Why are we here?
God made us so He could love us! We were created to have a personal relationship with God and enjoy Him and His creation forever. When we know and love God, and live in harmony with His purpose for our lives, it produces tremendous benefits.
1. God made us so that He could love us!
In Jeremiah 31:3, the prophet Jeremiah tells us:
“The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.”
In Ephesians 1:4-5, the apostle Paul tells us:
“For he [God] chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons (and daughters) through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will…”
2. We were created to have a personal relationship with God and enjoy Him and His creation forever.
In the beginning of the Bible, we see that:
“…God created man (and woman) in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” (Genesis 1:27-28)
In 1 Timothy 6:17, the apostle Paul tells us:
“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.”
In the Gospel of John (John 10:10), Jesus says:
“The thief comes only to steal and to kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
3. When we know and love God, and live in harmony with His purpose for our lives, it produces tremendous benefits:
Clear Conscience, Romans 8:1
Life and Peace, Romans 8:6
Help with Weakness, Romans 8:26
Purpose, Romans 8:28
Confidence, Romans 8:31
Security, Romans 8:38-39
Power and Strength, Philippians 4:13
Met Needs, Philippians 4:19
Freedom, John 8:32, 36
What is the problem?
We have a natural desire to ‘do our own thing,’ and to ignore God’s principles for living. Do these statements sound familiar?
“Look out for #1.”
“If it feels good, I’ll do it (regardless of what God says about it).”
“It’s my life and I’ll do what I please!”
The Bible calls this attitude “sin.” In Isaiah 53:6, the prophet Isaiah says:
“We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity [sin] of us all.”
In 1 John 1:8, the apostle John tells us:
“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.”
Sin strains our relationship with God.
It causes us to fear God and try to live our lives outside of His will. In Isaiah 59:2, Isaiah tells us:
“But your iniquities [sins] have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.”
In Romans 3:23, Paul tells us:
“…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
When our relationship to God is not right, it causes PROBLEMS in every area of our lives — marriage, career, relationships, finances, etc. When people have problems, they often try many different ways (their own ways) of coping before turning to God. In Proverbs 16:25, Solomon tells us:
“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.”
Even when we know that our deepest need is God, we often try wrong ways of getting to know Him:
“My mother was a Christian, so…”
“It doesn’t matter what you believe, just be sincere.”
“I’ll give up my bad habits.”
“I’ll work real hard and earn it.”
“I’ll be religious and go to church.”
BUT THESE WAYS DON’T WORK TO RECONCILE US TO GOD!
What is the solution?
Jesus came to earth as a human being to bring us back to God. If any other way would have worked, Jesus Christ would not have had to come. The way is a Person — Jesus Christ! Jesus has already taken care of your sin problem.
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
God took the initiative. He has already corrected the damage done by sin. Now He waits for each of us to individually accept what He has done for us. Salvation is by God’s grace, not by our own efforts! Jesus gave us the solution. In John 14:6, Jesus said:
“…I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father [God] except through me.”
Jesus came to earth as a human being to bring us back to God. If any other way would have worked, Jesus Christ would not have had to come. The way is a Person — Jesus Christ! Jesus has already taken care of your sin problem! In Romans 6:23, Paul tells us:
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
God opened the way to eternal, abundant life with HIm because He loves us and wants us to know Him.
In Romans 5:8, the apostle Paul tells us:
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
St. Paul also tells us in 1 Timothy 2:5:
“For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus…”
God took the initiative. He has already corrected the damage done by sin. Now He waits for each of us to individually accept what He has done for us. Salvation is by God’s grace, not by our own efforts!
Get Right With God – Become a Follower of Christ
In order to get right with God, we need to do four things: REPENT, BELIEVE, CONFESS, and RECEIVE. Enter into God’s love and forgiveness and receive His gift of eternal life today!
Repent
1. Repent of your sins. That means to change your mind about who is the boss, the CEO, the Lord of your life. It means to accept God’s version of reality, the Bible, as true. It also means to turn from everything you know to be wrong.
Believe
2. Believe that Jesus died to pay for your sins, that He rose again, that He is God, and He is alive today. It’s all true! Accept God’s free gift of salvation. Don’t try to earn it. Our relationship to God is not restored by anything we do, but on the basis of what Jesus already did for us. In Acts 4:12, we find that…
“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”
Paul tells us in Ephesians 2:8-9…
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Confess
3. Confess publicly (tell other people) that you have made Jesus the Lord of your life. In Romans 10:9, the apostle Paul says:
“If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Receive
4. Receive the Holy Spirit. Ask Him to come into your life and be the director (“Lord”) of your life. In the gospel of John (John 1:12-13), we learn that:
“…to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God — children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”
Jesus tells us in Revelation 3:20…
“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him and he with me.”
How do I do all that?
Sincerely Pray a prayer of commitment to God, like this:
“Father God, thank you for making me and loving me, even when I’ve ignored you and gone my own way. I realize I need you in my life and I’m sorry for my sins. I ask you to forgive me. Thank you for sending your son Jesus Christ to die on the Cross for me. Please help me to understand you more. As much as I know how, I want to follow you from now on. Send your Holy Spirit into my life right now, and make me a new person inside. I accept your gift of salvation, and make you my Lord. Help me to grow as a Christian.”
Paul tells us in Romans 10:13 that…
“…for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'”
Remember to tell somebody that you belong to God – confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord.
Do not make this decision lightly. Consider the cost: Jesus tells us that we must put Him above all else. We are to love Him so much, that our love for our own family, even ourselves, cannot compare. In Luke 14:28, 31, 33, Jesus tells us this:
“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it?… Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand?…In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.”
That’s pretty heavy; what does Jesus mean? He means that God should have the pre-eminent place in our lives, above everything else. This does not mean we think about nothing else. It does mean that we think about God often, and we don’t let other things take the place of God in our lives. While there are many blessings in the Christian life, hardships will come, too. Putting God and others first has a cost. Consider what this means to your life. Jesus says in Luke 9:23…
“…If anyone would come after me, he (or she) must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”
Next Steps
Join a church in your local community where God’s Word is preached and the Holy Spirit is active.
Make plans to attend this week. Join a small group, and serve in that local body. We’d love to see you at any meeting of our church, Church of the Holy Spirit in Leesburg. Click here to learn more about us.
If you have accepted Christ as Lord today or would like to know more about how you can know God, or walk in His power, please let us know. We’ll be glad to speak with you personally to answer your questions and to learn more about you.
Speak with Pastor Clancy at the worship service or to contact him:
Phone: (703) 726-0777
Email:
Clancy@holyspiritleesburg.org