How can I know God?
Our greatest desire is for people to come to know God personally. The simple truth is that there is a God who created the universe as well as you AND that He loves you very much! (Genesis 1:1- 31) God gave the world it's life and so He deserves our gratitude, love and praise.
What if you don't believe in God? One might ask. Well, let's take a look at the Bible and the evidence around us -
"The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.
For since the creation of the world, God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." Romans 1:19- 20
So in other words, men of influence and power in this world purposely choose to deny God, even though the evidence is clear that there is one, so that they may justify continuing to live their lives in sin. (no accountability)
If you really take the time to study life (nature / mankind) you begin to see just how extremely complex and orderly it really is. When you dive into the study of the universe, you begin to see just how grand, marvelous, powerful, and yet still orderly IT all is as well. The laws of nature, our universe, and even the Earth are so fine tuned to substain life, that many scientists find it very hard to say that it all happened by chance.
Not only that, scientists know that the universe had a beginning and that it is now expanding; making the universe - not eternal. If the universe has not always been, then someone outside of time had to have started it.
Nothing comes from nothing; design requires a designer and that Glory and honor belongs to God.
"The heavens are telling of the Glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.' Psalms 19:1 (written about 3000 years ago, before scientific proof of this fact!)
Not only does creation and the universe declare that there is a God but our own heart and soul point to Him.
"Even Gentiles (anyone who is not Jewish), who do not have God's written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. They demonstrate that God's law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right." Romans 2:14-15
God placed in every one of us a sense of right and wrong. When He created you, He wrote on your heart His laws. Or another way put, He has given every single person a conscience to instinctively know right from wrong.
Still don't believe in God? Find yourself more of an intellectual person? Need some facts? Then take the time to watch all of this -
The Case for a Creator and then come back to finish here.
Besides these facts, one must still have faith(believe) that there is a God. Now, we do not have a blind faith by any means, but faith, non the less, is necessary to know God.
"Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who wants to comes to Him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." Hebrews 11:6
- God's Law -
We (mankind) however, choose what is wrong and disobedient to God. We have chosen our sin over Him; "For everyone has sinned and fallen short of God's glorious standard." Romans 3:23 We may not be more sinful than our neighbor, or we may be far worse than anyone we know; either way, it does not matter, for we are all guilty before God.
"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us."(1 John 1:8)
Take a little time look at God's standard -
1. Have no other gods before God.
2. Have and make no idols.
3. Do not use God's name in vain.
4. Honor the Sabbath day.
5. Honor your parents.
6. Do not murder.
7. Do not commit adultery.
8. Do not steal.
9. Do not lie.
10. Do not covet.
Now take a good and honest look at your heart and conscience. Have you broken any of God's commandments(laws)?
God says, if you have broken even one of His commandments, you are guilty of breaking all of them.
"For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it." (James 2:10)
You may be thinking - "I have not murdered anyone or I have never committed adultery, so I am in good shape." Well, the truth is God not only looks at what you do, but he also looks at your thoughts, your heart and your motives.
Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart" and if you have ever hated your brother(fellow man), you have committed murder in your heart.
Along with God's written law, you will also be accountable for every evil thought you have had.
"For He(God) knows the secrets of the heart." Psalm 44:21
"The LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7
"For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit; of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." Hebrews 4:12
- The Truth -
Everyone will die one day and the Bible says there is no reincarnation -
"Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment," Hebrews 9:27
We will all stand before God the way we are when we die, sin and all.
God is perfect, completely good, and Just. He does not tolerate sin. In fact, God hates sin and His wrath is against it. He cannot simply overlook the fact that we have disobeyed Him. Since God IS good he MUST justly punish sin. The Bible says "the wages of sin is death." (Romans 6:23) This means that there is a cost to sin and the fair payment for our rebellion(sin) against God is death. It is the punishment that we deserve.
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. John 3:18
It is not merely death from this life that we need to take great concern over but Hell, (or what the Bible refers to as the second death) that demands our attention.
