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Christian Rock Radio's Bottomline |
Life's Purpose
For starters, we
believe that it's actually possible to have a real and
personal relationship to God. The Bible tells us:
God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,
that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have
eternal life. (The Gospel of John 3:16)
Jesus himself said that he came so that people "may
have life, and that they should have it more abundantly."
(The Gospel of John 10:10)
In fact, the Bible tells us
that God has an amazing plan he desires to work in the lives
of each individual:
For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to
do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
(Ephesians 2:10)
However, if you look around you
notice that there are very few people actually enjoying this
abundant and meaningful life. That's because there's something
which stands in our way of being able to enjoy this wonderful
plan.
Our Predicament
The reason that most people never
enjoy this real and personal relationship is because each one
of us have things in our lives which cause division between
ourselves and God. Even the best among us have made decisions
based on selfishness or pride which take us away from God's
purpose for our lives. This willful seeking after our own
desires is what the Bible calls "sin." The Bible
says:
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
(Romans 3:23)
We all, like sheep, have gone astray. Each of us has
turned to his own way. (Isaiah 53:6)
The problem is not that God doesn't
want to work in us. Rather, our sin places a barrier between
us and God, preventing us from enjoying the life God offers.
Unless the barrier is removed, this separation becomes
permanent, for the Bible tells us that "the wages of
sin is death." (Romans 6:23).
If our sin separates us from
God, how can we enjoy the abundant life that God offers?
God's Provision
Since we are all imperfect,
sinful creatures we are powerless to remove the barrier
ourselves. Fortunately, the same passage in the Bible which
warns of sin's deadly penalty also reveals the way out of our
predicament:
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God
is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
God himself has acted to break
through sin's separation on our behalf. Through his
death, burial, and resurrection, Jesus Christ has bridged the
gap between us and God:
That God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ,
not counting men's sins against them. ( 2 Corinthians
5:19)
. . .God is on one side and all the people on the other
side, and Christ Jesus, Himself man, is between them to bring
them together. . .(1 Timothy 2:5)
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the
unjust, that he might bring us to God. . .( 1 Peter 3:18)
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we
were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)
Christ has opened the way for us to
enjoy God's offer of an abundant and meaningful life. So, how
do we receive this marvelous gift?
Our Response
According to the Bible, we receive
the benefits of Christ's work into our lives by admitting our
need for him, placing our trust in what he has done and
inviting him to take control of our lives:
For it is by grace you have been saved, though faith, and
that is not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by
works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my
voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with
him and he with me. (Revelation 3:20)
But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to
become children of God, even to those who believe in his name.
(The Gospel of John 1:12)
If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe
in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will
be saved. (Romans 10:9)
If you sense that God is calling you
to accept Christ into your life, you might pray something like
this:
Dear Lord Jesus,
I admit that I am a sinner and that I
need you. I accept that God sent you to die for my sins and
raised you from the dead so that I could be brought back to
Him. Please forgive me for the wrong things I have done and
come into my life. Help me to trust you and follow you. Amen.
If you have prayed this prayer from a
sincere heart, you can have the assurance that God has heard
you and answered it. The Bible promises us "Whoever
calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
(Romans 10:13) Also, there are some things you may do to
nourish this new relationship with God:
1. Get to know God through studying the Bible and setting
aside time to talk to God about what you've read.
2. Talk to God in prayer on a regular basis. For starters, ask
him to help you with your daily struggles and to help you grow
in your understanding of him.
3. Find and join a group of fellow Christians who believe the
Bible and try to practice what it teaches. Regular fellowship
with other Christians is a great help in learning more about
God's gift of abundant life.
4. Tell others about your decision to follow Christ.
If you would like to know more about
accepting God's gift of life through Christ, please contact us
via email at online@christianrockradio.com |
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