christian is not just believing some creed or going to church. It is having Christ Himself take residence in your heart and to take charge of your life. Jesus said, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in . . .” If you would like to have your sins forgiven, have a relationship with God and receive eternal life, simply pray this prayer and mean it in your heart:
“Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and open the door of my heart to You. I confess You as my Lord and Savior. Come into my heart. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit and lead me to follow You all the days of my life. IN Jesus Name - Amen.”
REBORN…
Being born again is walking in newness of life through the indwelling life and power of the Holy Spirit. This spiritual rebirth is expressed in baptism. Once you put your faith in Jesus Christ, you should be baptized. The Bible says, “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” Romans 6:4
RELY…
It’s vital to continue to walk with God for the rest of your life, trusting and relying upon Him. There is no detail too large or too small for Him to handle. God knows and has His best in mind for us. In this life, there will be difficulties and trouble, but He is faithful to provide what we need - when we need it. The Bible tells us, “The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him” and “that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” Don’t ever give up on God. He will never give up on you!
RELATE…
It’s not about religion. It’s about a relationship with God. The Bible says, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” (James 4:8) There is a big difference between the words BELIEVE and LOVE. It’s not enough to believe in God. We are called to love God. The Bible tells us that, “God is love.” God wants a close meaningful personal relationship with each of us built on love. We can build our love relationship with Him through personal prayer (our speaking to God), reading the Bible (God speaking to us), worshipping, fellowshipping and growing alongside a community of believers at a loving, Bible teaching church. Always remember that God is love and He wants His relationship with you to always be close, meaningful and growing.