Would you like a relationship with God?
God tells us how in the Bible:
God tells us how in the Bible:
WHAT DO WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT GOD?
GOD LOVES US AND WANTS US TO HAVE A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM
God loves us even if we haven’t loved Him.
“This is real love—not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” (1 John 4:10)
God wants us to know Him.
The Bible says God is at work in everyone’s life. “His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward Him and find Him—though He is not far from any one of us.” (Acts 17:27)
GOD LOVES US AND WANTS US TO HAVE A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM
God loves us even if we haven’t loved Him.
“This is real love—not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” (1 John 4:10)
God wants us to know Him.
The Bible says God is at work in everyone’s life. “His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward Him and find Him—though He is not far from any one of us.” (Acts 17:27)
WHAT IS WRONG WITH US?
OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD HAS BEEN BROKEN BY SIN
We have all made choices showing we are inclined to be:
Passively indifferent to God
“All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own.” (Isaiah 53:6)
Or actively opposed to God
“God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed.” (John 3:19-20)
Our choice to ignore or resist God results in spiritual death (separation from God).
“Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins.” (Ephesians 2:1)
“When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.” (Romans 5:12)
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)
OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD HAS BEEN BROKEN BY SIN
We have all made choices showing we are inclined to be:
Passively indifferent to God
“All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own.” (Isaiah 53:6)
Or actively opposed to God
“God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed.” (John 3:19-20)
Our choice to ignore or resist God results in spiritual death (separation from God).
“Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins.” (Ephesians 2:1)
“When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.” (Romans 5:12)
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)
WHAT DID GOD DO FOR US?
GOD HAS PROVIDED A MEANS TO RESTORE OUR BROKEN RELATIONSHIP
Jesus Christ came to do what we could not do for ourselves.
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
Jesus Christ came into the world to restore us to His Father.
“Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.’” (John 14:6)
Jesus Christ died in our place to pay the penalty for our sin.
“Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but He died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but He was raised to life in the Spirit.” (1 Peter 3:18)
He rose from the dead to show that His claims were true.
“I passed on to you what was most important...Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and He was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. After that, He was seen by more than 500 of His followers at one time.” (1 Corinthians 15:3-6)
GOD HAS PROVIDED A MEANS TO RESTORE OUR BROKEN RELATIONSHIP
Jesus Christ came to do what we could not do for ourselves.
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
Jesus Christ came into the world to restore us to His Father.
“Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.’” (John 14:6)
Jesus Christ died in our place to pay the penalty for our sin.
“Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but He died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but He was raised to life in the Spirit.” (1 Peter 3:18)
He rose from the dead to show that His claims were true.
“I passed on to you what was most important...Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and He was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. After that, He was seen by more than 500 of His followers at one time.” (1 Corinthians 15:3-6)
WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO?
WE MUST EACH PERSONALLY TRUST JESUS CHRIST AS OUR LORD AND SAVIOR
Our own efforts to earn God’s acceptance are inadequate.
“All our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.” (Isaiah 64:6)
“Jesus told them, ‘This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the One He has sent.’” (John 6:29)
We must admit our need for forgiveness.
“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” (Romans 3:23)
“But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” (1 John 1:9)
We must receive Christ and His offer of salvation as a gift.
“God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
“He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.” (Titus 3:5)
WE MUST EACH PERSONALLY TRUST JESUS CHRIST AS OUR LORD AND SAVIOR
Our own efforts to earn God’s acceptance are inadequate.
“All our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.” (Isaiah 64:6)
“Jesus told them, ‘This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the One He has sent.’” (John 6:29)
We must admit our need for forgiveness.
“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” (Romans 3:23)
“But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” (1 John 1:9)
We must receive Christ and His offer of salvation as a gift.
“God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
“He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.” (Titus 3:5)
WHERE DO WE BEGIN?
A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD CAN BEGIN RIGHT NOW
“But to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12)
You can begin your personal relationship with God by putting your faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord. You may find it helpful to express your new faith in words similar to these:
Dear God, I know that my sin has separated me from You.
Thank You for sending Your Son to die in my place.
I now trust Jesus to forgive my sins.
I invite Him into my life as my Savior and Lord.
Thank You for receiving me into Your eternal family.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD CAN BEGIN RIGHT NOW
“But to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12)
You can begin your personal relationship with God by putting your faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord. You may find it helpful to express your new faith in words similar to these:
Dear God, I know that my sin has separated me from You.
Thank You for sending Your Son to die in my place.
I now trust Jesus to forgive my sins.
I invite Him into my life as my Savior and Lord.
Thank You for receiving me into Your eternal family.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
WHAT’S NEXT?
YOUR TRUST IN JESUS CHRIST BEGINS AN EVERLASTING PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
God’s commitment to you:
1. God assures you that if you have trusted Jesus as your Savior, He has given you eternal life. “I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:13)
2. God promises to never leave you. “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” (Hebrews 13:5)
3. God has forgiven all of your sins - past, present, and future. “You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for He forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.” (Colossians 2:13-14)
4. God has given you His Spirit to enable you to live in a way that pleases Him. “Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.” (Galatians 5:25)
YOUR TRUST IN JESUS CHRIST BEGINS AN EVERLASTING PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
God’s commitment to you:
1. God assures you that if you have trusted Jesus as your Savior, He has given you eternal life. “I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:13)
2. God promises to never leave you. “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” (Hebrews 13:5)
3. God has forgiven all of your sins - past, present, and future. “You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for He forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.” (Colossians 2:13-14)
4. God has given you His Spirit to enable you to live in a way that pleases Him. “Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.” (Galatians 5:25)
WELCOME TO THE FAMILY OF GOD!
If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior today, please let us know!
Adapted from Our Daily Bread
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.
All rights reserved.
If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior today, please let us know!
Adapted from Our Daily Bread
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.
All rights reserved.