Personalizing God

July 28, 2022

How to find God. This explains how to start a relationship with God now.

God loves you and has a plan for you.

You're God's. He wants you to know him now and spend eternity with him. Jesus said, "Because God loved the world, he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life." 1

Jesus came so we could know God personally. Jesus alone gives life meaning.

What hinders our faith?

Second principle: Sin separates us from God.

Sin separates us from God. The Bible says, "We're all like sheep, going our own way."

Deep down, our rebellious or indifferent attitude toward God and his ways is sin.

Sin causes spiritual death, separation from God.

"We can't approach God on our own."

God help

We're far from God. The arrows represent our attempts to reach God by helping others, performing religious rituals, etc. None of these good efforts cover or remove our sin.

Our sin separates us from God. Bible says sin is fatal. Separated from God forever.

Except...what God did.

How can we know God?

Christ paid for our sins. He offers forgiveness and a close relationship.

Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins. Jesus died for us. He did it out of love.

"He saved us not because of our righteousness, but because of his mercy."

Because of Jesus' death, sin no longer separates us from God.

"Because God loved the world, he gave his only Son, so whoever believes in him will have eternal life."

God help

Jesus died for our sins and rose from the dead three days later, as he promised.

This proved Jesus's claims about himself. To love him was to love God. We are one.

Jesus promised to answer prayers, forgive sins, judge the world, and give eternal life. Miracles proved his words.

"I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me," said Jesus.

Instead of trying to reach God, he tells us how to start a relationship now. Jesus says, "Come." "Come to me, all who thirst, and I will give you living water." 8

Jesus endured the cross out of love for us. He invites us to come to him to begin a personal relationship with God.

Knowing what Jesus did and offers isn't enough. To have a relationship with God, we must accept him...

Fourth principle: Accept Jesus as Savior and Lord.

According to the Bible, all who received him and believed in his name became God's children.

We trust Jesus. The Bible says, "When you believed, God saved you." This is God's gift, not yours. Salvation isn't a reward for our good deeds, so we can't brag.

Accepting Jesus means believing he is God's Son and letting him guide our lives.

Jesus said, "I came to give you abundant life."

Jesus' invitation: He said, "I'm knocking. I'll enter if someone hears my voice and opens the door.

Will you accept God's invitation?

Befriend Jesus...

Receive Christ now. Remember that Jesus says, "I'm knocking. I'll enter if someone hears my voice and opens the door.

Want to accept his invite? How-to:

It doesn't matter how you commit to God. He understands your intentions. If you don't know what to pray, try this.

"Jesus, I want you. Let's be friends. Thank you for dying for my sin so I could be accepted by you. Only you can make me the person you intended. I appreciate your forgiveness and eternal life. I'm yours. As you wish. Amen.”

If you just asked Jesus into your life, he's there as promised. You're a Christian.

Before I end, I'd like to take the time to express my sincere gratitude to all of my sponsors, subscribers, upvoters, friends, and readers.

I am very grateful that I found you guys; I am truly blessed.

Check them out; they're all excellent writ ers.

Disclaimer:All texts are mine and original, as stated. Any resemblance to other content is entirely coincidental, as is any similarity.

Jht