How to Know God Personally

“Indeed, the right time is now. Today is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2)

“16For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:16–17)

Why This Matters

Perhaps you’ve wondered...

• Is there really a God?

• Can I know Him personally?

• Can my sins truly be forgiven?

• Is eternal life certain?

• Can anyone really be saved?

The answer to each of these questions is yes.

The greatest need of every person is not simply to become a better person—it is to be reconciled to God. The wonderful news is that God has already done everything necessary to make that possible through His Son, Jesus Christ.

The Bible calls this salvation.

What Is Salvation?

Salvation is God’s gracious work of rescuing sinners from the penalty and power of sin and restoring them to a right relationship with Himself through Jesus Christ.

It is not something we earn.

It is not something we deserve.

It is God’s free gift, received by grace through faith.

“God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.” (Ephesians 2:8)

Why Do I Need Salvation?

The Bible teaches that every one of us has sinned.

“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” (Romans 3:23)

Sin separates us from our holy Creator.

We were created to know God, love Him, worship Him, and enjoy fellowship with Him forever. Yet instead of seeking Him, we naturally seek our own way. We try to satisfy the deepest longings of our hearts through relationships, possessions, success, pleasure, or achievement, but none of these can satisfy the soul that was created for God.

The result of sin is death.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

Without God’s intervention, we remain separated from Him and face His righteous judgment.

Why Does God Save Us?

Because He loves us.

God did not wait for us to become worthy.

He loved us while we were still sinners.

“But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” (Romans 5:8)

From the very beginning, God’s plan was to reconcile sinners to Himself through His Son.

Jesus Christ came into the world to live the perfect life we could never live, to die in our place on the cross, and to rise from the dead, conquering sin and death forever.

Through His sacrifice, our sin debt was completely paid.

“God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them.” (2 Corinthians 5:19)

Can God Save Me?

Absolutely.

God’s invitation is extended to everyone who comes to Him in repentance and faith.

“The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise... He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.” (2 Peter 3:9)

No matter what you have done...

No matter how far you’ve wandered...

No matter how ashamed or unworthy you feel...

Jesus Christ is able to save completely everyone who comes to Him.

His grace is greater than your greatest sin.

How Do I Receive God’s Gift of Salvation?

The Bible calls us to respond to the gospel in repentance and faith.

1. Recognize your need.

Acknowledge that you are a sinner who cannot save yourself.

2. Repent.

Repentance means agreeing with God about your sin and turning away from trusting yourself to trusting Jesus Christ alone.

Repentance is more than feeling sorry for sin. It is a change of heart that results in a changed direction.

3. Believe.

Believe that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose again.

Trust Him alone—not your goodness, your church attendance, your baptism, or your religious works—to save you.

“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

God promises that everyone who truly repents and believes in Jesus Christ will be saved.

What Does Not Save You?

The Bible is equally clear about what cannot save us.

You are not saved by:

• saying a prayer

• walking an aisle

• raising a hand

• being baptized

• joining a church

• trying harder

• living a good life

These may all be meaningful responses to God’s work, but none of them can remove your sin.

Only Jesus Christ saves.

What Happens When You Trust Christ?

The moment you place your faith in Jesus Christ:

• Your sins are completely forgiven.

• God declares you righteous because of Christ.

• You become God’s child.

• The Holy Spirit comes to live within you.

• You receive eternal life.

• God begins transforming you into the likeness of His Son.

Your salvation rests not on your performance but on God’s finished work through Jesus Christ.

What Should I Do Next?

If today you have trusted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior:

• Be baptized in obedience to Christ.

• Begin reading God’s Word every day.

• Spend time talking with God in prayer.

• Find a Bible-believing church where Christ is faithfully preached.

• Tell someone what God has done in your life.

Following Christ is not merely the beginning of a new religion.

It is the beginning of a new life.

A Final Invitation

God is speaking to you through His Word today.

The question is not whether He is willing to save.

He has already demonstrated His love by giving His Son.

The question is whether you will trust Him.

The Bible says,

“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:13)

God’s invitation is open today. Christ has done everything necessary to save you. Will you trust Him?

If today you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ, I would be honored to rejoice with you, pray for you, and help you begin your journey of following Him. Please leave a comment below or contact me. It would be my privilege to encourage you as you grow in your faith.

Living on the Edge

Have you noticed the proliferation of extreme reality shows on television? It would seem the new drug of choice is adrenaline. Folks seek out the sensation of having their hearts pound practically out of their chest, feeling blood rush to their brains, and gasping for breath. I have never been much of a risk taker, but I can understand the underlying quest for excitement and the head rush that accompanies it. Interestingly enough, this is not a new phenomenon. Folks have sought excitement throughout history. It is a part of our human nature. What has changed is that there are now a variety of new ways to experience that adrenaline rush.

