Beginning A Relationship With God

A relationship with God is something that is open and available to everyone. Scripture teaches that we all have a need for God; each one of us has sinned and because of that sin we deserve punishment.  We have sinned and we deserve punishment. Sometimes we look at this and think, “Wait a second, isn’t God loving?” The answer to that is yes! God is loving, but He is also just.

Imagine you were to stand in a courtroom and the judge was reviewing case. With every case that came across his desk the judge would say, “Yes this person is guilty, but consequences are not loving so there will be no sentencing today.” It would be clear that he was not a just judge. A just judge will always uphold what is right and what is wrong no matter how much it may pain him to do so. In a similar way, God is loving, but He is also a just judge and He looks at sin and says it requires punishment.

This is the dilemma we all are in. We all have sin and that sin demands punishment. Scripture teaches in Romans 6:23 that the wages of sin is death. Now sometimes we look at this and think, “I am a good person. I am sure my good will outweigh my bad.” The problem with this is the just judge scenario. A judge should not take into consideration the “good” a person has done, he should only ask the question, “Did they commit the crime? Was the law broken?” It doesn’t matter how many times the accused chose not to steal, it matters if he stole. If he has, then he is a thief and deserves punishment. The Bible in the book of James says something similar. It says even if we keep all of the law except for one thing, we are still guilty because we have broken the law. This is troublesome because as offenders of the law we deserve punishment.

Now this is not a comfortable reality: the wages of sin is death and we all deserve it. But this is where the love of God steps in. Because of His justice He cannot overlook sin, so there must be consequences. But God loves us and did not want us to have to bear the punishment for our sins. He was willing to send His Son, Jesus, to save us. Jesus Christ came and took the punishment for our sin upon Himself. He came and chose to die on a Roman cross for us.

John 3:16 states, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

However, Jesus didn’t stay dead! He conquered sin and death on the cross and after three days He rose from the dead. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 15:3–4, “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.”

And this is the hope of Christianity: because of the work of Jesus Christ we can have a relationship with God and live forever with Him. Jesus Christ came, died on the cross, and rose again for our sin. If we are willing to accept this truth we will be saved. This salvation is free because of the work of Christ. Romans 10:9–10 says, “That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”

This salvation is available to all. Jesus’ work on the cross was enough for everyone. No matter who you are, what you have done, or where you have been the promise of Scripture in 1 John 1:9 is true: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

It is because of the work of Jesus Christ that we can have a relationship with God. Scripture makes it clear that our salvation is not based on our good works, but it is by the grace of God. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For 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, so that no one may boast.”

There is no room for pride in the Christian life. We did not attain it by our own good works and we cannot feel better than others because of it; rather, we are to share this good news with those around us.

If you have never accepted Christ as your personal Lord and Savior. I would encourage you to make that step of faith. If you don’t know how to pray and ask God to save you, feel free to use this sample prayer. Know that it is not a repeating or speaking of specific words that saves you, but a true belief in the work of Jesus Christ.

Dear Heavenly Father,

I know that I am not perfect. I know that I have sinned and that because of sin I deserve punishment. I believe that You sent Your Son Jesus Christ to come and to die on the cross in my place. I believe that He rose again, conquering sin and death, and I desire to follow Him. I confess my sin to You and ask that You would cleanse me of it. Thank You for Your love.

In Jesus name, 
Amen. 

If you prayed this prayer I would encourage you to find someone you know who follows Jesus Christ and tell them of your commitment to Him. Also please feel free to contact us. We would love to be able to partner with you in your new relationship with Jesus Christ.