Life is full of questions...
• Who is God?
• How can I have a relationship with Him?
• What does the Bible mean when it talks about salvation or being "born again"?
• Can I be sure that I'll go to Heaven when I die?
• How can I receive salvation – and once I have it, can I lose it?
God's Word has the answers to all these questions, and many more besides.
How To Know God
Who is God?
He is exactly Who He says He is in the Bible.
How can I know Him?
Read His Word!
God is our literal Creator, our loving Father, and our holy Judge. You can't go far in the
scriptures without coming across one or more of His attributes – He is light (I John 1:5), He is love (I John 4:8), He is the only reason any of us exist (John 1:3). God created us to have fellowship with Him, but because He knows that real love can never be forced, He gave humanity a free will and the choice to obey or disobey His commands. Then when humanity fell to sin, God created a way for us to be restored to the fellowship He intended.
To some, this may seem like wishful thinking, to believe that there is a Higher Power that made us and cares about us. To others, it may seem impossible, or mystical, or just plain crazy. But there are also those that might recognize the emptiness inside and want to know more.
Whatever mindset you find yourself in, please know this: what you believe about God will determine your eternal destiny.
The Bible is very clear on this subject: our bodies will one day die, but our soul lives forever – either in a very real place called Heaven, or an equally-real place called Hell.
“And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” - Matthew 10:28
Will your eternal soul one day rest in perfect fellowship with its Creator, or suffer the torment of eternal separation from Him? God has left that decision entirely up to you. He has prepared a way – one way – for you to receive eternal life. It is simple, it is profound, and yes, it is the one and only way to get to Heaven. Keep reading to see the importance of “one” in God's plan.
One Man’s Disobedience – Adam
God placed the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, in the Garden of Eden – a perfect environment. He gave them a purpose, as well as His Presence, walking in the garden with them in the cool of the day. But He also gave them the free will to choose between good and evil. When Adam was inevitably tempted by Satan, he chose to disobey God, and because of this one man’s sin, every person from Adam until today has been born with:
• A sinful nature
• A spiritual separation from God
• A desire to disobey God
“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” - Romans 5:12
“For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners...” - Romans 5:19
Have you ever noticed how you don't need to teach a child to do bad things? That's because all of us are born with this sin nature. Selfishness, pride, lying – this all comes to us instinctively. We are sinners by birth.
One Penalty For Sin – Death
“For the wages of sin is death...” - Romans 6:23
The word “death” in the Bible has three different meanings.
The first is “spiritual death”. This is the death that Adam brought upon himself the moment he disobeyed – no, he didn't physically die in that moment, but his spirit, the part of him that had open access to communion with God, did. This spiritual death has been passed on to us all.
“And you... who were dead in trespasses and sins; wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world...” - Ephesians 2:1,2
The second meaning is “physical death”. This is when our earthly body ceases to function, and is definitely the aspect all of us are aware of, whether we like to think about it much or not. But as previously mentioned, the Bible tells us clearly that physical death is not the end of existence.
“...It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” - Hebrews 9:27
The third and final meaning is “eternal death”. This is the permanent separation from God that will end in the Lake of Fire. It is the fate of every person who does not have their sin forgiven and their name written in the Book of Life.
“And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. - Revelation 20:14-15
One Man’s Obedience – Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is God's Son – He is God, but a different aspect of Him, just as we (who were created in God's image) have the different aspects of body and spirit. Jesus was sent to earth to be born of a virgin, to live a sinless life, and to ultimately pay the price for our sins by His death on the cross. Jesus, Who was 100% God, yet also 100% man, was the only human that didn't deserve death, because He had never sinned. Yet He chose death – and not just any death, but a humiliating, excruciating one – because only by taking our sins upon Himself and shedding His sinless blood could He atone for our unrighteousness. He did this by choice, in obedience to the will of His Father.
“And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” - Philippians 2:8
“...by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.” - Romans 5:19
“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” - 2 Corinthians 5:21
But the story doesn't end there. Jesus Christ isn't just the only One to die an undeserved death, but He is also the only One to raise Himself back to life, having defeated death and Hell by His sacrifice.
“...I declare unto you the gospel... how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:” - 1 Corinthians 15:1, 3-4
“But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” - 2 Timothy 1:10
One Way To Be Saved From Sin – Repentance & Faith
“...repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” - Acts 20:21
There is only one way to be saved from sin – recognizing ourselves as sinners, repenting of our sins, and putting our faith in Jesus Christ.
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” - John 14:6
This belief isn't just an acknowledgment of facts. It's more than just believing that Jesus existed, or that His life is a good example of how to live. This belief is a change of heart that results in a change of direction, which the Bible calls “repentance”. To repent is to be sorrowful for your sins and to turn to God with a surrendered heart. To put your faith in Jesus Christ as Savior is to realize that He died for you, and that His death on the cross is your only hope for peace and eternal life.
“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out...” - Acts 3:19
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved...” - Acts 16:31
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” - John 3:16
One Day It Will Be Too Late
Satan’s most dangerous strategy is to convince you that there is plenty of time to receive Christ as Savior. But the Bible reminds us:
“Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.” - Proverbs 27:1
“Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”
- James 4:14
You would be wise to heed the Apostle Paul's admonition:
"...behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." - 2 Corinthians 6:2
None of us are promised tomorrow. And now that you know Who God is and what He has done for you, the question is this – what will you do about it? There's only one way to be reconciled to God. It's simple, it's freely available, but the choice is yours. Please don't wait until it's too late.