God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. And he wants a relationship with you!
However, we cannot experience the full blessings of God when we are separated from him by sin.
And so, in this article, I want to share how someone who is far from God can come to know him personally.
Before we get to the good bit…
The Bible says God made the world good, but people turned away from him and sinned.
Ever since, people have tried to reach God with their own efforts, trying things like:
- good works
- philosophy
- religion
But these things are not enough to bridge the huge gap that separates us from God.
The solution to sin
Our sin has created the gap between us and God. And because he is just, God can't leave our sin unpunished. That means there’s only one way that the gap can be bridged: punishing sin.
However, God loves us, and has worked out a way for sin to be dealt with, but for us to not face his judgment!
He chose to punish sin through his only son, Jesus Christ. He died in our place to pay the penalty for our sins, and then rose from the dead in victory!
Because of this, you can be forgiven and restored to a full relationship with God.
How to take hold of forgiveness
So how do we get the relationship with God we really need? We must individually receive Christ through faith. The Bible says:
For by grace you have been saved, through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast. (Ephesians 2: 8-9)
Jesus says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him.” (Revelation 3:20)
Receiving Christ involves thanking Jesus for what he's done on the cross, turning away from living for ourselves, and following him for the rest of our days.
Instead of living a self-directed life, where Christ is pushed aside and our interests are directed by ourselves, we pursue a Christ-directed life where Jesus will live in us and direct our steps.
A prayer to receive Christ
You can receive forgiveness and a restored relationship with God by faith, through prayer. Prayer is simply talking with God, and you could pray something like this:
Lord Jesus, I need you. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive you as my Saviour and Lord. Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of my life. Help me follow you always, and make me the kind of person you want me to be.
If this prayer expresses the desire of your heart, you can pray this prayer right now and God will come into your life as He promised in Revelation 3:20.
A new future
The Bible says when you become a Christian, these things happen:
- Christ comes into your life (Revelation 3:20, Colossians 1:27)
- Your sins are forgiven (Colossians 1:14, 2:13)
- You become a child of God (John 1:12)
- You receive eternal life (John 5:24)
- You begin the great adventure for which God has created you (John 10:10, 2 Corinthians 5:17, 1 Thessalonians 5:18).
If you prayed that prayer, we recommend you pray regularly, read the Bible and take time to learn how to follow Jesus faithfully, so that your faith can grow. It’s also a great idea to find a good church where Christ is honoured and His word is taught, so that you can learn with other Christians, and be regularly encouraged.
We would also like to help you know more about Christ! You can comment below or email us.
This article is based on “Have You Heard of the 4 Spiritual Laws?” by B Bright, Philippine Campus Crusade for Christ. 2003.