Have you considered that one of the most extreme and daring things that anyone can do is to live intentionally and openly for Christ in a secular world? Would you be willing to go against the flow of what's considered popular or politically correct to live your life for Jesus? It's easy to be a good Christian at church, or when you're surrounded by Christian friends, but what about when you're at school or at the mall or on the job?

Christians in other parts of our world are suffering persecution and even death because of their faith in Christ. I cannot imagine that bungee jumping or hang-gliding could begin to provide the adrenaline rush caused by being chased by machine gun- or machete-wielding Christ haters. We see and hear news reports virtually every day about religious persecution, pastors being imprisoned, Christians being beheaded, and churches being destroyed all over the world. Even with the unrest and much of the anti-American violence we see in the news every day, we truly have no idea how very good we have it here in America. In other parts of the world, living a life that is consistent with the teachings of Christ can, and often does, cost individuals their freedom and sometimes their lives. Would you be willing to live according to God's standards no matter what it costs you?

If you're an adrenaline junkie, I challenge you to consider trying the most extreme reality that I can imagine, which is living for Jesus 24/7/365. Even though we in America are still blessed with religious freedom, living for Jesus is not for the faint of heart. Ask someone who has done it consistently. They will likely tell you that it has cost them friends and sometimes family. They might tell you of times when they have been insulted or bullied when sharing their beliefs or taking a stand for what is right. Jesus warned Christians that we would be "persecuted for righteousness' sake," but He also reminded us that we will be blessed in proportion to how well we endure such persecution. (Matthew 5:10-12)

If you're one who loves to live on the edge and who craves adrenaline highs, let me challenge you to try the ultimate extreme! Try living for Jesus Christ for one full day in front of your family, your friends, and even strangers. Better yet, live a Christ-like life when no one is around, when it's just you and God! After all, the true test of godliness and Christian character is how one acts when no one but God is watching!

How Can I Know I'm Genuinely Saved?

“Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves.” (2 Corinthians 13:5a)

Every person who has genuinely placed his or her faith in Jesus Christ receives the indwelling Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation. From that moment on, the Holy Spirit begins transforming the believer from the inside out, producing a life that increasingly reflects the character of Christ. While no Christian is perfectly Christlike in this life, genuine salvation will inevitably be evidenced by the spiritual fruit the Holy Spirit produces.

The question is not whether a genuine Christian ever sins, but whether the overall direction of his or her life increasingly reflects the transforming work of the Holy Spirit.

“You can detect them by the way they act, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit. You don’t pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles” (Matthew 7:16 NLT).

Let’s look at some more of the characteristics of a genuine follower of Christ.

• A true Christian, first and foremost, is one who has believed in and confessed publicly that Jesus is Lord!
  
  

“For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved” (Romans 10:9-10 NLT).

• A genuine believer acknowledges Jesus Christ and the only way to salvation.
  
  

“Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me’” (John 14:6 NLT).

• A follower of Christ holds to the Truth in love and becomes more like Jesus Christ every day.
  
  

“Instead, we will hold to the truth in love, becoming more and more in every way like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church” (Ephesians 4:15 NLT).

• One who belongs to Christ has an attitude that is the same as Jesus’ attitude.
  
  

“Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had” (Philippians 2:5 NLT).

• A Christian bases what he believes, who he is, and what he does on the inerrant, infallible, and eternal Word of God.
  
  

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. It is God’s way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT).

“Forever, O LORD, your word stands firm in heaven” (Psalm 119:89 NLT).

• A true believer follows God’s example in all that he does.
  
  

“Follow God’s example in everything you do, because you are his dear children” (Ephesians 5:1 NLT).

• A lover of Christ loves what God loves, hates what He hates, says only what God says, and does only what God wants.
  
  

“Jesus replied, ‘I assure you, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does’” (John 5:19 NLT).

“But I do nothing without consulting the Father. I judge as I am told. And my judgment is absolutely just, because it is according to the will of God who sent me; it is not merely my own” (John 5:30 NLT).

• A Spirit-filled Christian is controlled by the Holy Spirit of God and exhibits the fruit of the Spirit.
  
  

“But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law.” (Galatians 5:22 NLT).

• A Christ follower loves God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength.
  
  

“Jesus replied, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment’” (Matthew 22:37-38 NLT).

• A sincere Christian exemplifies agapé love and lives out what Jesus called the second greatest commandment, to love his neighbor as himself.
  
  

“A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matthew 22:39 NLT).

• A true Christian loves others in the same way that Jesus loves him.
  
  

“I command you to love each other in the same way that I love you.” (John 15:12 NLT).

