Sage Avenue Baptist Church, Mobile
In a 2009 study released by Barna Group, 88 percent of American adults said their religious faith is very important in their life. Seventy-five percent said they sensed that “God is motivating people to stay connected with Him but in different ways and through different types of experiences than in the past.” Despite our changing societal morals and ethical standards, people are still searching for God.
In Jeremiah 29, God promises that He can be found. Verse 13 states, “You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart.” To know God requires a heart that is open to real truth. Paul told the church in Romans 3:23, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” That truth, simply stated, means that everyone is separated from God by sin. Romans 6:23 tells us, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
But Paul goes on to reveal an even greater truth in Romans 5:8: “But God demonstrates His own love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Jesus died on a cross, not for Himself but for us. He paid the price of sin so that we can have a relationship with Him. That relationship begins when we first confess Him as our Lord. Romans 10:9 says, “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
You can know God if you will
• admit that you are a sinner in need of forgiveness for your rebellion against God. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
• believe that Christ offers forgiveness and He is who He says He is and is always faithful in keeping His promises.
• confess Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior. “For with the heart, a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth, he confesses, resulting in salvation” (Rom. 10:10).
Knowing God is a lifelong endeavor that begins with inviting Jesus into your life as Lord. Won’t you make that choice right now?
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