God's original plan was for each of us, personally,  to have our own relationship with Him.  That plan was distorted when Adam and Eve were tempted into disobeying God, breaking their perfect relationship with Him and causing all of humanity to  live in a broken world separated from God and subjected to negativity, decay and death, the consequences of sin. Because we were all born into this sin filled world and have followed the patterns of the world, we have all sinned.

 

The Bible says, 'for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God' (Romans 3:23)

 

But, out of His love for us, God sent His own Son, Jesus Christ, to rescue us from our sinful ways. He came to the earth to repair the damage caused by Adam and Eve's disobedience and to make a way for us to be reunited with God.  We are reunited with God when we personally respond to His gift of salvation and reconciliation through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ, our Saviour.

 

The Bible says, “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” (John chapter 1 verse 12)

 

This verse shows us that we become a child of God, entering into a close, personal relationship with Him, when we BELIEVE and RECEIVE.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WHAT DO WE NEED TO BELIEVE?

 

We need to believe that Jesus Christ came to the earth to deal with the problem of our sin and our separation from God.  That He suffered and died on a cross for us and His blood was the price that was paid to set us free from the punishment and death that we deserved because of our sin.  We need to believe that three days later, God raised Jesus Christ from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in Heaven. His resurrection showed the world that His sacrifice on behalf of humanity for the forgiveness of our sins had been accepted by Almighty God and that the power of sin and death had been broken. Jesus Christ was raised to life  and is alive and  seated in a place of victory, honour and power and all who believe in Him share in His victory and life.

 

 

WHAT DO WE NEED TO RECEIVE?

 

We need to receive God's forgiveness by accepting and admitting that by trying to live our lives independently of God, doing things our own way instead of His, following the patterns of this sinful world, we have sinned and caused ourselves to be separated from God.  We also need to admit that we cannot be reconciled with God by our own efforts but only by receiving the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ, as our Saviour who has made a way for us to find peace with God.

 

'For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.'

(Ephesians 2:8-9)

 

We also need to receive Jesus Christ as Lord of our lives. This means surrendering our lives – our desire to control and direct our lives by ourselves -  and allowing Jesus Christ to rule in our hearts by obeying His teachings, direction and correction.  When we receive Jesus Christ as Lord, we become His followers or disciples.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When we surrender our lives and receive Jesus Christ as Lord, we receive the gift of His  Holy Spirit.  This is the Spirit of the Lord, God Himself, who comes into our hearts and enables us to have a personal relationship with Him as we become His child.

 

'Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba, Father. So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.' (Galatians 4:6-7)

 

When we believe and receive, we become a child of God and we have the Holy Spirit living in us who helps us to grow in our knowledge and love of God. 

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                                                                            Who is the Holy Spirit?