You can know God.
Jesus did not come for people who have it together. He came for people who need rescuing, which is all of us.
You do not have to fix your life first. Come as you are.
Can we be honest?
Are you a good person? Here is a quick test.
- Have you ever told a lie?
- Have you ever stolen anything?
- Have you ever used God's name as a swear word?
- Have you ever looked at someone with lust? Jesus called that adultery of the heart.
- Have you ever hated someone? Jesus called that murder of the heart.
- Have you ever dishonored your mother or father?
That's just six of the Ten Commandments. How many have you broken?
If God judged you by that standard, would you be innocent or guilty?
You already know. Everyone who takes this test knows. That is the point.
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”Romans 3:23
That is not God being mean. A judge who lets a guilty man walk free is not a good judge. And trying harder from now on does not undo what is already done. That is heavy, we know. It does not end there.
That's why Jesus came.
God did not leave it there. He loved us too much for that. Jesus is God's Son. He lived the life we could not live, without sin, and then He chose the cross and took the punishment we had earned. He paid what we owed.
He was buried. Three days later He rose from the dead, and hundreds of people saw Him alive. He is alive today. That is how you can be forgiven and God can still be good. The price was paid. It just was not paid by you.
So what do I do now?
Forgiveness is a gift. You cannot earn it, but you do have to take it. Here are three things, and none of them is cleaning yourself up first.
Repent
Stop making excuses for your sin. Agree with God about it and turn away from it, toward Him. That is what repent means. It is a change of direction, not just feeling bad for a few days.
Believe
This is more than believing Jesus was real. It is putting your whole weight on Him to save you, the way you trust a chair to hold you when you sit down.
Pray
Talk to God right now, out loud. There is no special wording. These words do not save anyone, Jesus does, but if you mean them you can start here.
God,
I'm sorry for my sin.
Please forgive me and fix me.
I believe Jesus died in my place and rose from the dead.
With your help, I will turn from sin and follow Jesus.
Amen.
If you meant it, God heard you. He will not turn you away.
“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”Romans 10:13
Now start reading about Jesus. The Gospel of Luke is a good place to begin. It is a book in the Bible, and a few pages a day is plenty.
You do not have to figure this out alone.
Whether you just prayed, or you are still thinking it over, leave your name and a real person will write back.
We can help you find a Bible, find a good church near you, answer your questions, and pray for you.