Do you know Jesus?
You were created with value and worth! God wants your life to count. Did you know…
1. God loves you and created you to have a personal relationship with Him.
God created you.
In Psalm 139:13-14 the Bible says, “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body, and knit them together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!”
God loves you.
“For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son so that anyone who believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
God wants you to know him.
“And this is the way to have eternal life – by knowing you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth!” (John 17:3)
Why is it that many people do not have a personal relationship with God?
2. Our sin keeps us from having a personal relationship with God.
What is sin?
“Knowing what is right to do and then not doing it is sin.” (James 4:17) You see, God is holy and perfect … and we are not. Sin not only means doing wrong, but also failing to do all that God wants. Sin is also our attitude of ignoring or rejecting God. Because God is holy, he cannot accept our sin.
Who has sinned?
“Yes, they all have sinned; all fall short of God’s glorious ideal; …” (Romans 3:23)
What happens when we sin?
“But the trouble is that your sins have cut you off from God.” (Isaiah 59:2) “For the wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23) Sin causes a gap between God and us. Death, which means eternal separation from God, is the penalty of our sin.
What is the solution to our separation from God?
3. Only through Jesus Christ can you have a personal relationship with God.
Why Jesus Christ?
In John 14:6 Jesus said, “I am the Way – yes, and the Truth and the Life. No one can get to the Father except by means of me.” It is only through Jesus Christ that we can have a relationship with God.
Why did Jesus Christ have to die?
“He died once for the sins of all us guilty sinners, although he himself was innocent of any sin at any time, that he might bring us safely home to God.” (1 Peter 3:18) Jesus died to pay the penalty for our sins, so we might be forgiven.
Why did Christ rise from the dead?
Jesus Christ rose from the dead to prove he could give us eternal life. “Christ died for our sins just as the Scriptures said he would … he was buried … three days afterwards he arose from the grave just as the prophets foretold … he was seen by more than five hundred Christian brothers at one time …” (1 Corinthians 15:3-6)
How can you begin your personal relationship with God?
4. You must personally respond by trusting Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord
You respond with trust in Christ.
In Ephesians 2:8-9 the Bible says, “Because of his kindness you have been saved through trusting Christ. And even trusting is not of yourselves; it too is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good we have done, so none of us can take any credit for it.”
You respond by turning to God from sin.
“Now change your mind and attitude to God and turn to him so he can cleanse away your sins …” (Acts 3:19)
You respond by receiving Christ.
“To all who received him, he gave the right to become children of God. All they needed to do was to trust him to save them.” (John 1:12)
Receiving Christ means:
– Turning to God from your own way of living (repentance).
– Inviting Christ to come into your life and trusting him to forgive your sin.
– Allowing God to direct your life.
Receiving Jesus Christ is not just an emotional experience; nor is it just agreeing with your mind that Jesus is the Son of God. It means total trust, an act of your will.
Where would you like to be?
You can begin your personal relationship with God by receiving Jesus Christ by faith.
You can express your faith (trust) through prayer. Prayer is simply talking to God.
He knows what you mean even when it is difficult to express yourself.
You may use the following words or your own.
Prayer:
“Dear God, I know that my sin has separated me from you. Thank you that Jesus Christ died in my place.
I ask Jesus to forgive my sin and to come into my life. Please begin to direct my life. Thank you for giving me eternal life.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Can you say this to God, and mean it?
If you can, pray right now and trust Jesus to forgive your sin and come into your life, as he promised.
What’s next?
5. Your trust in Jesus begins with a lifelong relationship.
God commits himself to you.
– God assures you that Jesus Christ has come into your life. In John 14:20 Jesus says, “… I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.”
– God will never leave you. “I will never, never fail you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)
– God completely forgives your sin. “For he forgave all your sins, and blotted out the charges proved against you.” (Colossians 2:13-14)
– God assures you that you have eternal life. “I have written this to you who believe in the Son of God so you may know that you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:13)
– God gives you his Holy Spirit to enable you to live the Christian life. “Let us follow the Holy Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.” (Galatians 5:25)
Wouldn’t you like to stop and thank God that Christ is in your life and will never leave you?
In Colossians 2:6-7 the Bible says, “And now just as you trusted Christ to save you, trust him, too, for each day’s problems; … See that you go on growing in the Lord, and become strong and vigorous …”
No matter how you feel, God always remains committed to you. The promises in God’s Word, the Bible, are your authority. This illustration shows the relationship between fact (God and his Word), faith (our trust in God and his Word) and our feelings.
Your faith in the fact that a chair will support you causes you to act by sitting in the chair. The result is that you feel the comfort of the chair’s strength. Even when you don’t feel relaxed in the chair, it continues to support you. In the same way, you must rely on the factual promises of God’s Word, rather than your feelings. Good feelings may come and go, but the fact of God’s love for you and his forgiveness remain consistent.
G – Go to God daily in prayer.
(Philippians 4:6-7)
R – Read the Bible every day.
(2 Timothy 3:14-17)
O – Obey God moment by moment.
(Luke 6:46-48)
W – Worship in a local church regularly.
(Hebrews 10:24-25)
T – Tell others about Jesus Christ.
(1 Peter 3:15-16)
H – Holy Spirit – let him direct your life.
(John 14:26)
“It is God himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus and long ages ago he planned that we should spend these lives in helping others.” (Ephesians 2:10) Share this information with a friend.