Know God

The God of the Bible is the only holy and perfectly good Creator. Because He is our Creator, He alone has the right to dictate how we live our lives. Because He is holy and good, His ways are life giving and good.

Man was created in God’s image and given the capacity to have fellowship with God and with one another. However, because of our sinful nature and our sinful acts, we are guilty of sinning against our Creator. Our sinfulness isn’t just simple mistakes or flaws but rather is an all out rebellion against the God who created us. Because we are guilty of sin, we stand condemned under God’s righteous judgment.

But God demonstrated His love for us in this way: while we were still rebellious against Him, He sent His only Son Jesus to take the penalty of our sin. Jesus, who was both fully God and fully man, was able to do this because He was without sin. After His brutal torture and death on the cross, He was raised from the dead on the third day demonstrating His defeat of sin and death. Through His life and in His death, Jesus became the perfect sacrifice acceptable for our sin.

After Jesus’ resurrection, the Holy Spirit was sent to convict the world of sin and convince sinners that Jesus is God’s Savior. anyone who will respond with faith that Jesus is the only Savior and with repentance that Jesus is their only Lord, will be saved. These two responses are really only two sides of the same coin which is the response to turn away from the world and follow Jesus. Anyone who responds to God’s gracious offer will begin to grow more like Jesus because of the work of the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, followers of Christ are promised eternal life after their lives on this world end.

You can respond to by voicing your desire to follow Jesus in a prayer similar to the one below.

Lord, I believe that you are the one, true, and holy God. I believe that you created me for your glory and your purposes, but I have lived so much of my life living for myself and for sin. Father, I thank you for your Son, Jesus, and I believe that He is Lord and that he is the only way that I can be forgiven and made right with you. Forgive me God of my sin. I place my trust In Jesus. Change my heart and give me grace and strength to turn from my life of disobedience and to follow you the rest of my life.