Knowing that God loves you is your first step towards knowing Him. Look
here what it says in (John 3:16) "God so loved the world that He gave His
one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have
eternal life". His Son, the most precious gift we receive from God often goes
unrecognized by most people. Why? All Christians know that obtaining this
free blessing for all of eternity is as easy as opening your mouth and asking
for it from the LORD. Although, most people choose not to do this, so they
can not experience the abundant Christian life. A Christian life is full of
love and abundant blessings from the LORD. Look what Jesus says in
(John 10:10) "I came that they might have life, and might have it
abundantly" that it might be full and have meaning. The main reason why
most non-Christians don’t experience this is because they fail to realize
they need God and can not live life without Him. They go on living empty
unfruitful lives never letting go of the sin that consumes them. "All have
sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). There is one and
only one way to be cleansed from sin, ask Jesus to forgive you and His
promise will be given freely. Man is sinful and separated from God
therefore, he cannot know and experience God's love and plan for his life.
Man was created to have fellowship with God; but, because of his stubborn
self-will, he chose to go his own independent way, and fellowship with God
was broken. This self-will, characterized by an attitude of active rebellion
or passive indifference, is evidence of what the Bible calls sin. "The wages
of sin is death" (Romans 6:23).
There is hope in bridging this gap between the sin of man and God. Jesus
Christ is God's only provision for man's sin. Through Him you can know
and experience God's love and plan for your life. By acknowledging that
Jesus died for your sins on the cross, you can obtain eternal life through
His sacrifice. "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we
were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). He 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 He appeared to more than five hundred..." (1 Corinthians 15:3-
6). He Is the Only Way to God "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). Believing these fundamental things we must individually receive Jesus
Christ as Savior and Lord; then we can know and experience God's love
and plan for our lives.
Receive Christ
"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).
Receive Christ Through Faith
"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).
Receive Christ, Experience a New Birth
“Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the
Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we
know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform
the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him." In reply
Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God
unless he is born again." "How can a man be born when he is old?"
Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's
womb to be born!" Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter
the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives
birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be
surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows
wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it
comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."
(John 3:1-8)
Receive Christ by Personal Invitation
"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 (in other words
repentance) and trusting Christ to come into our lives to forgive our sins
and to make us what He wants us to be. Just to agree intellectually that
Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for your sins
is not enough. Nor is it enough to have an emotional experience. You
receive Jesus Christ by faith, as an act of the will. Yield to Christ in your
life if you haven’t already. Let Him be your light in this dark world. Start
living the Christ-directed life with Christ on the throne. Self is yielding to
Christ. Interests are directed by Christ, resulting in harmony with God's
plan. Begin with a prayer:
here what it says in (John 3:16) "God so loved the world that He gave His
one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have
eternal life". His Son, the most precious gift we receive from God often goes
unrecognized by most people. Why? All Christians know that obtaining this
free blessing for all of eternity is as easy as opening your mouth and asking
for it from the LORD. Although, most people choose not to do this, so they
can not experience the abundant Christian life. A Christian life is full of
love and abundant blessings from the LORD. Look what Jesus says in
(John 10:10) "I came that they might have life, and might have it
abundantly" that it might be full and have meaning. The main reason why
most non-Christians don’t experience this is because they fail to realize
they need God and can not live life without Him. They go on living empty
unfruitful lives never letting go of the sin that consumes them. "All have
sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). There is one and
only one way to be cleansed from sin, ask Jesus to forgive you and His
promise will be given freely. Man is sinful and separated from God
therefore, he cannot know and experience God's love and plan for his life.
Man was created to have fellowship with God; but, because of his stubborn
self-will, he chose to go his own independent way, and fellowship with God
was broken. This self-will, characterized by an attitude of active rebellion
or passive indifference, is evidence of what the Bible calls sin. "The wages
of sin is death" (Romans 6:23).
There is hope in bridging this gap between the sin of man and God. Jesus
Christ is God's only provision for man's sin. Through Him you can know
and experience God's love and plan for your life. By acknowledging that
Jesus died for your sins on the cross, you can obtain eternal life through
His sacrifice. "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we
were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). He 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 He appeared to more than five hundred..." (1 Corinthians 15:3-
6). He Is the Only Way to God "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). Believing these fundamental things we must individually receive Jesus
Christ as Savior and Lord; then we can know and experience God's love
and plan for our lives.
Receive Christ
"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).
Receive Christ Through Faith
"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).
Receive Christ, Experience a New Birth
“Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the
Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we
know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform
the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him." In reply
Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God
unless he is born again." "How can a man be born when he is old?"
Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's
womb to be born!" Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter
the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives
birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be
surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows
wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it
comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."
(John 3:1-8)
Receive Christ by Personal Invitation
"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 (in other words
repentance) and trusting Christ to come into our lives to forgive our sins
and to make us what He wants us to be. Just to agree intellectually that
Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for your sins
is not enough. Nor is it enough to have an emotional experience. You
receive Jesus Christ by faith, as an act of the will. Yield to Christ in your
life if you haven’t already. Let Him be your light in this dark world. Start
living the Christ-directed life with Christ on the throne. Self is yielding to
Christ. Interests are directed by Christ, resulting in harmony with God's
plan. Begin with a prayer:
| The Lords Church.org Ministries Website. All Rights Reserved 2005-2008 |
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| BY REV. MARK E. VATCHER |