• A Christian servant boldly proclaims His Word persistently regardless of the time or circumstance, and who corrects, rebukes, and encourages other believers using God’s Word as his basis.
  
  

“Preach the word of God. Be persistent, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2 NLT).

• An obedient Christian obeys God rather than man.
  
  

“But Peter and the apostles replied, ‘We must obey God rather than human authority’” (Acts 5:29 NLT).

• A faithful Christian obeys God and by so doing has the assurance that they belong to Him.
  
  

“And how can we be sure that we belong to him? By obeying his commandments. If someone says, ‘I belong to God,’ but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and does not live in the truth” (1 John 2:3-4 NLT).

“This is the message we have heard from the beginning: We should love one another” (1 John 3:11 NLT).

• A Christ follower follows the example of Christ.
  
  

“And you should follow my example, just as I follow Christ’s” (1 Corinthians 11:1 NLT).

• An imitator of Christ does not copy the world’s ways, but has allowed God to change him and the way he thinks so that he always does what God wants.
  
  

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is” (Romans 12:2 NLT).

• A lover of Christ hates the world and rejects what it has to offer.
  
  

“Stop loving this evil world and all that it offers you, for when you love the world, you show that you do not have the love of the Father in you” (1 John 2:15 NLT).

While no genuine Christian is ever perfect in this life, every genuine Christian should be growing. As the Holy Spirit continues His transforming work, believers increasingly obey Christ’s commands, reflect His character, and bear the fruit that identifies them as His disciples. These qualities do not earn God’s acceptance; rather, they are the visible evidence of a life that has been genuinely transformed by His saving grace.

“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” (Philippians 1:6)

The Power of Spoken Words

Speak the following out loud:

1.       I belong to God. (John 17:9)

2.       I am protected by the power of His name. (John 17:11)

3.       I am kept from the evil one. (John 17:15)

4.       I have been justified through faith. (Romans 5:1)

5.       I have peace with God through Jesus. (Romans 5:1)

6.       I am saved from God’s wrath. (Romans 5:9)

7.       I have died to sin with Christ. (Romans 6:3)

8.       I am no longer under the law, but under grace. (Romans 6:14)

9.       There is no condemnation of me in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1)

10.   God’s Spirit now dwells in me. (Romans 8:9)

What you just did was to confess, out loud, truth from God's Word. What happened while you were doing that is that you were speaking truth and hearing truth at the same time. God’s Word says, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17 NKJV). All faith comes from God and is increased by reading and speaking His Word.

Successful educators will tell you that people—children especially—learn best and retain more of what they learn when they use as many of their senses as possible during the learning process. Reading God’s Word out loud uses one’s visual and auditory senses. Writing down what one reads involves the sense of touch. This process is a practical way to learn and retain God’s Word, but according Romans 10:17 above, hearing the Word increases one’s faith.

I have found that reading and speaking God’s Word out loud not only helps me to remember it, but also fulfills Romans 10:17 in my life.

“I only want to learn this from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by hearing with faith?...So then, does God supply you with the Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law or by hearing with faith” (Galatians 3:2,5 HCSB)?

The above verses bring to mind two other Scripture passages about faith: James 2:26 and Hebrews 11:6.

“Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.”

(James 2:26 NLT).

“Good works” in conjunction with faith in this context represent the applying of our faith to the process of speaking and hearing God’s Word.

“And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him” (Hebrews 11:6 NLT).

The faith that pleases God in this context is the faith applied to the process of speaking and hearing God’s Word.

“What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see” (Hebrews 11:1 NLT).

Faith is reality for the believer, even when that reality is not yet visible! Some versions use the term substance. Substance is virtually the essence of life itself. Faith is also the evidence of what we cannot yet see.

“…That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, ‘I have made you the father of many nations.’ This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who brings into existence what didn't exist before’” (Romans 4:17 NLT).

God spoke light into existence. He spoke space between the waters of heaven and the waters of earth. He spoke, and grass sprang up, and trees bore fruit. When God speaks, what He speaks happens! When we hear God speak and believe what He says, faith happens!

“If you confess that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised him from death, you will be saved. For it is by our faith that we are put right with God; it is by our confession that we are saved” (Romans 10:9,10 GNT).

Based on this passage, it is by our faith that we are made right with God. Our confession is agreeing with what God has said and proclaiming it openly. This combination of profession and possession is what secures our salvation.

Confession in this context is speaking the truth, or saying what God has already said! Confessing God’s truth builds our faith. Believing and confessing lies, however, has a totally negative effect.

Have you ever made statements like “I hate my hair!”, “My knees are too bony.”, “I’m too fat.”, “I’m too skinny.”, “I’m too stupid to understand math.”, or “I’ll never amount to anything.”? Or has someone else made such negative statements about you, and you believed them?

