KNOW GOD

A decision to follow Jesus Christ is probably the most important decision you'll ever make. It's also a decision that will transform your life!

Throughout history, mankind has pursued the hope of defining eternity and wondered at the idea of having a personal relationship with a supernatural God.

"Why would He want to have a relationship with me?"

One word: love

God loved you so much that He created you so that you might have a relationship with Him. John 3:16 tells us "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."

"Okay, so God wants to have a relationship with me… if that's the case, why do I feel so alone and far away from Him?"

One word: sin

Sin is what separates us from God. It isolates us and puts a wall between us and God. Sin is really rebellion against God. It's something in our very nature that causes us to choose to do our own thing rather than choosing to do things God's way.

The fact is nobody is perfect. Romans 3:23 tells us that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." In fact, sin is responsible for both our physical and spiritual death. Romans 6:23 says, "the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord."

"If sin separates me from God, how do I get reconnected?"

It all about the "F" word: forgiveness

If sin separates, forgiveness restores. The reality is that there's not one of us that could do enough good things to reconnect with God. Remember, sin is something that changed the essence of who we are. So in order to reconnect with God it would take something or someone who hasn't sinned to help us reconnect. And that's exactly what Jesus, God's Son, did.

1 Peter 3:18 tells us "Christ also suffered when he died for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners that he might bring us safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit."

So how do you reconnect with God? Simple, recognize that Jesus died on a cross so that you could be forgiven for all your sins - past, present and future. There's just one thing you have to do: ask Jesus to forgive you.

Pray this simple prayer and begin a relationship with God:

"God, I admit that I'm a sinner. I believe that You sent Jesus, who died on the cross and rose from the dead, to pay the penalty for my sins. I am asking that You forgive me of my sin and I receive Your gift of eternal life. I ask for this gift in Jesus’s name. Amen!"

"So I've asked Jesus to forgive me, now what?"

That one simple step is the beginning of a real relationship with God. Now that you've started talking with Him don't stop… tell Him how you're feeling, ask Him for His help, tell Him how you want to get to know Him more.

Asking Jesus to forgive you isn't just a question about avoiding hell and getting into heaven… it's all about the relationship. Remember where we started: "Why would God want to have a relationship with me?" Because He loves you, He wants you to get to know Him; He's got a lot of great things in store for you.

There are a few other things that you should do if you're really serious about having a relationship with God. If you've just asked Jesus to forgive you:

· Tell someone. Find a group of people who are discovering God and developing a relationship with Him, perhaps a small group of people who have made a decision just like you. (At MBC, we call these small groups Life Groups because the people in them have chosen to share their hearts and lives as together they learn more about God and growing closer to Him.)  

· Read God's book, the Bible. It's filled with a whole lot of answers to life's questions.

· Find a good church home. Church is really nothing more than God's family, a community of people who meet together to discover more about God, experience His presence and celebrate Him. If you live near Middlesex or the surrounding areas, and are looking for a good church home or have questions about finding a church family we would love to help you. Contact us to let us know how we can help.