The Bible says you can know God personally and you can have an intimate relationship with Him. The following five principles will show you how:
1. THERE'S GOOD NEWS & BAD NEWS
The first principle shows us the condition of mankind as a result of the fall in the Garden of Eden.
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1. THERE'S GOOD NEWS & BAD NEWS
The good news is that God, the Creator, loves you and wants to have a personal relationship with you. The bad news is that all of us have a problem that keeps us from knowing God and having a relationship with Him. We live life totally on our own and leave Him out of the picture. In fact, the truth is that we disobey and rebel against God as a normal pattern of behaviour. This is what the Bible calls "sin."
Sin, our offenses and wrongdoing, separates us from God and if we are separated from Him at death, then we will spend eternity in this condition. The Bible tells us the place of eternal separation is called hell.
Both physical and spiritual death come from sin. Would you be willing to say that you’ve never sinned? Could any human being truthfully answer yes? Let’s face it: It is obvious everybody sins.
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2. JESUS CHRIST IS GOD'S SOLUTION FOR THE BAD NEWS
The second principle points us to the answer for this sin problem.
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2. JESUS CHRIST IS GOD'S SOLUTION FOR THE BAD NEWS
When Christ died on the cross and rose again from the dead, He opened wide the door for your friendship with God to be restored. Jesus Christ is God’s solution to man’s problem. The following Scriptures make this very clear.
1 Corinthians 15:3-4 | 2 Corinthians 5:18-21
Because of what Jesus has done in dying on the cross, salvation is offered to you today as a gift.
You don’t earn a gift, it is something given. All you do is receive it. How?
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3. IT'S NOT ENOUGH TO JUST KNOW ABOUT JESUS CHRIST
The third principle tells us that we need to respond to Jesus personally.
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3. IT'S NOT ENOUGH TO JUST KNOW ABOUT JESUS CHRIST
A three-fold response is required:
- A radical change of mind and thinking is required, which is called repentance in the New Testament. You must change your mind from self-trust to trusting in God’s mercy and grace. You must change from thinking that you can earn your acceptance with God by your good works, and realize that only through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ can you have your life reconciled to friendship and peace with God.
Acts 17:30-31 - A clear commitment of belief in Jesus Christ is required. You must believe in Jesus Christ and what He did for us when He died on the cross. Believing is a matter of trusting completely, not just giving mental assent to the facts.
John 3:16 - A conscious decision of your will to receive Christ is required. You must receive Jesus Chris, which means to invite Him to come into your life to forgive your sin. Then He makes your life His permanent home.
John 1:12
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4. THROUGH PRAYER, CALL ON THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST
The fourth principle shows us how to believe and receive Christ through prayer.
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4. THROUGH PRAYER, CALL ON THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST
We express our faith by prayer. Prayer is the only avenue through which we can come into contact with God. The simplicity of genuine faith is expressed in Romans 10:13
Will you call on the Lord right now in prayer and invite Him into your life?
Here is a suggested prayer:
"Lord Jesus, thank You for dying on the cross for my sin and rising again from the dead. I acknowledge that I have sinned and I need You. I invite You into my life as my Saviour and Lord. Thank You for giving me eternal life and forgiving me of my sin. I desire to follow and obey You from this day on. Amen."
If you are ready to commit your life to Him, then pray this prayer to God from a sincere heart and Christ will come into your life as He promised. If you are not ready to pray right now, that’s okay, but don’t procrastinate in the face of such amazing truth. Christ wants to begin a relationship with you today.
Note the profound simplicity of God’s promise to those who will receive Christ.
1 John 5:11-15
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5. WATCH YOUR LIFE CHANGE
The last principle tells us what happens to our lives after Jesus has been received.
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5. WATCH YOUR LIFE CHANGE
When you received Jesus Christ, things do not remain the same. There will be some remarkable changes that will take place in your life. Knowing God personally means a lifetime of learning, growing, and changing.
Romans 12:2
Some of the Things that Will Begin to Change:
- You will have a love for Christ and the things that please Him.
John 14:15 | John 2:3-6 - You will have a new desire for what is right and a new sensitivity to sin.
1 John 2:29 | 1 John 3:4-9 - You will have a new love for Christians and will want to be with them often, including small groups and church gatherings.
John 13:34-35 | Hebrews 10:24-25 - You will have a sincere desire to study the Bible and pray.
Psalms 19:7-11 | 1 Peter 2:1-2 | Matthew 7:7-11 - You will want to share this good news with others.
Matthew 4:19 | 2 Corinthians 5:14 - You will have a greater love, care, and concern for all people.
Matthew 22:36-40 | Matthew 19:19
As a result of receiving Christ, you will start to experience all of the above and more, but if you are not experiencing these kinds of changes in your life, then you should examine yourself to see if your faith is genuine. Follow the advice given by the following text of Scripture.
Corinthians 13:5
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WHERE DO I START READING THE BIBLE?
Start with the Gospel of John, the fourth book in the New Testament. Here you will come face to face with the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. He lived the greatest life ever lived. By His resurrection power, He now lives to dramatically change the lives of those who trust Him. You are about to begin the journey of a lifetime. Enjoy it. Love it. Live it. See you on the other side—when this amazing ride is over.
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