How to Know Jesus
You can know Jesus Christ personally. God's plan for your salvation.
Mankind's problem is separation from God. We often try to fill that void in our lives that only God can occupy with all sorts of things, many of them not healthy for the body or soul; things like materialism, self-gratification, substance abuse and sexual misconduct, just to name a few. The Word of God reminds us in Isaiah 59:2, "But your sinful acts have alienated you from God; your sins have caused Him to reject you and not listen to your prayers."
Whether or not you've ever heard that before, certainly everyone has experienced a sense of separation, a feeling of loneliness and emptiness. This is the emptiness that God wants to fill in your life. In the New Testament, Romans 5:8, the Bible says, "But God demonstrated His own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
The Scripture also teaches us that no amount of human goodness, human works, morality, or religious activity can gain acceptance with God or get anyone into Heaven. The moral man, the religious man, and the immoral and non-religious people are all in the same boat. In that sense we all fall short of God's perfect righteousness. As Christians we believe these words from Ephesians 2:8-9, "For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; it is not of works, so that no one can boast."
The good news is; God has not only perfected holiness but He is also perfect in His love and mercy. God loves you ... you need to start believing that. Because of His love and grace, God has not left us without hope and a solution. Because of what Jesus Christ accomplished for us on the Cross, the Bible tells us that "to all who have received Him, those who believe in His name, He has given them the right to become children of God" - John 1:12.
Jesus said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" while this may sound as strange to you as it did for the man Jesus first spoke those words to, just take a moment to open your heart and mind to the possibility of what it means to be able to start over with a clean record, and a fresh start as far as God is concerned. Jesus goes on to explain, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again' " - John 3:5-7.
Open your heart and ask Jesus to come into your life. Remember that God loves you and doesn't want to condemn you, not at all. Jesus said, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved through Him. The one who believes in Him is not condemned. The one who does not believe has been condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God" - John 3:16-18.
Are you ready to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?
If you are then you can say this simple prayer or one like it in your own words.
Lord I know that I am a sinner.
I am truly sorry for my sins and I want to have a new life in You and with You.
I know there is nothing I can do to earn my way into Heaven or make myself right with You, my God.
I believe it is only by the blood shed on the Cross by My Savior Jesus Christ that my sins are forgiven.
I believe that because Jesus died for me, I am a child of God and that I will live forever in His Kingdom which has no end.
My faith is in You alone, Lord Jesus Christ.
I believe, I truly do. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit as I surrender my life to You.
I ask this in Jesus' Holy Name. Amen.
If you prayed this prayer and sincerely believe it to be true, congratulations you are a Christian. Start reading the Bible, pray daily using simple conversations with God and be amazed at how the Lord will start working in your life. There is no need to feel empty ever again.
Be sure and tell others about your amazing relationship with Jesus Christ!
