Knowing God:
The Bible teaches that God sent His Son into the world in order to save us. The reason we need saving is not because we are weak or confused but because we are sinners and our sins separate us from God. Sin is like a stain that human effort cannot remove, God sent His Son in order to provide cleansing and forgiveness for the sins we have committed. His death was like a payment that provides the ransom for the debt we owe God. As a result, all that is necessary to receive forgiveness of sin and the gift of eternal life is to trust in Christ.
If you are interested in receiving Christ, pray this simple prayer:
“Lord I confess that I am a sinner and have broken your laws, I ask you to forgive me of my sin, come into my life and make me your child. I believe that Jesus died for my sins and rose again to save me. Amen.”
If you asked Jesus to come into your heart, congratulations, you’re saved! You may be feeling great joy and relief, like a huge weight has been taken off your shoulders. Or perhaps you may not be feeling anything. Regardless of what you feel, Jesus promises that if you ask Him to come into your heart, He will. The Bible says:
“Everyone who calls on the name of Lord will be saved”
“Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.”
Now What?
Now that you have a relationship with Jesus, what's next? It is important that you begin taking steps to help you grow in your new found relationship with God.
Those steps can easily be remembered with the simple acronym - R.E.A.L.
R - Read your Bible daily. A great place to start is the Gospel of John. You can also follow Pastor Jim's devotional blogs at PjimGallagher@wordpress.com
E - Encounter the author through prayer. Prayer is a simple process where you take your concerns to the Lord and ask Him for help and direction
A - Attend Church, God designed us to be part of a local church where we can be encouraged and challenged by other believers.
L - Let others know about your decision. The more you tell others about your decision for Christ the stronger it will become and you will find many who want to join you on your new venture of faith.