There is a God, and He desperately desires a relationship with you. So earnest is His desire to know you that He came to earth as a man, died for your sins, and rose from the dead so you could have victory over death.
But simply knowing about God won't do, my friends. The Bible tells us "even the demons believe that – and shudder" (James 2:19). You must enter into a relationship with God – to know Him as a friend. Here's how:
1. Romans 3:23 tells us, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Acknowledge you're part of that "all." You have done wrong, thought wrong, said wrong, and failed to keep promises. Even one sin – if that were possible – is enough to disqualify us to stand in God's perfect presence.
2. Romans 6:23 spells out what our sins means before a holy God: "The wages of sin is death." This death is an eternal death, one that involves endless suffering and separation from God.
3. Romans 5:8 offers us hope. "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Few would die for a good man; who but God would die for a a wretched one?
4. Romans 10:9-10 provides us our call to action: "that if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." God doesn't make it hard.
5. Romans 10:13 assures us of our new relationship with God through Christ: "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
That's the beginning of the Christian life. Through this blog, we journey through the challenges and joys of what it means to be a Christ follower.
