Knowing God Personally
No matter who you are or what your life is like, did you know that God desires to have a personal relationship with you?
God loves you and created you to know Him personally. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) Eternal life is a relationship with God, both now and forever.
The thing that keeps us from knowing Him and having that relationship is what the Bible calls sin, and we all have that problem. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) Sin is not just the bad things we do, but even more, it is our failed attempts to save ourselves, as well as the things in our lives that we put before God. Our sin separates us from God. Because of our sin, we need a Savior.
God’s love and desire for relationship with us compelled Him to come to earth and become our Savior. Jesus Christ, the very Son of God, came to earth to show us Who God is, to live the perfect life we could never live, and to give Himself as the payment for all our sin. “God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
But Christ did not just die. He also rose from the dead, proving that He is God and that His payment was sufficient for our salvation. “He [Jesus] was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.” (Romans 4:25) Justification means that we have been made right with God.
God has provided for our salvation through His Son, Jesus, but we must individually receive Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. “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.” (John 1:12) We receive Christ through faith. “For by grace (an undeserved gift) you have been saved by faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not a result of works, that no one should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
We can receive God’s gift of salvation and begin a personal relationship of love with God simply through prayer:
“God, I need You. I recognize that I have sinned, by putting other things before You and by trying to save myself. I turn from those things and put my trust in You and in Your Son, Jesus, who died on the cross to pay the penalty for all my sins. Jesus, I ask You to come into my life, and to be my Savior and my Lord. I give my life to You. Thank You for Your forgiveness and for giving me eternal life. Amen.”
If this prayer expresses the desire of your heart, ask God now to save you and bring you into the relationship with Him that you were created for.
If you prayed this prayer, be assured that God heard you and that Christ is now in your life. All your sins are forgiven. You are now a child of God.
If you have questions, would like to talk further with someone, or have prayed this prayer, please let us know and we will contact you to continue the conversation and help you on your spiritual journey.
