Want to know God?

Southside Baptist Church, Andalusia

So the Lord God called out to the man and said to him, ‘Where are you?’” (Gen. 3:9) and so began Adam’s day. Except something had changed. The normal fellowship with God enjoyed by Adam and Eve had been interrupted. Rather than looking forward to being with God they hid themselves in fear. They had lost their childlike innocence and trust with God. They had sinned by disobeying God. Paul writes, “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Rom. 5:12). Man alienated himself from God (Gen. 3:23–24). I still remember the day I felt exposed before God, the day my sin became real to me.

Even before that day began, God had plans to take care of His prize creation. God loves the world and Peter says God does not want “any to perish but all to come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9), or in other words God longs to restore the fellowship with man that was broken when man sinned. God’s plan to restore our fellowship is both unspeakable and unimaginable. God would give “His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). So God’s Son went to Calvary’s Cross to die and make possible the forgiveness of our sin. I still remember the day that I heard the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ; the story of how He died so that I might be reconciled to God.

The message of God’s love and Christ’s voluntary sacrifice is so powerful. Like Paul writes, “it is God’s power for salvation to everyone who believes” (Rom. 1:16). It speaks straight to the heart of man and offers him eternal life. God still speaks today through the message of the gospel, offering eternal life, restored fellowship with Him and a new purpose and plan for your life. This day may have begun with you hiding from God. But God has called out to you today, speaking to your greatest need, that of responding to His love and offer of salvation. Why not turn to Him, invite Him into your life and commit your life into His hands today?