HOW YOU CAN KNOW GOD
 

A purpose, a meaning, a reason to live - these things we all desire and search for in life. Despite our search, we still feel empty and unfulfilled. Each of us has an empty place in our heart, a spiritual void, a God-shaped vacuum. Possessions won't fill it, success won't fill it, nor will relationships, or even religion. Only through a vibrant relationship with God can this void be filled. However, before such a relationship can be established, we need to face a serious problem.

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The Problem: Sin

The Bible identifies this problem as sin. Sin is not just the bad things we do but an inherent part of who we are. We are not sinners because we sin; we sin because we are sinners. King David once wrote, "Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me." Psalm 51:5. Because we are born sinners, sinning comes to us naturally. Scripture tells us, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?" Jeremiah 17:9. Every problem we experience in society today can be traced back to our refusal to live God's way.
 

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The Solution: Jesus Christ

God understood our problem and knew we could not solve it alone. So he lovingly sent his own Son, Jesus Christ, to bridge the gap of sin that separates us from God. Jesus laid aside his divine privileges and walked the earth as a man, experiencing all the troubles and emotions that we do. He was arrested on false charges and killed on a Roman cross. But this was no accident. He willingly suffered the punishment deserved by us all. And then three days later, Jesus rose from the dead, conquering sin and death forever!

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The Response: Accepting God's Offer

To know Jesus Christ personally and have our sins forgiven, we must acknowledge that we are sinners separated from God and that our only hope is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who came and died for our sins. But we must not stop with this realization. We also need to confess and turn from our sins. And then we must invite Jesus Christ into our life as Lord and Savior. He will move in and help us to change from the inside out. If you are ready to repent of your sins and accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior so that you can receive his forgiveness, take a moment to pray:

God, I'm sorry for my sins. Right now, I turn
from my sins and ask you to forgive me. Thank
you for sending Jesus Christ to die on the cross
for my sins. Jesus, I ask you to come into my life
and be my Lord, Savior, and Friend. Thank you
for forgiving me and giving me eternal life.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen!

If you prayed this prayer and meant it, you can be sure that God has forgiven you and received you into his family.

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