God wants you to know Him intimately. We know this because He has chosen to reveal His will and His character to us in both a general and specific way. In a general sense, God has revealed Himself in creation. It is here that we see His power, wisdom and sovereignty. While viewing creation, we begin to realize that there is a designer behind the design. However this general revelation does not supply all of the information that we need. For example, what happens after death? How do I handle feelings of guilt and shame? Is it possible to experience lasting peace, joy and contentment? To help us with these questions, God has also provided a specific revelation for us in His Word, the Bible, and in the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Bible explains to us the specifics of God’s will and character in the person and work of Jesus Christ. It is our faith in Jesus Christ that gives us an intimate relationship with God, and the benefits of this relationship are enormous. We enjoy freedom from the heaviness of guilt and shame. We are assured of a home in heaven and we find the peace, joy and contentment that we desire.
The Bible is clear as to how this intimate relationship with God begins and here is a summary of what the Bible says about it.
I – We are all sinners
Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
“I once was lost but now I’m found, was blind but now I see.” These words are familiar to most of us from the hymn, “Amazing Grace”. They remind us that there was a wrestling with bad news before a celebration of good news. The bad news is that our sin has separated us from an infinitely Holy God. As good as we might be compared to other people, the truth is we all fall short of God’s glory or holiness. Unfortunately, the news will get worse before it gets better.
II – There is a price to be paid for sin
Romans 6:23a, “For the wages of sin is death…”
For God to remain holy He cannot allow sin to go unpunished. So He judges sinners in light of His holiness and we have a penalty to pay. What is distressing for us is that there is no way we can pay the penalty ourselves. It would be impossible for us to work ourselves to a place of absolute perfection or holiness, this is why we fall short of God’s glory. Even if we could work to a point of perfection, we would never be able to say, as God can, that we have never sinned.
Now, here is where things start to pick up. I have not mentioned a very important point yet and that is that God loves you unconditionally. In other words, He loves you whether you obey Him or not. Whether you are a sinner or saint, God loves you and gave His Son Jesus Christ to pay the penalty of your sins.
III – Jesus Christ paid the penalty of sin for you
Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
To maintain the integrity of His holiness God had to deal with sin justly. He could not simply overlook our sin or excuse it by saying that our intentions were good. At the same time, He loves us unconditionally and is not satisfied with the distance that sin has placed between a holy God and His creation. So, the Lord Jesus Christ veils the glory of His deity in human flesh and dies in our place. Not only is the death of Christ at Calvary the ultimate expression of love, but it also satisfies the righteous demands of God’s holiness. Now we can be reconciled back to God, and enjoy the intimate fellowship that was His intention in the original creation.
IV – By faith alone we receive God’s free gift of salvation
Romans 10:13, “for ‘whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved’”
God requires that we trust Jesus alone for our salvation. To ask God to grant us salvation in any other way is to ask Him to dishonor the work of Christ in His death, burial and resurrection. So, God calls us to trust in the substitutionary death of Christ. Then God makes this remarkable promise in Romans 10:13, if we express our faith in Jesus, then God will save us.
Here is a prayer that you can pray if you would like to trust Christ as your Savior today.
"Dear God, I realize that I am a sinner and that there is a price to be paid for sin. I know that Jesus paid the price for me and I would like to trust Him as my Savior. Heavenly Father, I thank you for saving me and by your grace I ask to lead a life that would reflect the glory of my precious Redeemer, Jesus Christ. In His name, amen."
If you have prayed this prayer please let us know by filling in the form below and sending us a note. It would be our privilege to help you grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
