How to Know God

Our greatest desire is for people to come to know God personally. And the fact is, that is God’s greatest desire too. He wants to have a relationship with you. It’s pretty amazing to think about actually, that the creator of the universe loves you and wants to know you in a personal way. 

However, mankind (including you and me) has chosen to disobey God. The Bible says that all have missed the mark and have fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). All of us have sinned. We are guilty before God (1 John 1:8). The Bible makes it clear that God is perfect light, and perfect light can't mingle with any darkness. Since all have sinned in some way (big or small), we all have darkness in our lives. God has made it clear that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). We have chosen to disobey God and because of this, our just punishment is ultimately death. 

Although God is perfect and we are not, He still loves us. He desires to have a relationship with you and me. God loves us so much that He sent His one and only Son, Jesus, down to earth to live as a man. Jesus lived a perfect and sinless life, but He was crucified even though He was completely innocent. Jesus took on the sins of the world and bore our punishment so that we might have life and know God. The Bible says, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

However, Jesus did not remain dead. In fact, He rose from the dead three days after the crucifixion and eventually ascended into Heaven to sit at the right hand of His Father. Jesus also plans on returning to the world for those who trust and believe in Him. 

Jesus died for you. He wants to save you. He wants to forgive you from your sins. He has offered you a gift of eternal life spent with Him. If you are willing to repent from your sins, He will forgive you. The word “repent” literally means "to turn away from." It doesn’t matter what you have done in the past, not matter what wrong you have committed - if you cry out to Jesus, He will not reject you. 

True Christianity is not about going to church, following traditions, or how you were raised. Being a Christian means that you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and that you acknowledge Him as your savior. 

Jesus hears your prayers. If you call out to Him and ask for forgiveness, He is faithful and will hear you. Time gets away from us so quickly, don’t miss Jesus’ calling in your life. He wants to know you because He loves you!

Romans 10:9 says, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” If you want Jesus to be your savior and forgive you from you sins, all you have to do is pray to Him and genuinely say something along these lines:

"Jesus, I know that I have sinned against you. I know the truth is that I have sinned by my own choice, and I am the one responsible for it. I know that I have deserve punishment from You, and that the fair punishment would be death. Jesus, I believe that You died in my place. Forgive me for my sin. I cannot cover or take my sin away, I am relying totally and only on You. You are the only one who can save me. I reject my sin, I turn away from it, I repent. Come into my life, take away my sin, and show me how to live my life in a way that is right and pleasing to You."

This isn’t a magic prayer or a particular formula to get you into heaven. God looks at the heart, He knows your motives. If you genuinely have prayed this prayer (or a similar prayer from the heart) then you are saved! You are a new creation! You are completely forgiven! You are innocent in the eyes of God! Welcome to the family of God - there is not a better place to be!

God has just begun working in your life. There is still so much He wants to do with you. It is important that you begin to grow in your relationship with Him. Just like any relationship, you need to spend time with that person to get to know them. God has given us a way to know Him and to hear His voice - the Bible. A good place to open up to is the book of John in the New Testament. We encourage you to read the Bible daily and begin to develop consistent a prayer life. You are now a child of God and He wants to hear your heart, desires, and needs. 

It is also important to find a church that teaches the Bible. Church is a great way to grow spiritually and worship the Lord. It also gives you a chance to spend time with other Christians who can encourage you in your walk with the Lord. If you are unfamiliar with churches in your area, perhaps there is a Calvary Chapel near by, or another Bible teaching church. The important thing is that you choose a church that doesn't stray from the Word of God, and Calvary Chapel’s are known to be one of the international churches that consistently teach the Bible - verse by verse, chapter by chapter.

If you have made a decision to follow Jesus, please tell someone. Your first step as a believer should be a proclamation of your new found salvation! Also, please feel free to email us so that we can encourage you in the Lord and pray with you/for you.

Blessings,
Byron and Emily

byronandemilyj@gmail.com

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