"The cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice witchcraft, the idolaters and all liars -- their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death." Revelation 21:8
Hell is not a place where you will go and party with your friends. No, not at all, Hell is a real, all consuming place of great pain, torment and eternal fire. A place of great darkness that never ends (a conscious existence). Hell is eternal separation from not only God but from everyone else.
"And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where -
‘the worms that eat them do not die,
and the fire is not quenched.’" (Mark 9:47- 48)
- God's Provision (Plan) -
Out of God's great love, He sent His son Jesus to Earth to live a perfect, sinless life. To be crucified on a cross, and to die one of the worst deaths humanly possible; all for us.
Even though Jesus lived a completely innocent life, he chose to paid our penalty for sin - Hell; so that we could in exchange go to Heaven!
Or another way put, he received the punishment that we deserved. He was the perfect sacrifice, put in our place, to take upon Himself the sentence of death that should have been ours.
"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:6-8)
It is only by the covering of Jesus' blood sacrifice over our sins that we can have a personal relationship with God because sin must first be dealt with before we can know Him.
You see because God is so Holy, He cannot be in the presence of sin and because God is also a Righteous and Fair Judge, He can Not let sin go unpunished.
Think about a court room setting (Earthly) and a judge that sits in it. If that judge is a good judge, then he cannot simply let a murderer or a car thief go free. There must be justice. There must be a punishment for the crime.
The same is true with God, sin must be punished / accounted for. Ignorance of the God's law is no excuse and when you stand before God, you will be accountable for every sin that you have committed.
BUT give thanks to a God, who has made a way for you to be forgiven / pardoned and this gift is intended for everyone -
"...Instead he(God) is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but wanting everyone to come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9
"For God so loved the world that he sent His one and only son, that who ever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16
God's love for us shines though with the provision He made for us though Jesus Christ. His blood sacrifice atones / covers up / pays for, our sins, so that we can now stand on Judgment day completely innocent before God. God will no longer see your sins, because you will be covered by Jesus' blood sacrifice. You will be made clean and as white as snow!
What this means for you here and now, is that you can come back into fellowship with God and know Him personally, just like how Adam and Eve did in the Garden of Eden. Adam walked and talked with God and knew Him personally but because of Adams and Eve's original sin they not only would eventually die physically but they died spiritually, thus losing their ability to be in God's presence.
When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam's sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. Romans 5:12
Since Adam and Eve died spiritually everyone after them were born into a sinful nature / state.
Spiritual REBIRTH takes place when we put our complete faith (hope, trust, life) in Jesus and what he did for us!
"Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again....no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit." John 3: 3 ; 5
From this you can start to learn and understand why the Gospel is called the Good News!!
Yes, the Good News is that through Jesus Christ's sacrifice you can truly have forgiveness of sins and have the assurance that you will go to Heaven!
Jesus' sacrifice on the cross not only saves us from from Hell (or the second death) but it also allows us to be set free from sin itself! Jesus conquered over death AND sin when he died on the cross. Jesus made a way for us to have victory from sin in THIS life! Or put another way, Jesus made a way for the chains of sin to be broken in our lives!
"God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." 1st Corinthians 10:13
God has made a way for us to be set free and that way is Jesus Christ and what he did for you when he died on that cross!
Jesus did not, however, remain dead. Three days later he rose from the grave to show his power even over death itself and to prove to the world that who he said he was, was true.
- Jesus Proclaimed He was / is God -
Jesus speaking about himself -
-
"Jesus declared, " Truly, truly, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I AM" John 8:58
-
"I and the Father are one." The Jews took up stones again to stone Him. Jesus answered them, "I showed you many good works(miracles) from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?" The Jews answered Him, "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; because you, a mere man, claim to be God." John 10:30-33
-
"Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?" John 14:9
-
"I said therefore to you, that you shall die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am, you shall die in your sins." John 8:24
-
"Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades." Rev. 1:17-18
Apostles speaking about Jesus (also understood he was/is God) -
-
"Christ Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation" Colossians 1:15
-
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." John 1:1 .... "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14
-
"Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!" John 20:23
-
"For in Him(Jesus) all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form." Col. 2:9
-
"Have this attitude in yourselves - which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." Phil. 2"5-8
- Want to Know God? Then Get to Know Jesus -
If you really want to know who God is, then get to know The Messiah(Christ)! Look at his life; his love, his compassion, his mercy, his justice, his power and his grace.
