God Loves You
God loves you with an everlasting love. He wants to have a relationship with you. God created you out His desire to be with you.
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This blog post is part 43 of the series Seven Invisible Barriers to Spiritual Growth.
To see all the posts in the series click here. To listen to the audio version click here.
From before the foundations of the world, God had a plan to make you His son or daughter. The words that God spoke to the children of Israel hold true for you today:
11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans for welfare and not calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me, and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:11-13)
God has great things in store for you, but there is a problem.
You Are Separated from God
There is only one thing that separates you from God, sin. Romans 3:23 states:
All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
- You sin when you break any of the commandments of God. When you lie, steal, kill, covet what is not ours, you are choosing to sin.
- You sin when you decided to live independent from God and do things your own way and seek to rule your own life apart from God.
- You sin when you rebel against God’s ways and standards.
The Consequences of Sin
There are terrible consequences when you sin against God. Listen to the different ways that the Bible describes your condition because of sin in your life.
- Your relationship with God is broken. Every sin is ultimately against God and it brings a separation in the relationship. You are at enmity with God.
Because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. (Romans 8:7-8)
- You die spiritually. God warned Adam and Eve if they disobeyed Him and ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that they would die. Spiritual death is separation from God. Your spirit dies even though your body and soul are alive.
16 The Lord God Commanded the man, saying, “From any tree in the garden you may eat freely; 17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.” (Genesis 2:16-17)
For the wages of sin is death . . . (Romans 6:23a)
And you were dead in your trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1)
- You are a slave to sin. This may seem harsh, but it is true. When you rebel against God you believe you are gaining your freedom. You are not. Instead, you become a slave to sin.
Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves to the one whom you obey, either sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness. (Romans 6:16)
- You are under the judgment of God. God knows everything you have ever done in your life and He will hold you responsible for your sin.
For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law; (Romans 3:12)
As it is written
THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;
THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS,
THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD;
ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS;
THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD,
THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE. (Romans 3:10-12)
- You are under the power of the devil. 1 John 5:19 states that the whole world lies under the power of the evil one. Colossians 1:13 says you are captive in the domain of darkness and in need of rescue by Jesus. Ephesians 2:2 says it is the prince of the power of the air (another name describing the devil) that is at work in the sons of disobedience.
Without Christ you are in a pretty dismal situation. There is nothing you can do through your own efforts that will restore your relationship with God, make you come alive spiritually, set you free from the power of sin, release you from the judgment of God, or get you out of the kingdom of darkness.
I have some good news for you.
God Has Made a Way
God has a gift for you, Jesus
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
The gift is Jesus and all that He has done for you. It is called salvation through the person of Jesus Christ.
God loves you so much that He provided a way for you to experience life as He intends it to be.
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 . . . He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:16, 18)
Jesus Shed His Blood for You
God does not want you to remain spiritually dead and separated from Him. God proved His love for you in sending Jesus to make a way back to the Father.
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)
God’s plan was for Jesus to be born of a virgin through a miracle of the Holy Spirit so that Jesus could be born spiritually alive and without sin. Jesus then walked in perfect obedience to God all His days without sin. Since He was spotless before God, He could offer His life as a sacrifice for sin allowing us to be cleansed from sin.
The next day he [John the Baptist] saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29)
In whom you have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace. (Ephesians 1:7)
Much more then, having been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. (Romans 5:9)
You can now be forgiven for your sins through the shedding of His blood,
But you are still dead and need new life. That is where the resurrection of Jesus comes into play.
Jesus Rose from the Dead for You
God raised Jesus from the dead because death could not hold Him. Remember it is sin that brings forth death. Jesus died to break the power of sin and rose from the dead to break the power of death.
But God raised Him up, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power. (Act 2:46)
Since Jesus was raised from the dead we can also rise to new life in Him. The Bible calls this being born again. Jesus told Nicodemus:
. . . “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. (John 3:3)
Peter gives us this insight about being born again:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. (1 Peter 1:3)
Look at the wonderful things God did through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead:
- He broke the power of death
- He made life available to you
- You can now be made spiritually alive
- You can be born again
Jesus is the Only Way
The Bible makes it absolutely clear that salvation comes only through Jesus Christ. There are not many paths to God. All religions are not a way to God. There is only one way to be saved and that is through faith in Jesus Christ.
Jesus made this very clear when He said:
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6)
Peter further states:
And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)
John wrote the following passages:
But these things have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. (John 20:31)
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name. (John 1:12)
How to Receive Christ
Recognize your need for a savior
The first thing you must do is recognize your need for a savior. If you think that you are good enough to save yourself or are trusting in another way to be saved, then you will not come to Jesus.
You must come to Him knowing that you cannot save yourself. You must come to Him recognizing that He is the Savior. He is the way and the truth and the life and that salvation comes through no other name.
Repent and Turn Toward God
Repentance means having a change of mind resulting in a change of action. The ultimate question is, “Does what I am doing or thinking line up with God’s truth?” If not, you must determine to choose God’s way, even if what you are doing is socially acceptable. God’s word is your ultimate guide.
Repentance means that you accept and come into agreement with what God says. Repentance is, as one author put it, “the ‘about-face’ of a new commitment.” It is where we reject our own thoughts about what is right and wrong and choose to believe what God says is true.
“. . . that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance.” (Acts 26:20)
“Repent, therefore and return [to God], that your sins might be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” (Acts 3:19)
Confess Your Sins
The word confess means to acknowledge. You must come before the Lord and confess your sins, which is agreeing with God that what He calls sin is sin. You agree with God that you have sinned against Him.
8 If we say we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us. (1 John 1:8-10)
Confess Your Faith in Jesus
Once you confess your sins you must also confess your belief that Jesus is the answer for your sin. You are acknowledging your faith that Jesus’ death and resurrection frees you from sin and gives you new life. You are receiving the gift of salvation offered through Jesus Christ.
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is a gift from God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
9 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; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. (Romans 10:9-10)
Will You Receive Christ?
This is the most important decision you will ever make in your life. It has to do with your eternal destiny. Are you ready to acknowledge your need for Jesus and turn away from your sin and turn to God through faith in Jesus Christ?
If you are ready to make that decision to trust Christ, then I encourage you to turn to God right now and pray. You can go to God and ask Him to forgive you and acknowledge your trust in Christ.
If you would like some help, I have provided a prayer below that will help guide you through the process of coming to God. The words you say are not magical and bring you salvation. It is your faith and trust in Christ that will bring about your salvation.
Father, I come to you and acknowledge that I am helpless to save myself. I need a savior.
I come into agreement with You that I have sinned against you. I have gone my own way and done my own thing. Please forgive me for my sin.
I repent and turn away from my sin to come to You. I acknowledge that Jesus Christ is my only hope of salvation. I confess with my mouth that Jesus is my Lord. I believe with my heart that You raised Him from the dead.
I receive Your gift of salvation knowing I can do nothing to earn it. I thank you that the blood of Jesus cleanses me from all sin. I thank You that in confessing Christ my spirit is born again and I am at peace with You.
Thank you for accepting me. I acknowledge that You are Lord and II give my life to You. Lead me in Your way of life.
If You Accepted Christ
Click on the button below if you accepted Christ into your life today.
If you click on this link, I will rejoice with you in the decision you made to follow Christ and send you a series of videos that will tell you who you are in Christ and how you can grow in your relationship with God.