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You & God: the Facts
Deep inside every person is a desire to know God. However, many don’t recognize this godly desire, so they look in other places for satisfaction in life. All must understand that no matter how satisfied or outwardly successful a person may appear, the only thing that will fulfill the deep desires of their heart is a relationship with God.
Pretending He’s not real does not change reality. There is a God. One day each of us will answer to Him.
The whole concept of God is a turn-off to some people. Many equate Him with fairy tales, religious tradition, and mysticism. Thankfully, the one-and-only, real, true God doesn’t just deal in mysteries – He deals in facts. The following are four important facts that every person must know if they want to be right with God:
FACT #1: No matter who you are or what you’ve done, God wants a relationship with you.
We’ve already spoken of man’s desire for God, but many don’t know that God has a deep desire for a relationship with every person, including you. This desire is based on His unconditional love for us, not on our performance in life, good or bad. God has loved you since before you were born and wants to bring you into His family so He can express that love to you.
I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty. 2 Corinthians 6:18
If this is true, why does it seem like God is so impersonal and far away? If He loves us so much, why do so many bad things happen in the world? We must understand that for God to be able to bless our lives, some very specific things need to occur; we must cooperate with the facts He’s revealed to man. As we do, we’ll find Him to be the most real and intimate part of our lives.
FACT #2: There’s only one way to have this relationship with God.
God’s never been the one who’s far away; it’s man who’s separated from God because of sin – a condition all of us were born with. The good news is that God in His love for us provided a way to overcome man’s sin problem. He sent His son, Jesus, to suffer and die for all mankind, bearing in Himself the penalty for our sin. Now each of us must make the decision to turn from sin and selfishness. By faith, we must receive the sacrifice of Christ’s blood as payment for our sins. When we do this, God saves us from our sins, cleanses us from our past, and counts us completely righteous.
This exchange of Christ’s righteousness for our sins makes us right with God, and it is the only way to have a real relationship with Him. Things like religion, good deeds, prayer, and meditation may all have some good qualities, but a real relationship with God only comes by receiving Christ.
And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. Acts 4:12
FACT #3: Eternity is at stake.
Entering into a relationship with God means more than just enjoying His presence and help here on Earth. The eternal destiny of every person is decided as he or she either accepts or rejects Christ’s sacrifice.
Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. 1 John 5:12
All paths do not lead to God, nor do all roads lead to heaven. When a person rejects Christ’s sacrifice, choosing instead to believe something else (or choosing to believe nothing), they’re making the choice to spend life without God and eternity in Hell. Hell is a real place of eternal torment. God doesn’t send people there; they choose to go there by rejecting Christ.
On the other hand, those who accept the lordship of Christ enjoy an eternal relationship with God in Heaven. Heaven is also a real place and is not to be missed.
FACT #4: This is for everybody.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
For the person who receives Christ, the only Hell they will ever know is their most difficult time here on Earth. For the one who rejects Christ, the only heaven they will ever know is their best time on Earth.
Every person in the world is born into sin and must make a decision either for or against Christ. No matter what stage of life you’re in, it’s not too late to receive Christ and start living the good life. Only here on Earth can you make this decision to follow Christ. Waiting until death is too late. Make your decision to follow Christ today.
Prayer To Receive Christ
Dear God, I see that my sins have separated me from You and I repent of sin. Thank You that You loved me so much that You sent Jesus to suffer and die on my behalf, so that I could receive eternal life. I believe Jesus died for me and rose again, and I receive Him as my Savior right now. Jesus, You are my Lord, and I’ll live for You from this day on. Thank You, Father, for saving me!
Your Next Steps
There’s nothing more important in life than your decision to receive Christ, but perhaps the next most important think is what you do after you receive Christ. You have been given a fresh start: a new life. Nothing in your past matters, but from this point on, everything matters as you begin to live for God.
Below are some essential steps you can take right away to ensure that you develop a strong foundation in the things of God:
- Find a good church that believes the Bible.
- Begin reading the Bible daily.
- Spend time in prayer daily.
- Tell others about what Jesus has done for you.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:17
Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation. 1 Peter 2:2