Arguably the greatest ways he showed us his power over all of life / creation was by raising from the grave. This show of supremacy proved to us that he is even greater than death itself. He also showed us he's sovereignty by ascending into Heaven forty days later; to one day return for everyone who trusts in Him as their Savior and Lord!
Jesus lived a perfect life, never sinning. Something no mere man has ever come close to doing. He showed us he was God by his mercy and by his great wisdom. No one in history has spoken so profoundly or so wise. No other person has changed or effected all of history like he has.
He also showed us his compassion and authority by being able to heal everyone that came to him.
Jesus showed us that he was God by being able to even forgive sins. (something that the Bible says only God can do)
When Jesus died on the cross, it was the greatest act of self sacrificing love! He gave his life freely, no man could take it.
Jesus showed us is dominion by being able to control nature. Proving it to us by walking on water and stopping storms.
Jesus is God and he died in your place. We are the onces that have sinned and it is us who should have been crucified; but because God loves you, he took your place. He made the way for you to be brought back into fellowship with Him!
Remember God has made no other way for men to be saved -
"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12
Not convinced? Not sure if what is written in the Bible, is really what Jesus said? - What he claimed? Not even sure about the Bible? Did Jesus really raise from the grave? If you have questions like these and others, then we highly recommend you watch - The Case for Christ
- Salvation Can Take Place Today -
You can be saved right now by asking Him for the forgiveness of your sins. If you are willing to humble yourself and repent of your sins, he is waiting to forgive you! It doesn't matter what you have done in the past, if you cry out to Jesus for forgiveness, He will not reject you. The word "repent" literally means "to turn away from."
(Jesus speaking) "I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but sinners to repentance." Luke 5:32
You need to look at your life, admit that you are a sinner, genuinely desire to turn your back on that sin, and ask Jesus to forgive you; He promises He will not forsake you!
Remember, it is only in Jesus Christ that one can be saved, you can not do enough good works or be enough of a good person to get into Heaven.
Jesus said "I am the way the truth and the life, no one come to the father but through me."(John 14:6)
The Bible also says -
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians. 2:8:9)
And in Romans it says -
"If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved!" (Romans 10:9)
-Your Whole Life -
God's plan is for you to go to heaven; it is a free gift. Are you willing to accept it?
And, just as importantly, are you willing to put your complete faith and life into Him hands? - be willing to do God's will?
Jesus said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.
For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life, for my sake, will save it.
What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very soul?
Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Glory and in the Glory of the Father and of the Holy angels." Luke 9: 23-26
Count the cost, are you willing to forsake (get rid of) everything (the world and it's sinful pleasures) to follow Jesus?
Repent of your sins (which means to confess them to God AND then turn away from them); ask God for forgiveness and then place your faith, hope, life and trust into Jesus the Messiah. Now read God's Word (the Bible) and obey it. This is how you begin your walk in following Jesus as your Savior and Lord.
True Christianity is not about attending a particular church, or how your parents raised you, or what country you were born in. Being a Christian means that you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ; that He is your Savior and that you are now genuinely desire and strive to follow and obey what Jesus has commanded; no longer living for yourself but for His will.
It's not good enough that your priest, pastor, mother, or aunt knows Jesus, you must know Him for yourself. They cannot believe in Him for you, you must believe for yourself. They cannot repent for you, you must repent for yourself.
Can't quite put your complete faith in Jesus? - Then please take some time to watch this - The Case for Faith
- From Your Heart -
"Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions(sins).
Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight;
So you are right in your verdict
and justified when you judge.
Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite(humble) heart
you, O God, will not despise."
