Who is God
Why am I here? Why is life so hard?
We've all felt these things. In such moments, you know there's something missing, something wrong in your world. You know it's a relationship you don't have that you're supposed to have.
At times you may have felt you have found it, perhaps in a love relationship, but that feeling never seems to last. Every relationship leaves you with this hole in your heart. Something isn't right, but we just can't find it or fix it. Someone is missing.
But it doesn't ever have to be that way for you again. There is an answer to your search.
The Good News
There is One who loves you as His child, and wants you to enjoy a relationship with Him. He is the answer to your search for that ultimate relationship. He will fill the hole in your heart, help you overcome your loneliness and your faults, give you peace here and now, and eternal life with Him in Heaven. He is the one Creator of the universe and all it contains, including you. You won't be complete inside until you have a personal relationship with the God who created you.
How do we know this? God is also the Author of the most important Book of all time, The Bible, His "Owner's Manual" for a Human Life. In His Book, He says:
John 3:16 - For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Unfortunately, There's A Problem
Being at peace with God is not automatic, because by nature you are separated from God. This separation is the "something wrong" that is at the root of our selfishness, loneliness, and dark feelings.
Through many immoral and amoral acts, thoughts and attitudes, we continue to grieve the One Who cares for us most. That is all of us, no matter how moral and upright we may seem on the surface. If you search your own heart honestly, you already know this is true. This has caused a split between us and the One Who made us and loves us. This split is called sin.
How do we know?
- Isaiah 59:2 - Your iniquities [wrong doings] have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden His face from you.
- Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
- Psalm 53:2-3 - God looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. Everyone has turned away, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.
Thankfully, there is a way out...
God's Remedy
Because He loves us, God cannot stand to allow this split to remain. But because He is perfect, He cannot allow our sin to go unpunished without ceasing to be perfect, because he would then cease to be God. The sin-bill must be paid. Religion and good living cannot pay it.
So He paid for our evil thoughts and deeds Himself. He came to Earth as a human, Jesus Christ. He came to suffer the punishment you and I deserve so we won't have to.
Three days later, Jesus Christ rose from the dead. The most important decision you will ever make is what you do with Him...
How do we know?
- 1 Peter 2:24 - He personally carried the load of our sins in his own body when he died on the cross.
- Isaiah 53:4-6 - He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
It's Your Choice
You cross the bridge into God's family when you turn to God by asking Christ to be part of your life. There's no such thing as a one-way relationship. God has done His part when His Son died for you, now it's your move.
Turning TO God means you are also turning FROM something. If you turn TO the west, you must turn FROM the east, since you can't face east and west at the same time.
It's the same with Jesus and sin. As you turn to Him, you "repent", which means you realize you cannot give yourself to Jesus while hanging onto the sin He died for. That means turning your back on "my way" choices such as lying, sexual immorality, anger, etc. to begin doing things God's way.
To choose this relationship, you must do four things:
- ADMIT your spiritual need. Admit you are a sinner.
- REPENT and be willing to turn from your sin.
- BELIEVE that Jesus Christ died for you on the cross.
- RECEIVE Jesus Christ into your heart and life, by choosing this relationship over your current life of sin and separation from Him.
How Do We Know This?
- John 1:12 - But as many as received Him to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.
- Revelation 3:20 - Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in...
- Romans 10:1 - Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.
How do I ask Him? Pray! Prayer is simply talking to God, not magic words. Your prayer should be your own, from your own heart. If you're not in the habit of praying, though, you may need an example. Such a prayer may go something like this:
Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and need Your forgiveness.
I was made for You, but I've been living for me.
I want to begin a relationship with You now.
I believe that You died in my place,
to pay the penalty for my sin,
and rose again for my salvation.
I want to turn from my sins.
I now invite You to come into my heart and life as my Lord and Savior.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
You can belong to God from today on if you will tell Him with all your heart.
What happens now?
Did you pray that prayer? Congratulations! The next thing you should do is share it with someone! Or maybe you still have more questions? There's a website called www.NeedHim.org that provides a great place to make the next step. You can talk to someone by calling 888-NEED-HIM or chat with someone online at NeedHim's website.
