Can we still have a personal relationship
with Jesus Christ today?
Is Jesus still interested in us? What does it mean to have a personal
relationship with Christ, and in what way does it impact our lives?
And how does someone go about making that kind of commitment? Those
are good questions, and typical of someone who understands the significance
of Jesus. Here is some information to help answer these and other
questions you may have about Jesus.
Because of Jesus' resurrection, his followers do not honor a
dead founder
They have a vital, personal relationship with him. Jesus Christ lives
today and faithfully enriches the lives of all those who trust and
obey him. Throughout the centuries, multitudes have acknowledged the
worthiness of Jesus Christ, including many who have greatly influenced
the world. French physicist and philosopher Blaise Pascal spoke of
people's need for Jesus when he said, "There is a God-shaped
vacuum in the heart of every man, which only God can fill through
his Son Jesus Christ."
Would you like to know God personally?
You can! Because of God's deep love for you,
he has already made all the necessary arrangements. Through the
death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, you can enjoy a personal
relationship. Jesus made it possible to bridge the chasm which separates
us from God. The following four principles will help you discover
how to know Jesus personally and experience the abundant life he
promised.
Principle 1
God loves you and created you to know Him personally
John 3:16 "For 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."
John 17:3 "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you,
the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."What
prevents us from knowing God personally?
Principle 2
Man is sinful and separated from God, so we cannot know Him personally
or experience His love
Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory
of God."
Romans 6:23 "The wages of sin is death" [spiritual separation
from God].
Romans 8:6-8 "The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind
controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile
to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled
by the sinful nature cannot please God.
"A great gulf separates man from God. Man is continually trying
to reach God and establish a personal relationship with Him through
human efforts, such as living a good life, philosophy, or religion.
But he inevitably fails.The third principle explains the only way
to bridge this gulf...
Principle 3
Jesus Christ is God's only provision for man's sin. Through him
alone we can know God personally and experience God's love
Romans 5:8 "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that
while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
1 Corinthians 15:3-6 "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..."
John 14:6 "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, the truth and the
life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'"
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.But it is not enough just to know these truths...
Principle 4
We must individually receive Jesus Christ as Lord
and Savior; then we can know God personally and experience His love
John 1:12 "As many as received him, to them he gave the right
to become children of God, even to those who believe in his name."
Ephesians 2:8-9 "For it is by grace that you have been saved,
through faith. This does not depend on anything you have achieved,
it is the free gift of God; and because it is not earned no one can
boast about it."
Receiving Christ involves turning to God from self (a spirit of repentance)
and trusting Christ to come into our lives to forgive us of our sins
and 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 our
sins is not enough. Nor is it enough to have an emotional experience.
We receive Jesus Christ by faith, as an act of our will.
Jesus Christ is waiting for an invitation to come in to your life.
In fact, he says, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if
anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in" (Revelation 3:20).
Perhaps you can sense Christ knocking at the door of your
heart. You can invite him in by faith right now. God knows
your heart so it doesn't matter exactly what words you use. Here's
a suggested prayer:
Lord Jesus, I want to know you personally. Thank you for dying
on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life to you and
ask you to come in as my Savior and Lord. Take control of my life.
Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Make
me the kind of person you want me to be.
If this prayer expresses the desire of your heart, pray it right
now and Jesus Christ will come into your life just as he has promised.
Once you invite Christ into your life, he promises to never leave
you.
Hebrews 13:5 "God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will
I forsake you.'"
To know God personally is the greatest decision you will ever make.
If you've just asked Jesus Christ into your life, please
click here and tell us about it. We would love to hear from you.
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