Psalms 51
Jesus is everywhere all the time. He can hear you now if you ask Him for forgiveness. Please turn your life over to Him now. Time slips by so quickly, don't miss this opportunity.
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28
If you want to pray and ask Jesus to be your Savior, do it from the heart, as this is not some ritual, nor does it have to be these exact words. God see's and know's your heart.
You can say a prayer something like this as an example:
"Jesus, I know that I have sinned against you. I know the truth is that I have sinned by my own choice, and I am the one responsible for it. I know that I have earned punishment, and that the fair punishment would be death. Jesus, I believe that You died on a cross in my place and then rose from the grave. Forgive me for my sin. I cannot cover or take away my own sin, I am relying totally and only on You. You are the only one who can save me. I reject my sin, I turn away from it; I repent. Now show me how to live my life in a way that is right and pleasing to you. Come into my life. I place my complete trust and faith in you as my Savior AND Lord, and am now Willing to forsake all else to follow you."
By and through the Holy Spirit, if you have prayed this from the heart, you are saved! You are now completely forgiven, a new creation, innocent in the eyes of God. Welcome to the family of God!
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" 2 Corinthians 5:17
- Your Growth -
It is important for you to start to grow in your relationship with Jesus. Just like any relationship, you need to spend time with someone if you want know them well and the way to know God is through reading the Bible(God's Word) and through prayer(simply speaking to God).
"For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11
It's also very important to attend a church where they teach the Bible. We have a few different Bible studies here (as well as our verse by verse teaching on Sunday mornings) that will help you grow, if the Lord leads you here.
Attending a Bible teaching church will allow you to learn the truth about what God says and not what man thinks. Going to church also gives you opportunities to talk with a pastor, elder or deacon who can help explain questions you might have. It will give you a chance to spend time with other Christians who have walked with Jesus a little longer, and who can encourage you along the way!
Lastly pray about and seek out someone at your local church to disciple (mentor) you (if someone does not come to you first :) in your new found walk with Jesus!!!
How can I know God?
Our greatest desire is for people to come to know God personally. The simple truth is that there is a God who created the universe as well as you AND that He loves you very much! (Genesis 1:1- 31) God gave the world it's life and so He deserves our gratitude, love and praise.
What if you don't believe in God? One might ask. Well, let's take a look at the Bible and the evidence around us -
"The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.
For since the creation of the world, God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." Romans 1:19- 20
So in other words, men of influence and power in this world purposely choose to deny God, even though the evidence is clear that there is one, so that they may justify continuing to live their lives in sin. (no accountability)
If you really take the time to study life (nature / mankind) you begin to see just how extremely complex and orderly it really is. When you dive into the study of the universe, you begin to see just how grand, marvelous, powerful, and yet still orderly IT all is as well. The laws of nature, our universe, and even the Earth are so fine tuned to substain life, that many scientists find it very hard to say that it all happened by chance.
Not only that, scientists know that the universe had a beginning and that it is now expanding; making the universe - not eternal. If the universe has not always been, then someone outside of time had to have started it.
Nothing comes from nothing; design requires a designer and that Glory and honor belongs to God.
"The heavens are telling of the Glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.' Psalms 19:1 (written about 3000 years ago, before scientific proof of this fact!)
Not only does creation and the universe declare that there is a God but our own heart and soul point to Him.
"Even Gentiles (anyone who is not Jewish), who do not have God's written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. They demonstrate that God's law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right." Romans 2:14-15
God placed in every one of us a sense of right and wrong. When He created you, He wrote on your heart His laws. Or another way put, He has given every single person a conscience to instinctively know right from wrong.
Still don't believe in God? Find yourself more of an intellectual person? Need some facts? Then take the time to watch all of this -
The Case for a Creator and then come back to finish here.
Besides these facts, one must still have faith(believe) that there is a God. Now, we do not have a blind faith by any means, but faith, non the less, is necessary to know God.
"Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who wants to comes to Him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." Hebrews 11:6
- God's Law -
We (mankind) however, choose what is wrong and disobedient to God. We have chosen our sin over Him; "For everyone has sinned and fallen short of God's glorious standard." Romans 3:23 We may not be more sinful than our neighbor, or we may be far worse than anyone we know; either way, it does not matter, for we are all guilty before God.
"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us."(1 John 1:8)
Take a little time look at God's standard -
1. Have no other gods before God.
2. Have and make no idols.
3. Do not use God's name in vain.
4. Honor the Sabbath day.
5. Honor your parents.
6. Do not murder.
7. Do not commit adultery.
8. Do not steal.
9. Do not lie.
10. Do not covet.
Now take a good and honest look at your heart and conscience. Have you broken any of God's commandments(laws)?
God says, if you have broken even one of His commandments, you are guilty of breaking all of them.
"For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it." (James 2:10)
You may be thinking - "I have not murdered anyone or I have never committed adultery, so I am in good shape." Well, the truth is God not only looks at what you do, but he also looks at your thoughts, your heart and your motives.
Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart" and if you have ever hated your brother(fellow man), you have committed murder in your heart.
Along with God's written law, you will also be accountable for every evil thought you have had.
"For He(God) knows the secrets of the heart." Psalm 44:21
"The LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7
"For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit; of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." Hebrews 4:12
- The Truth -
Everyone will die one day and the Bible says there is no reincarnation -
"Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment," Hebrews 9:27
We will all stand before God the way we are when we die, sin and all.
God is perfect, completely good, and Just. He does not tolerate sin. In fact, God hates sin and His wrath is against it. He cannot simply overlook the fact that we have disobeyed Him. Since God IS good he MUST justly punish sin. The Bible says "the wages of sin is death." (Romans 6:23) This means that there is a cost to sin and the fair payment for our rebellion(sin) against God is death. It is the punishment that we deserve.
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. John 3:18
It is not merely death from this life that we need to take great concern over but Hell, (or what the Bible refers to as the second death) that demands our attention.
"The cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice witchcraft, the idolaters and all liars -- their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death." Revelation 21:8
Hell is not a place where you will go and party with your friends. No, not at all, Hell is a real, all consuming place of great pain, torment and eternal fire. A place of great darkness that never ends (a conscious existence). Hell is eternal separation from not only God but from everyone else.
"And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where -
‘the worms that eat them do not die,
and the fire is not quenched.’" (Mark 9:47- 48)
- God's Provision (Plan) -
Out of God's great love, He sent His son Jesus to Earth to live a perfect, sinless life. To be crucified on a cross, and to die one of the worst deaths humanly possible; all for us.
Even though Jesus lived a completely innocent life, he chose to paid our penalty for sin - Hell; so that we could in exchange go to Heaven!
Or another way put, he received the punishment that we deserved. He was the perfect sacrifice, put in our place, to take upon Himself the sentence of death that should have been ours.
"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:6-8)
It is only by the covering of Jesus' blood sacrifice over our sins that we can have a personal relationship with God because sin must first be dealt with before we can know Him.
You see because God is so Holy, He cannot be in the presence of sin and because God is also a Righteous and Fair Judge, He can Not let sin go unpunished.
Think about a court room setting (Earthly) and a judge that sits in it. If that judge is a good judge, then he cannot simply let a murderer or a car thief go free. There must be justice. There must be a punishment for the crime.
The same is true with God, sin must be punished / accounted for. Ignorance of the God's law is no excuse and when you stand before God, you will be accountable for every sin that you have committed.
BUT give thanks to a God, who has made a way for you to be forgiven / pardoned and this gift is intended for everyone -
"...Instead he(God) is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but wanting everyone to come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9
"For God so loved the world that he sent His one and only son, that who ever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16
God's love for us shines though with the provision He made for us though Jesus Christ. His blood sacrifice atones / covers up / pays for, our sins, so that we can now stand on Judgment day completely innocent before God. God will no longer see your sins, because you will be covered by Jesus' blood sacrifice. You will be made clean and as white as snow!
