Let us introduce you!
One of the major reasons we exist as a church is to introduce others to our Savior Jesus Christ, the greatest friend any of us could ever have. The path to a relationship with God through the gift of Jesus Christ starts with the following points:
The Void
We are all born with something missing in our life --- a void. There is a sense that there is something more out there. Some people through experiences in their life may have gotten fed up and decided that there is no God, but deep down there is that sense that there is a God. We can try to fill that void with all kinds of things --- money, success, drugs, alcohol, love, acceptance--- but nothing works. What we need is not just to know that God exists, we need to have a relationship with Him.
The Relationship
The good news is that God wants a relationship with you as well. In fact, God created you for the sole purpose of a relationship with you. He just wants to love you. In the very beginning of Genesis, the Bible says that God came down from heaven to walk with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day. He didn't just make us and leave us to fend for ourselves. He is constantly seeking and pursuing a relationship with us.
The Problem
All of this sounds great, but why isn't everything the way it is supposed to be. The reason is simple. People have turned away from God, disobeyed Him, and gone their own way. The Bible calls this "sin." It began in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve disobeyed God, and has continued through this day, as we violate God's commands. Romans 3:23 says, "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." And Romans 3:10 says, "There is none righteous, no not one."The problem is that God is perfect and holy and cannot be around sin.
The Solution
Even though God couldn't be around sin, He still loved His people and wanted to find a way to walk with them during life and then have them with Him through all eternity. But someone had to take the punishment for the sins of the people.
Romans 6:23 says "But the wages of sin is death..."
God decided to supply a sacrifice Himself. He sent His son Jesus to be born as a baby in Bethlehem. He lived a fully human life, going through the same kind of temptations we go through, and yet He did not sin.
Finally, the people killed Him, nailing Him to a cross. But it didn't stop there. Three days later, Jesus came out of the grave with the victory over death. He offers His sacrifice and victory to us today.
The plan of God is relatively simple:
Admit: We must admit that we are sinners and that we can not make things right with God on our own. 1 John 1:9 says, "That if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." The good news is that we can be forgiven and cleansed.
Believe: Believe that Jesus is the son of God and that He died for your sins and rose from the dead.
Ask and Commit: Ask Jesus to come into your heart and be your Savior. Commit to live your life for Him.
The Rewards
Giving control of your life to God requires a change of lifestyle. But it is worth it. One day, when this life is over, you will get to go to Heaven and spend eternity with Jesus.
The second half of Romans 6:23 says "but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord." More importantly, this commitment begins a relationship with God that will help you through every day of your life. You will not have a perfect life, and there will still be problems, but you will have someone who can help you through all of your problems. Remember that this is just the beginning of the relationship. You need to walk with Jesus everyday with Bible study and prayer.
And walking in the relationship with God will make change the way you live, think and act.
It will make your life the best it can be.
