How Do I Get Started on a Journey with God?
The work has been done, the price has been paid
1) I Can't Reach God By My Own Efforts!
The Bible states that "all have sinned and fall short of
the glory of God" (Romans 3:23) So whether you only occasionally lose your
temper, or have actually committed murder, we all have the same condition that
keeps us from having a personal relationship with God. This condition is called
sin, an inborn desire to disobey God. It keeps us from God, no matter how hard
we try to reach God by our efforts. No form of technology, no religious ritual,
church membership, new philosophy, or even high morals can get us right with
God. In fact as long as we depend on these things, it keeps us from hearing the
best news in this world. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of
God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23)
2) God Knows This, and Cares!
Jesus was a man who made amazing claims while he walked on
this earth 2,000 years ago. He claimed to be God. He claimed to be able to
forgive sins. He claimed to be able to raise people from the dead. He just as
strongly claimed that the religious leaders of the day were frauds. Rather than
setting people free, they seemed to want to make their burden even heavier.
Jesus didn't come to condemn us, but to do for us what we could never do on our
own! He claimed that God himself wanted to bridge the huge gap that divided
people from him because of sin.
Many people believed as they saw him perform miracles, heal the sick, and
forgive people who had given up on themselves. The religious leaders, on the
other hand, were so offended by his claims that they found a way to have him
unjustly condemned in a Roman court. He was then tortured and executed by being
nailed to a cross as a common criminal.
The Bible explains why Jesus allowed himself to be captured and executed. Romans
5:8 says, "But God demonstrated his own love for us in this - that while we
were still sinners, Jesus died for us." In other words Jesus died for you
and me! Knowing that our sin separates us from Him, God provided the bridge that
would stand in the gap - Jesus is that bridge that brings us together with God.
The story doesn't end there. He rose from the dead on Sunday following the day
of his death, and was afterwards seen by 500 eye witnesses. 2,000 years later sceptics are still unable to disprove this great miracle. By rising from the
dead, Jesus proved that He was not a crazy man, but God himself whose every
claim is true.
3) I Need To Ask God To Give Me A
New Beginning Before I Can Experience The Change I'm Looking For
Jesus calls us to believe in what he did for us. This
belief is called faith. It isn't enough just to believe that there is
a God or that Jesus did these things 2000 years ago. The Bible teaches that
even the devil believes all of that, but it hasn't changed him.
What do we then need to do? A personal spiritual 'transaction' needs to take
place. I need to believe that Jesus died for me, and ask God to apply what
he has done into my life. I need to tell him that I want Him to be my hope,
and the one who will lead me in the future He has in mind for me.
Jesus is waiting for us to ask for this. God does not barge into a person's
life. Trying to be a good person doesn't accomplish the peace we are looking
for. We need to ask God to give me this new beginning! He will come to those
who invite him to come in and who sincerely want him to lead and guide them.
Without taking this step, we will remain stuck on a 'religious treadmill' of
trying to earn our way to God, or attempting to 'save' ourselves by our
efforts. It doesn't have to be this way! The price has already been paid!
Through what Jesus has done for us, God wants to give us freedom and grace.
To all of those who want this, he promises joy, peace, forgiveness and a new
found power to begin to overcome the sinful habits that seem to hold us
captive, and that we can t overcome on our own. Will power isn't enough.
Supernatural power is what God wants to give us! It's free for the asking if
we are willing to humble ourselves.
Believing and asking Him to come into your life is the key to a new journey
of walking with Him.
These are the three important steps to beginning the journey with God. Going
to church, following a religion or trying in other ways to reach God will
leave us empty and still unable to change my own life. God has already done
for each of us what is needed. He is waiting for you to respond to that.
That can be the place of new beginning for your life.
You can ask God to do this by sincerely praying a prayer something like this
one that follows:
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I believe. I know that I am a sinner. I am tired of
trying to reach you and make peace with myself through my efforts. I
believe that you have done what I could never do on my own. Thank
you for taking away my sins by dying on the cross for me. I want you
to come into my life and to lead and guide me. I want to live a new
life and I ask you to give me the strength I cannot find in myself.
Out of gratitude, I want to live my life for you. In Jesus name.
Amen.
Is this the prayer of your heart? If so, we invite you to pray it
right now with sincerity and you can begin a life in which you will
no longer be powerless or in fear.
The GOOD NEWS is that this is available with NO STRINGS ATTACHED to
anyone willing to humble themselves, ask God to forgive them, and
sincerely want to follow Him.
If you want more information about what it means to be a Christian
or if any of this raises more questions in your mind, we'd love to
hear from you. If you'd like further information about what it means
to be a Christian, feel free to contact us.
Please believe that YOU REALLY DO MATTER TO GOD,
and that YOU TOO CAN HAVE A NEW BEGINNING!
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