What this means for you here and now, is that you can come back into fellowship with God and know Him personally, just like how Adam and Eve did in the Garden of Eden. Adam walked and talked with God and knew Him personally but because of Adams and Eve's original sin they not only would eventually die physically but they died spiritually, thus losing their ability to be in God's presence.
When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam's sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. Romans 5:12
Since Adam and Eve died spiritually everyone after them were born into a sinful nature / state.
Spiritual REBIRTH takes place when we put our complete faith (hope, trust, life) in Jesus and what he did for us!
"Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again....no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit." John 3: 3 ; 5
From this you can start to learn and understand why the Gospel is called the Good News!!
Yes, the Good News is that through Jesus Christ's sacrifice you can truly have forgiveness of sins and have the assurance that you will go to Heaven!
Jesus' sacrifice on the cross not only saves us from from Hell (or the second death) but it also allows us to be set free from sin itself! Jesus conquered over death AND sin when he died on the cross. Jesus made a way for us to have victory from sin in THIS life! Or put another way, Jesus made a way for the chains of sin to be broken in our lives!
"God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." 1st Corinthians 10:13
God has made a way for us to be set free and that way is Jesus Christ and what he did for you when he died on that cross!
Jesus did not, however, remain dead. Three days later he rose from the grave to show his power even over death itself and to prove to the world that who he said he was, was true.
- Jesus Proclaimed He was / is God -
Jesus speaking about himself -
- "Jesus declared, " Truly, truly, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I AM" John 8:58
- "I and the Father are one." The Jews took up stones again to stone Him. Jesus answered them, "I showed you many good works(miracles) from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?" The Jews answered Him, "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; because you, a mere man, claim to be God." John 10:30-33
- "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?" John 14:9
- "I said therefore to you, that you shall die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am, you shall die in your sins." John 8:24
- "Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades." Rev. 1:17-18
Apostles speaking about Jesus (also understood he was/is God) -
- "Christ Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation" Colossians 1:15
- "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." John 1:1 .... "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14
- "Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!" John 20:23
- "For in Him(Jesus) all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form." Col. 2:9
- "Have this attitude in yourselves - which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." Phil. 2"5-8
- Want to Know God? Then Get to Know Jesus -
If you really want to know who God is, then get to know The Messiah(Christ)! Look at his life; his love, his compassion, his mercy, his justice, his power and his grace.
Arguably the greatest ways he showed us his power over all of life / creation was by raising from the grave. This show of supremacy proved to us that he is even greater than death itself. He also showed us he's sovereignty by ascending into Heaven forty days later; to one day return for everyone who trusts in Him as their Savior and Lord!
Jesus lived a perfect life, never sinning. Something no mere man has ever come close to doing. He showed us he was God by his mercy and by his great wisdom. No one in history has spoken so profoundly or so wise. No other person has changed or effected all of history like he has.
He also showed us his compassion and authority by being able to heal everyone that came to him.
Jesus showed us that he was God by being able to even forgive sins. (something that the Bible says only God can do)
When Jesus died on the cross, it was the greatest act of self sacrificing love! He gave his life freely, no man could take it.
Jesus showed us is dominion by being able to control nature. Proving it to us by walking on water and stopping storms.
Jesus is God and he died in your place. We are the onces that have sinned and it is us who should have been crucified; but because God loves you, he took your place. He made the way for you to be brought back into fellowship with Him!
Remember God has made no other way for men to be saved -
"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12
Not convinced? Not sure if what is written in the Bible, is really what Jesus said? - What he claimed? Not even sure about the Bible? Did Jesus really raise from the grave? If you have questions like these and others, then we highly recommend you watch - The Case for Christ
- Salvation Can Take Place Today -
You can be saved right now by asking Him for the forgiveness of your sins. If you are willing to humble yourself and repent of your sins, he is waiting to forgive you! It doesn't matter what you have done in the past, if you cry out to Jesus for forgiveness, He will not reject you. The word "repent" literally means "to turn away from."
