It
is possible to have a vital, personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
He lives today and is the Saviour of all those who trust Him. Throughout
the centuries, multitudes have acknowledged Him as their Lord and
Saviour.
You
can be saved today! God has done everything to provide salvation
for us. Through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ,
we can enjoy a personal relationship with Him. Jesus made the way
to bridge the chasm which separates us from God.
The
following four principles will help you discover how to know Jesus
as Saviour and experience the abundant life He promised.
God
LOVES you and created you to know Him personally
John
3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only
Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal
life."
John
17:3 "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the
only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."
What
prevents us from knowing God personally?
Man
is SINFUL and SEPARATED from God,
so we cannot know Him personally or experience His love.
Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory
of God."
Romans
6:23 "The wages of sin is death" [spiritual separation
from God].
Romans
8:6-8 "The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled
by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to
God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those
controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God."
A
great gulf separates man from God. Man is continually trying to
please God through human efforts, such as living a good life,
philosophy, or religion. But he inevitably fails.
The
third principle explains the only way to bridge this gulf...
Jesus
Christ is God's ONLY provision for man's sin.
Through him alone we can know God personally and experience God's
love.
Romans
5:8 "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while
we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
1
Corinthians 15:3-6 "Christ died for our sins... he was buried...
he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures
John
14:6 "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.'"
God
has bridged the gulf that separates us from Him by sending His Son,
Jesus Christ, to die on the cross in our place to pay the penalty
for our sins.
But
it is not enough just to know these truths...
We
must individually trust Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour;
then we can know God personally and experience His love.
John
1:12 "As many as received him, to them he gave the right to
become children of God, even to those who believe in his name."
Ephesians
2:8-9 "For it is by grace that you have been saved, through
faith. This does not depend on anything you have achieved, it is
the free gift of God; and because it is not earned no one can boast
about it."
Receiving
Christ involves turning to God from self in repentance and trusting
Christ to save us and forgive us our sins and make us what he wants
us to be. Just to agree intellectually that Jesus Christ is the
Son of God and that he died on the cross for our sins is not enough.
Nor is it enough to have an emotional experience. We receive Jesus
Christ by faith alone.
Perhaps
you are seeking Christ right now. Will you just bow before Him and
ask Him to be your Saviour. There are no set words you must say
but if it helps, here is a suggested prayer. Make it the honest
expression of your heart.
Lord
Jesus, I know I am a sinner and deserve only Your wrath. I want
to be saved from sin. I want to be saved now. Thank you for dying
on the cross for me; thank you for taking the punishment for my
sin. I ask you to be my Saviour and Lord. Take control of my life.
Thank
you for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Make me
the kind of person you want me to be.
Amen.
If
in this prayer, you express the desire of your heart, Jesus Christ
will do what he has promised. Once you are saved, he promises to
never leave you.
Hebrews
13:5 "God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I
forsake you.'"
To
know God personally is the greatest decision you will ever make.
If you've just asked Jesus Christ into your life, we would love
to hear from you. Please e-mail
us today so that we can pray for you and help you as you begin
to live a new life with Jesus Christ.
