How to Know
God
Every person is born with an awareness that God exists. But knowing He exists and knowing Him personally are two different things.
Who God Is
The Bible tells us that God's eternal power and divine nature are visible in the world around us. What it also reveals is that God has two defining qualities that shape everything about how He relates to us: He is perfectly holy, and He is perfectly loving. Both matter. You cannot understand what He has done without understanding who He is.
Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is full of His glory.
Isaiah 6:3Because God is holy, He is morally perfect and cannot overlook sin. A judge who ignores wrongdoing is not a good judge. God is a perfectly just judge. Every wrong we have ever done will be accounted for. That is serious news. But God is not only holy. He is also deeply loving, and that love is what moved Him to act on our behalf.
What God Has Done
God did not leave us without a way out. He entered human history as Jesus Christ, lived a sinless life, and went to the cross to pay the penalty for our sin. On that cross, both the holiness and the love of God were displayed at the same time. Justice was satisfied. The door to relationship with God was opened.
The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23The death we deserve, Jesus took in our place. The life we could never earn, He offers freely. This is not a reward for good behavior. It is a gift received by faith.
How to Know God Personally
God is not asking you to clean yourself up first. He is asking you to come. Repentance means turning away from sin and toward God. Faith means putting your full trust in what Jesus did for you on the cross, not in your own effort or goodness. When you do that, God forgives you, gives you His Spirit, and begins something entirely new in your life.
If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Romans 10:9If you are ready to take that step, pray this sincerely:
Lord Jesus, I ask You to forgive me of my sins according to the sacrifice You made for me at the Cross. I surrender my life to You right now as my Lord and Savior. I believe You rose from the dead. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit and teach me to follow You. In Jesus' name, amen.
What Happens Now
If you just prayed that prayer, your life has changed. Welcome to the family. The next step is to connect with the Church so your faith can grow. Here is where to start:
Have questions or need someone to talk to? We would love to hear from you.