What you are doing when you speak negative and untrue words to yourself and believe them is, in effect, reinforcing your belief in what is not true about you. Hearing and believing negative things that others (including the devil) say about you has the same effect. Scripture admonishes us to confess what God has said so that we fill our hearts with His truth. Listen to what Jesus said to the Pharisees.

“You snakes—how can you say good things when you are evil? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of” (Matthew 12:34 GNT).

According to this verse, evil words come from evil hearts and good words come from good hearts.

If you consider the “whole counsel” of God in the matter of confession and faith, you will discover that what you believe and speak openly matter greatly.

“Words of thanksgiving and cursing pour out from the same mouth. My friends, this should not happen! No spring of water pours out sweet water and bitter water from the same opening. A fig tree, my friends, cannot bear olives; a grapevine cannot bear figs, nor can a salty spring produce sweet water” (James 3:10-12 GNT).

There's an old saying that “what goes down in the well comes up in the bucket.” Whatever you believe and speak the most is what ultimately fills your heart. Do you see, then, why it’s important to be careful what you say?

Let’s look at the power of confession from Jesus’ perspective.

“I assure you that if you have faith as big as a mustard seed, you can say to this hill, ‘Go from here to there!' and it will go. You could do anything!” (Matthew 17:20b).

“Jesus answered, ‘I assure you that if you believe and do not doubt, you will be able to do what I have done to this fig tree. And not only this, but you will even be able to say to this hill, “Get up and throw yourself in the sea,' and it will. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer’” (Matthew 21:21-22 GNT).

“For this reason I tell you: When you pray and ask for something, believe that you have received it, and you will be given whatever you ask for. And when you stand and pray, forgive anything you may have against anyone, so that your Father in heaven will forgive the wrongs you have done” (Mark 11:24-25 GNT).

“Ask, and you will receive; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you” (Luke 7:7).

Do you see a common thread in all these verses? They all are about making our requests known to God. And how do we do that? By asking!! Asking is believing and speaking or confessing what we want, and as long as what we want is what God wants for us, He guarantees that we will receive whatever we ask for. But first we must ask.

“You do not have what you want because you do not ask God for it” (James 4:2 GNT).

Let me sum up for you why it is important to speak God’s Word.

God’s Word…

• …always produces fruit, accomplishes all He wants it to, and prospers everywhere He sends it. (Isaiah 55:11)
• …is pure. (Proverbs 30:5)
• …nourishes the spirit. (Luke 4:4)
• …always bears fruit. (Luke 8:15)
• …blesses those who hear it and keep it. (Luke 11:28)
• …cannot be broken. (John 10:38)
• …grows and multiplies. (Acts 12:24)
• …works in those who believe. (1 Thessalonians 2:13)
• …is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword. (Hebrews 4:12a)
• …is the discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12b)
• …framed the worlds. (Hebrews 11:13)
• …is JESUS! (Revelation 19:13)
  

Boldly Speak Your Christian Testimony

A testimony is a simple statement or declaration about something someone has experienced, such as eyewitness testimony in a trial. Your Christian testimony is your story about your salvation and how and why you chose to accept God’s free gift. It should include three things:

1.  How you came to hear and respond to the Gospel

2.  How you responded (i.e., your actual conversion experience)

3.  How your conversion has made your life different

What impact has hearing the testimonies of others had on you? Have they strengthened your faith? Have they encouraged you?

The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Church in Colosse, explains how the testimonies of others can encourage us.

“Let the words of Christ, in all their richness, live in your hearts and make you wise. Use his words to teach and counsel each other. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts” (Colossians 3:16 NLT).

Speaking, teaching, and even singing are all forms of confessing or speaking the truth. Praise is a very powerful form of confession in which we speak or sing back to God what He has revealed to us about Himself in Scripture. We can do this corporately (as a group) or individually. Either way, there is power in praise.

Speaking the truth is so powerful that in Revelation, believers…

“… won the victory over [the devil] by the blood of the Lamb and by the truth which they proclaimed;…” (Revelation 12:11a GNT).

Faith and confession are directly proportionate. Your faith will only increase as does the frequency of your confession. Confession is to faith what thrust is to an airplane. Thrust is the amount of lift applied to an aircraft’s wings determined by the forward speed of the aircraft. The faster the aircraft travels in a forward direction, the more lift it produces on its wings. The more you confess truth, the more your faith increases.

So it is with confession. The more you confess God’s Word (out loud), the more your faith increases. And since faith is reality for believers, increasing our faith increases our acceptance of God’s reality in our lives.

This is the true power of spoken words!