(Jesus speaking) "I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but sinners to repentance." Luke 5:32
You need to look at your life, admit that you are a sinner, genuinely desire to turn your back on that sin, and ask Jesus to forgive you; He promises He will not forsake you!
Remember, it is only in Jesus Christ that one can be saved, you can not do enough good works or be enough of a good person to get into Heaven.
Jesus said "I am the way the truth and the life, no one come to the father but through me."(John 14:6)
The Bible also says -
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians. 2:8:9)
And in Romans it says -
"If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved!" (Romans 10:9)
-Your Whole Life -
God's plan is for you to go to heaven; it is a free gift. Are you willing to accept it?
And, just as importantly, are you willing to put your complete faith and life into Him hands? - be willing to do God's will?
Jesus said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.
For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life, for my sake, will save it.
What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very soul?
Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Glory and in the Glory of the Father and of the Holy angels." Luke 9: 23-26
Count the cost, are you willing to forsake (get rid of) everything (the world and it's sinful pleasures) to follow Jesus?
Repent of your sins (which means to confess them to God AND then turn away from them); ask God for forgiveness and then place your faith, hope, life and trust into Jesus the Messiah. Now read God's Word (the Bible) and obey it. This is how you begin your walk in following Jesus as your Savior and Lord.
True Christianity is not about attending a particular church, or how your parents raised you, or what country you were born in. Being a Christian means that you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ; that He is your Savior and that you are now genuinely desire and strive to follow and obey what Jesus has commanded; no longer living for yourself but for His will.
It's not good enough that your priest, pastor, mother, or aunt knows Jesus, you must know Him for yourself. They cannot believe in Him for you, you must believe for yourself. They cannot repent for you, you must repent for yourself.
Can't quite put your complete faith in Jesus? - Then please take some time to watch this - The Case for Faith
- From Your Heart -
"Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions(sins).
Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight;
So you are right in your verdict
and justified when you judge.
Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite(humble) heart
you, O God, will not despise."
Psalms 51
Jesus is everywhere all the time. He can hear you now if you ask Him for forgiveness. Please turn your life over to Him now. Time slips by so quickly, don't miss this opportunity.
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28
If you want to pray and ask Jesus to be your Savior, do it from the heart, as this is not some ritual, nor does it have to be these exact words. God see's and know's your heart.
You can say a prayer something like this as an example:
"Jesus, I know that I have sinned against you. I know the truth is that I have sinned by my own choice, and I am the one responsible for it. I know that I have earned punishment, and that the fair punishment would be death. Jesus, I believe that You died on a cross in my place and then rose from the grave. Forgive me for my sin. I cannot cover or take away my own sin, I am relying totally and only on You. You are the only one who can save me. I reject my sin, I turn away from it; I repent. Now show me how to live my life in a way that is right and pleasing to you. Come into my life. I place my complete trust and faith in you as my Savior AND Lord, and am now Willing to forsake all else to follow you."
By and through the Holy Spirit, if you have prayed this from the heart, you are saved! You are now completely forgiven, a new creation, innocent in the eyes of God. Welcome to the family of God!
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" 2 Corinthians 5:17
- Your Growth -
It is important for you to start to grow in your relationship with Jesus. Just like any relationship, you need to spend time with someone if you want know them well and the way to know God is through reading the Bible(God's Word) and through prayer(simply speaking to God).
"For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11
It's also very important to attend a church where they teach the Bible. We have a few different Bible studies here (as well as our verse by verse teaching on Sunday mornings) that will help you grow, if the Lord leads you here.
Attending a Bible teaching church will allow you to learn the truth about what God says and not what man thinks. Going to church also gives you opportunities to talk with a pastor, elder or deacon who can help explain questions you might have. It will give you a chance to spend time with other Christians who have walked with Jesus a little longer, and who can encourage you along the way!
Lastly pray about and seek out someone at your local church to disciple (mentor) you (if someone does not come to you first :) in your new found walk with Jesus!!!