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How to know God personally?
Devote yourself to unselfish religious deeds?
Become a better person so that God will accept you?
None of these things will work.
God has made it very clear in the Bible how we can know Him.
The following principles will explain how you can personally begin a relationship with God, right now, through Jesus Christ…
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PRINCIPLE 1:
God loves you and offers a wonderful plan for your life.
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God’s Love
“God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (The Bible – John 3:16)
God’s Plan
“…I [Jesus] have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (The Bible – John 10:10)
Why is it that most people are not experiencing the abundant life? Because…
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PRINCIPLE 2
All of us sin and our sin has separated us from God.
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We Are Sinful
“…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” (The Bible – Romans 3:23)
We were created to have fellowship with God; but, because of our stubborn self-will, we chose to go our own independent way, and fellowship with God was broken. This self-will, characterized by an attitude of active rebellion or passive indifference, is evidence of what the Bible calls sin.
We Are Separated from God
“…the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)
God is holy and we are sinful. A great gulf separates us. We are continually trying to reach God and the abundant life through our own efforts, such as a good life, philosophy, or religion — but we inevitably fail.
The third principle explains the only way to bridge this gulf…
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PRINCIPLE 3
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Jesus Christ is God’s only provision for our sin. Through Him we can know and experience God’s love and plan for our life.
He Died in Our Place
“….God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
He Rose From the Dead
“…Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and …He was buried, and … He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and … He was seen by Cephas [Peter], then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once…” (1 Corinthians 15:3-6)
He Is the Only Way to God
“…I [Jesus] am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)
God has bridged the gulf which separates us from Him by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross in our place to pay the penalty for our sins.
It is not enough just to know these three principles…
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PRINCIPLE 4
We must individually receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; then we can know and experience God’s love and plan for our lives.
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We Must Receive Christ
“…as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name…” (John 1:12)
We Receive Christ Through Faith
“…by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
When We Receive Christ, We Experience a New Birth
“…if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (1 Corinthians 5:17)
We Receive Christ by Personal Invitation
“Behold, I [Jesus] stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” (Revelation 3:20)
Receiving Christ involves turning to God from self (repentance) and trusting Christ to come into our lives to forgive our sins and to make us what He wants us to be.
Just to agree intellectually that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for your sins is not enough.
Nor is it enough to have an emotional experience.
You receive Jesus Christ by faith.
You can receive Christ right now by faith through prayer.
Prayer is talking to God. God knows your heart and is not so concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of your heart.
The following is a suggested prayer:
“Dear God, I acknowledge that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. Thank You for loving me and sending Your Son, Jesus to die on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive Jesus as my Savior and my Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Thank You for helping me become Your child and call you as “Abba, Father”. Take full control of of my life. Lead me and guide me according to Your will. Amen.”
If this prayer expresses the desire of your heart, then you can pray this prayer right now and Jesus will come into your life, as He promised.
Does this prayer express the desire of your heart?
Adapted from Have You Heard of the Four Spiritual Laws and Would You Like to Know God Personally, by Dr. Bill Bright, co-founder of Campus Crusade for Christ.
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