1)The first principle is that God loves you and created you to know Him personally.
(Note: references contained in this site should be read in context from the Bible whenever possible.)
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 eternal life." (John 3 :16)
God's Plan
"Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." (John17:3)
2)The second principle is that people are sinful and separated from God, so we cannot know Him personally or experience His love.
In other words, left to ourselves, we all eventually do what's best for us, Numero Uno. One of the worst sinners in history, the Apostle Paul (knowing his own heart before Christ entered and changed him), stated,
"All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23)
Humans were created to have fellowship with God; but, because of our own stubborn self-will, we choose (often every day in big as well as small ways) to go our own independent way. Fellowship with God is broken; in its place we experience guilt, painful memories, and anguish. This self-will, characterized by an attitude of active rebellion or passive indifference, is evidence of what the Bible calls sin. And we are all guilty.
Man is Separated
"The wages of sin is death. [spiritual separation from God] (Romans 6:23), and ;...(Those) who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus...will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord” ( 2 Thessalonians 1:8,9)
This diagram illustrates that God is holy and man is sinful. A great gulf separates the two. The arrows illustrate that man is continually trying to reach God (or what He offers, such as love, forgiveness and peace) and establish a personal relationship with Him through our own efforts, such as trying to live a good life (“I volunteer at the homeless shelter.”), philosophy (“It's just a fetus.”), or religion (“I go to church/synagogue/temple every time the doors are open.”), but we inevitably fail. How did God solve this problem? Well, at great personal cost to Himself, He sent His only Son to die in our place. This is what Paul (who had a past he was not proud of) shares in the third principle
3)Jesus Christ is God's ONLY provision for man's sin.
"God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)
But that is not the end of the story. The wonderful news is that He actually, historically, rose from the dead.
"Christ died for our sins . . . He was buried . . . He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures . . . He appeared to Peter, then to the twelve. After that to more than five hundred. . . ." (1 Corinthians 15:3-6)
Only God can raise Himself back to life, and by doing so Jesus demonstrated that He had the authority to make the following focused, true, statement,
"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me (John 14 :6).'"
This diagram illustrates that God has bridged the gulf that 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. This offer of forgiveness (based on what God does for you and not what you try to do for God) is what uniquely separates Christianity from all other religions.
However, it is not enough just to know these truths.
4)The fourth and final principle is that we must individually receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; then we can know God personally and experience His love.
God's Word, the Bible, is clear that each one of us must receive Christ to be forgiven.
"As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name," (John 1:12)
We Receive Christ Through Faith
Faith means trust. It does not just mean giving intellectual assent. Rather, it means you trust God that He will indeed totally forgive you if you choose to follow Him, relying on Christ's death as complete payment for your sin, and anything else you have done in the past.
"By grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works that no one should boast." (Ephesians 2:8,9 )
When we receive Christ, we experience a new birth. God’s Spirit literally enters you, once and for all. (Read John 3 :1-8)
We Receive Christ by Personal Invitation
[Christ is speaking] "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him." (Revelation 3:20)
Receiving Christ involves turning to God from self (repentance) and trusting Christ to come into our lives to forgive us of our sins (again, even those connected with whatever you have done in the past) and to make us what He wants us to be. Again, just to agree intellectually that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for our sins is not enough. Nor is it enough to seek or have an emotional experience. We receive Jesus Christ by faith, as an act of our will, a decision to follow Him.
These two circles represent two kinds of lives:
1. The Self-directed life
Self is on the throne. Interests are directed by self, resulting in discord, bad decisions and frustration. Christ is outside the person's life.
2. The Christ-directed life
Christ is on the throne. Self is yielding to Christ. Interests are directed by Christ, resulting in increasing harmony with God's plan.
Which circle best represents your life? Do you lack forgiveness and peace?
Which circle would you like to have represent your life?
The following explains how you can receive Christ: You can receive Christ right now by faith through prayer (talking with God). God knows your heart and is not as concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of your heart. The following is a suggested prayer:
"Lord Jesus, I want to know you personally. I now realize I have done some bad things. Thank you for dying for ALL my sins on the cross. I open the door of my life and receive you as my Savior and Lord. Thank you for totally forgiving every one of my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person you want me to be. Please give me peace, strength, wisdom and renewed hope as I deal with difficult situations brought into my life by my past actions. Thank you, Lord Jesus"
Does this prayer express the sincere desire of your heart? If it does, pray this prayer right now, and Christ will come into your life.
If you still have spiritual questions, click here
Note: If you or someone you know is struggling with symptoms of Post Abortion Syndrome, talking with someone you can confide in or sharing with a support group can be a place to begin healing and experience some of God’s love from others who have been healed by Jesus. If you would like more information, please visit OPTION LINE
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