THE FIRST STEP

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BEGIN A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD?

Do you have to wait for a church service to roll around to begin a relationship with God? Is there some sort of spiritual experience you're supposed to have? Do you need to devote yourself to unselfish religious deeds? Or maybe you need to become a better person so that God will accept you?

 

You don't need to do any of these things to begin your relationship with God. God has made it very clear in the Bible how we can know Him. This page will explain how you can personally begin a relationship with God, right now…

PRINCIPLE 1:

God loves you and offers a wonderful plan for your life.

God created you. God loves you. And God has a plan for your life.

 

And that's not all, God loves you so much that he wants you to know him right now and spend eternity with him later.

 

In John 3:16, Jesus said, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." So Jesus came so that each of us could know and understand God in a personal way.

 

Jesus alone can bring meaning and purpose to life.

 

But what keeps us from knowing God?

PRINCIPLE 2:

All of us sin and our sin has separated us from God.

We sense that we are separated from God because of our sin.

 

The Bible tells us in Isaiah 53:6 that “All of us like sheep have gone astray; each of us has turned to his own way.”

 

Deep down, our attitude may be one of active rebellion or passive indifference toward God and his ways, but it’s all evidence of what the Bible calls sin. Sin is when we miss the mark of living the life that God wants us to live.

 

The result of sin in our lives is death - spiritual separation from God. Although we may try to get close to God through our own effort - by doing good for others, or observing religious rituals, or trying to be a good person - none of these good efforts actually cover up our sin or remove it.

 

Our sin is known by God and stands as a barrier between us and God. Further, the Bible tells us in Romans 6:23 that the penalty for sin is death. We would be eternally separated from God. Except…for what God did for us.

 

So, how can we have a relationship with God?

PRINCIPLE 3:

Jesus Christ paid the penalty for our sin for us. He now offers us complete forgiveness and a close relationship with him.

Jesus Christ took all of our sins and paid for them with his life on the cross.

 

Jesus died for us, in our place. He did this out of his tremendous love for us. Titus 3:5 tells us "…he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.” Because of Jesus’ love for us, our sin doesn’t have to separate us from God any longer.

 

Jesus not only died for our sin, but after this death on the cross, he physically came back to life three days later, just as he said he would. This was final proof that everything Jesus said about himself was true.

 

Jesus said he could answer prayer, forgive sin, judge the world, give us eternal life. He also told us that we can begin a relationship with him right now. In John 7:37-38, Jesus says, “Come to me.” “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink...out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”

 

It was Jesus’ love for us that caused him to endure the cross. And he now invites us to come to him, that we might begin a personal relationship with God.

 

Just knowing what Jesus has done for us and what he is offering us is not enough. To have a relationship with God, we need to welcome him into our life.

PRINCIPLE 4:

We must individually accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

We accept Jesus by faith.

 

The Bible says in Ephesians 2:8-9, “God saved you by his special favour 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.”

 

Accepting Jesus means believing that Jesus is the Son of God, then inviting him to guide and direct our lives. In John 10:10 Jesus said, “I came that you might have life, and have it more abundantly.”

 

And here is Jesus’ invitation to you. In Revelation 3:20, He said, “I’m standing at the door and I’m knocking. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in.”

 

Begin a relationship with Jesus.

BEGIN A RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS

You can receive Christ right now.

 

Remember that Jesus says, “I’m standing at the door and I’m knocking. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in.” Would you like to respond to his invitation? Here’s how.

 

The precise words you use to commit yourself to God are not important. He knows the intentions of your heart. If you are unsure of what to pray, this might help you put it into words:

 

“Jesus, I want to know you. I want you to come into my life. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sin so that I could be fully accepted by you. Only you can give me the power to change and become the person you created me to be. Thank you for forgiving me and giving me eternal life. I give my life to you. Please do with it as you wish. Amen.”

 

If you sincerely asked Jesus into your life just now, then he has come into your life as he promised. You have begun a personal relationship with God!

 

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