Christian Impact Ministries
Impacting a Generation for Christ
How to Know God Personally
The following principles will explain how you can personally begin a relationship with God, right now, through Jesus Christ...
Principle 1:
God loves you and offers a wonderful plan for your life.
Today, a lot of people mock this principle; yet it is true. In the beginning, God created mankind to have a relationship with Him (Genesis 1-2). God has always loved us and had a plan for us.
God's Love
"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." (John 3:16)
God's Plan
"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29:11)
Why is it that most people are not experiencing the love and purpose of God?
Because...
Principle 2:
All of us sin and our sin has separated us from God.
We Are Sinful
"All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 6:23)
We were created to have fellowship with God; but, because of our stubborn self-will, we chose to go our own independent way, and fellowship with God was broken. This self-will, characterized by an attitude of active rebellion or passive indifference, is evidence of what the Bible calls sin.
We Are Separated
"The wages of sin is death [spiritual separation from God]. " (Romans 3:23)
This diagram also illustrates that we are continually trying to reach God and the life He has through our own efforts, such as a good life, philosophy, or religion -- but we inevitably fail.
Good works, spiritual exercises, study, etc. will ever succeed. No amount of efforts are able to save us or to reach Him.
Works Do Not Save
"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)
There is only ONE way to bridge this gulf...
Principle 3:
Jesus Christ is God's only provision for our sin. Through Him we can know and experience God's love and plan for our life.
He Died in Our Place
"God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)
He Rose From the Dead
"Christ died for our sins...He was buried...He was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures...He appeared to Peter, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred..." (1 Corinthians 15:3-8)
He Is the Only Way to God
"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.'" (John 14:6)
This diagram illustrates that God has bridged the gulf which separates us from Him by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross in our place to pay the penalty for our sins.
It is not enough just to know these three principles...
Principle 4:
We must individually receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; then we can know and experience God's love and plan for our lives.
We Must Receive Christ
"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)
We Receive Christ Through Faith
"By grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)
When We Receive Christ, We Experience a New Birth
We Receive Christ by Personal Invitation
But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess 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 confess and are saved. (Romans 10:8-10)
[Christ speaking] "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him." (Revelation 3:20)
Receiving Christ involves turning to God from self (repentance) and trusting Christ to come into our lives to forgive our sins and to make us what He wants us to be. Just to agree intellectually that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for your sins is not enough. Nor is it enough to have an emotional experience. You receive Jesus Christ by faith, as an act of the will.
You can receive Christ right now by faith through prayer!
Prayer is talking to God. God knows your heart and is not so concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of your heart. The following is a suggested prayer:
"Lord Jesus, I need You. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be."
If this prayer expresses the desire of your heart, then you can pray this prayer right now and Christ will come into your life, as He promised.
Does this prayer express the desire of your heart?
Yes, I just asked Jesus to come into my life!
or
I would like to know how I can grow in my relationship with Jesus!
Please fill out the form below and let us know.