What Does It Mean To Be A Christian ?
People try many different things to be happy. For
some happiness means going through life always having the finest material
things, wearing designer clothing, having expensive houses, cars, etc.
Others like to have prestige and power so that others look up to them.
For others still, it could be many different other things. None of
these things are bad in themselves, but REAL happiness comes from
understanding your purpose in life.
Why are we really here?
God made each one of us because He loved us. He
created us so that we could have a personal relationship with Him.
There is a void in each of us that only He can fill. We will never
be able to fill it with material things, money, prestige, power or
anything else that is of this world.
Jeremiah 31: 3 - "Yea, I have loved thee with an
everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee."
KJV
Ephesians 1: 4 - 5 - "Even before the world
was made, God had already chosen us to be His through our union with
Christ ... because of His love. God had already decided that
through Jesus Christ He would make us His children - this was
God's pleasure and purpose." GN
When we seek God and love Him with all our hearts, we
live in harmony with His purpose for our lives. Because He loves us
so much and only wants the best for us, our lives can be much
better than anything we have ever known before. We can have a peace
as we go through a time of turmoil or trouble in our lives that only God
is able to give. He goes with us as we encounter different
things in our lives, and helps us to get through them victoriously.
There is no other person or thing in this world that can do that.
Why are so many people so unhappy?
Man has a natural desire to live selfishly and do his
own thing. So many people feel that it's their life and they can do
whatever they please with it. Or some go by the saying "If it feels
good, do it" no matter what God's Word says about the matter. The
Bible tells us that this attitude is foolish.
Isaiah 53: 6 - All of us, like sheep, have gone astray,
and each of us has turned to his own way.
I John 1: 8 - If we say that we never sin, we are only
fooling ourselves, and refuse to accept the truth.
Romans 3: 23 - For all have sinned and come short of
the glory of God.
When our relationship with God is not right, then there
are problems in every other area of our lives - marriage, career,
relationships, finances, etc.
Many times when we have huge problems, we try
everything else we can think of before we will turn to God to help us.
If we could just understand how much He loves us and desires to bless us,
then He would be the very first one we went to.
Also, many people think that they can get to heaven
because their mother was a Christian, or they were just a good moral
person.
What is the answer to my problem?
John 14: 6 - Jesus said "I am the Way, the Truth, and
the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Jesus came to earth in the form of man and lived just
as we live. He knows all of our emotions, feelings, etc., because He
experienced them as a human being. He is the one and only way that
we can reach God. Jesus is our intercessor to the Father because He
knows exactly how we feel. He knows how much God loves us and always
wants the VERY BEST for each of our lives. Jesus has already taken
care of our SIN problem
Romans 6: 23 - The wages of sin is death, but the gift
of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 5: 8 - God demonstrated His love for us in that
while we were still separated from God by sin, Christ died for us.
God has already done His part to restore our
relationship to Him. Now it is up to each person individually to
accept what He has already done for us.
What is the next step?
God wants each person to turn
away from their sins and turn to Him.
Acts 3: 19 - Repent ye therefore, and be converted,
that your sins may be blotted out...
Believe that Jesus is God's Son,
that He died on the cross in your place, and that He rose from the dead.
Romans 10: 9 - If you confess that Jesus is your Lord,
and you believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will
be saved.
Acts 4: 12 - Salvation is found in no one else, for
there is no other name by which we must be saved.
Accept God's free gift of
salvation by asking Jesus to come into your heart and life. He has
already done the only thing for us that can restore us to God - there is
nothing that we can do on our own merit.
John 1: 12 - Yet to all who received Him, to those who
believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.
Allow Jesus Christ to take
control of your life as your Lord and Savior.
Colossians 3: 10 - So then, just as you received Christ
Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him,
strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with
thankfulness.
You can give your life to Christ by
praying the following simple prayer to God:
Dear Father,
Thanks for making me, and for loving me!
I know that I have sinned and need your forgiveness. I know that
Jesus is God's Son and that He died on the cross in my place. Please
forgive me for going my own selfish way. I want to turn away from my
sin and turn to you to lead me in the right way to go. Please
forgive me of all my sin and come into my life. I want to trust you
completely as my Savior and commit to follow you as my one true God.
Please change my life and make me new inside. I ask all this in the
name of Jesus. Amen
Romans 10: 13 - Whoever calls upon the
name of the Lord will be saved.
If you prayed the prayer above, please contact
our church by clicking the link here. We would love to talk with you and send you
some helpful information that can assist you in growing in Christ.
God's Free Gift