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From the beginning people have attempted to answer questions about Christianity. Some have done so accurately, some have not. Our best source for answering questions about Christianity is the Bible.
How you can know God? What is missing in your life?
Purpose, meaning, a reason for living: these are all things we desire and search for in life. We may try to find things and people to fill those holes, but we still feel empty, unfulfilled. Every one of us has a hole in our heart, a spiritual vacuum deep within our soul: a "God-shaped blank."
The Problem:
The Bible clearly identifies our serious problem as sin. Sin is not just an act but the actual nature of our being. We are not sinners because we sin; we sin because we are sinners. Because we are born sinners, sinning comes to all of us naturally. The problem is within us. We are not basically good-we are basically sinful. This sinfulness spills out into everything we do. Every problem we experience in our society today can be traced back to our refusal to live God's way. "That's not fair!" you may protest. Why should we suffer because of what someone else has done? God has given us the freedom to choose between two separate paths: the path that leads to life and the path that leads to death. John 4:13-15; Psalm 51:5; Romans 3:23; Romans 5:12&18
The Solution:
Jesus Christ. God understood our problem and knew that we could do nothing about it. He sent His Son to bridge the gap of sin between us and God. There has never been anyone like Jesus. He was supernaturally conceived in the womb of a young virgin named Mary. Though Jesus is God, He chose to lay aside the privileges of His deity to live on earth as a man. Moreover, He came to this earth with a clear objective in mind: to bridge that gap between us and God. He was personally able to experience human emotions, from happiness to deep sorrow. He felt what is was like to be tired, cold and hungry. He was eventually arrested on false charges after one of His own disciples betrayed Him. But this was not an accident. If humanity was going to be in touch with God, something had to be done. In essence, with one hand, Jesus took hold of a Holy God and with the other hand He took hold of the sinful human race and was crucified on a cross. He did not stay dead; after three days He rose! Philippians 2:7-8; Mark 15:21-40; Luke 24:1-7; Romans 3:21-25
What do I do now?
To know Jesus Christ personally and have your sins forgiven, you must believe that you are a sinner separated from God and that your only hope is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who died for your sins. But this is only one part of entering into a saving relationship with God.
First, you must turn from your sins. There are some things only God can do and some things only you can do. Only God can remove your sins and give you the gift of eternal life, but only you can turn from your sins and receive Jesus as your Savior. The second part of the plan is to believe in and receive Jesus Christ into your life. Being a Christian means having a relationship with the living God. Are you ready to let Jesus Christ be the forgiver of your sins and the leader of your life? These are not magical words, but rather a quick way to help you have a genuine heart before God:
“God, I'm sorry for my sins. I turn from it now. I thank you for sending Jesus Christ to die on the cross for my sins. Jesus, I ask you to come into my heart and life right now. Be my Lord, Savior, and friend. Help me to follow you all the days of my life as your disciple. Thank you for forgiving and receiving me right now. Thank you that my sins are forgiven and that I am going to heaven. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.”
Romans 10:9; 2 Corinthians 5:17
Know that your relationship with Jesus Christ will bring radical and dramatic changes in your life.
We want to celebrate with you! Select "Next Steps" to talk with someone about what to do next.
You can check out answers to other questions you might have about Christianity here.
Questions about Faith
Questions about Forgiveness
Questions about the Holy Spirit
Questions about Jesus
Check Out The Facts!
Throughout this page we've shown you some of the verses in the Bible that back up our text. Part of your growing relationship with Christ is checking out these facts for yourself.
John 4:13-14 "Jesus replied, 'People soon become thirsty again after drinking this water. But, the water I give them takes away thirst altogether. It becomes a perpetual spring within them, giving them eternal life.' "
Psalm 51:5 "For I was born a sinner - yes, from the moment my mother conceived me."
Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and fall short of God's glorious standard."
Romans 5:12 & 18 "When Adam sinned, sin entered the entire human race. Adam's sin brought dealth, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned." "Yes, Adam's one sin brought condemnation upon everyone, but Christ's one act of righteousness makes all people right in God's sight and gives them life."
Philippians 2:7-8 "He made himself nothing; he took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form. And in human form he obediently humbled himself even further by dying a criminal's death on a cross."
Mark 15:21-40 - The Crucifixion
Luke 24:1-7 "But very early on Sunday morning the women came to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. They found that the stone covering the entrance had been rolled aside. So they went in, but they couldn't find the body of the Lord Jesus. They were puzzled, trying to think what could have happened to it. Suddenly, two men appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes. The women were terrified and bowed low before them. Then the men asked, "Why are you looking in a tomb for someone who is alive? He isn't here! He has risen from the dead! Don't you remember what he told you back in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again the third day?"
Romans 3:21-25 "But now God has shown us a different way of being right in his sight--not by obeying the law but by the way promised in the Scriptures long ago. We are made right in God's sight when we trust in Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, no matter who we are or what we have done. For all have sinned; all fall short of God's glorious standard. Yet now God in his gracious kindness declares us not guilty. He has done this through Christ Jesus, who has freed us by taking away our sins. For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to satisfy God's anger against us. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us. God was being entirely fair and just when he did not punish those who sinned in former times."
Romans 10:9 "For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."
2 Corinthians 5:17 "What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun!"
Excerpts from the New Living Life Application Study Bible
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