How To Know God

A Personal Decision

 While salvation is God’s gift to man, that gift must be received before it can be experienced and enjoyed. This requires a personal choice or decision. The Bible says: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16)

Why do many people not have the peace and abundant life God planned for us?

We have a sin problem that separates us from God. God created us in His own image to have an abundant life. He did not make us as robots to love and obey Him automatically.

God gave us a will and freedom of choice. We chose to disobey God and go our own way. This choice separates us from God.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23)

All our attempts to reach God fall short. 

People have tried in many ways to bridge the separation between themselves and God. They try living a good moral life. They join churches, thinking that in doing so they can attain the right kind of life. 

There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death (Proverbs 14:12). 

But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear (Isaiah 59:2). 

God has provided the only way. 

Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose from the grave. He paid the penalty for our sin and bridged the separation between us and God.

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God (1 Peter 3:18)

But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8)

Each person must make a choice to receive Christ. We must trust Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and receive Him by personal invitation. 

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God (John 1:12). 

Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life (John 5:24).

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9). 

Believing means trust and commitment. Believing means acknowledging your sinfulness, trusting in God’s provision for you through Jesus’ death and resurrection, and giving Christ control of your life. Is there any reason why you should not cross over to God’s side and be certain of eternal life?

How to receive Christ:

• Admit your need. (I am a sinner.) 
• Be willing to turn from your sins. (Repent) 
• Believe that Jesus Christ died for you on the cross and rose from the grave. 
• Through prayer, confess to the Lord and invite Him to come into your life as your Lord and Savior. 

You can pray something like this: Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and need Your forgiveness. I believe that You died for my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as Lord and Savior. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

God offers you His assurance. 

If you confessed your faith in Christ and surrendered your life to His leading, God promised to save you. 

Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (Romans 10:13). 

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast (Ephesians 2:8-9). 

What are the next steps? 

This is only the beginning of a wonderful new life with Christ. Now that God has saved you, He desires to live with you daily! In fact, the Bible says that we are given the Holy Spirit to help us grow closer to Him and to help us live out the purpose He has for our lives. God knows and loves you perfectly and He wants you to grow in your knowledge and love of Him. God has given you ways to help you deepen your relationship with Him, such as 

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10)

To deepen this relationship, you should:

• Read your Bible every day to know Christ better. (Begin with one of the gospels like Mark or John.) 
• Talk to God in prayer every day. 
• Tell someone else about your new life in Christ. 
• Worship, fellowship, and serve with other Christ-followers in a church where Christ is faithfully preached. 
• As Christ’s representative in a needy world, demonstrate your new life by your love and ministry to others.