Peace family, if someone you love needs to hear how to have a friendship with God, or you’d like to know for yourself, a good way to remember is A, B, C:
A- Accept that we are all sinners. This is easy to see when we think about all of the bad things in the world. There’s nothing we can do to make up for the ways that we have sinned against God, against others, and broken his rules. We often know deep in our hearts that we are missing something, and we try to fill that hole. We are missing a friendship with God, but none of us is good enough to restore a relationship with God, who is perfect, on our own. The Bible says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) However, God loves us so much, that he wanted to be in a friendship with us, even though we are sinful.
B- Believe that God provided Jesus as a sacrifice, as a payment, for your sins. Jesus was God in human form, and he lived a perfect life in which he was tempted in all the same ways that we are, but he never sinned. He never lied, cheated, or stole, or hated anyone. He was killed on the cross, which is what we deserved, but God raised him from the dead, proving that everything that he said was true. The Bible says “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:16-17) No matter your age, your race, your gender, the country you live in, or your past, God wants a friendship with you!
C- Choose to invite Jesus in as the ruler of your life. Talk to him (that’s what prayer is) and tell him that you give your life over to him. From now on, you want to live the way that God asks you to live, and trust that He loves you, that he has paid for all your wrong doing, and that he has a place for you in Heaven with him. It’s as simple as that, but it makes an eternal difference! The Bible says, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” (Romans 10:9-10)
No one is ever too far gone. Even if you feel like you’ve done too many bad things, the fact is, we’ve all sinned too much. We all have the same need to have Jesus as our substitute. God’s gift of forgiveness to us through Jesus is truly amazing! This includes if you have given your life to Jesus before, but gotten tied up in sin. Come to him as you are and let him sort you out. Don’t feel like you need to be perfect before you can give your life to God. Understand that even as a Christian, you will not suddenly be perfect, and you will keep on sinning, even though we wish we wouldn’t.
Continue to grow with God. Tell other believers of Jesus about the choice that you’ve made. Choose a church to spend time with (if you aren’t sure where to start, look at the Peace 107 community calendar and see the churches that have community events and special services where you can make some friends.) Read the Bible so that you know what God wants. Talk to him (pray), and be baptized as a public declaration of your commitment to Christ! Be encouraged that God puts his Holy Spirit inside of you and that he will never abandon you. In the Bible, God says, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13.) Jesus also says that we, his “sheep” know his voice, so you can have reassurance that he will guide you. Welcome to the family!
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