Hi everybody!
I want to tell you a little about my best friend, Jesus. We met almost 18 years ago and I feel like I”ve known Him forever! He’s the best friend anyone could ask for and although we’ve gone through some tough times together I don’t ever regret asking Him to be my friend. I’ll start at the beginning so you’ll understand why He is such a great friend.
Way back in Genesis God created us to be in relationship with Him. Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden and brought sin into the human line. Our sin makes us unholy and separates us from God, who is perfectly and thoroughly holy.
All through the Old Testament people attempted to live according to the 10 Commandments, also known as the Law. No matter how hard they tried success was impossible. In order to get right with God they had to sacrifice something of value, something important.
In ancient times, since livestock = wealth it was required to sacrifice a lamb, goat or ox in order to get right with God. The animal had to be perfect, without blemish. Those blood sacrifices covered man’s sin and allowed God to dwell in a temple in the midst of His people. This sacrifice was entirely voluntary; a choice each person made to stay in relationship with God. Unfortunately, people still kept messing up, taking God’s presence for granted.
Thankfully, God didn’t give up on people! He loved us so much He made a way for us to be with Him forever: through Jesus. Now, let me segue a minute to explain. Our God aka the Trinity because He consists of 3 different entities: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. They are all one and the same. Think how water can be liquid, ice or steam; it’s all water, it just manifests in different ways. The same is true of the Trinity.
God the Father knew we couldn’t do it on our own. He needed to help us. So, He sent His only Son (the most valuable thing He had), born through a virgin named Mary, to become the ultimate, perfect sacrifice. Jesus is sometimes called the Lamb of God. When Jesus died on the cross His blood didn’t just cover our sin; Jesus’ blood wiped our sin away!
Jesus, both wholly man and wholly God, sacrificed Himself so we could all be together with Him!
We get to be with Him on Earth and in heaven. Let me explain.
When we choose to make Jesus our Savior (to save us from our sin) the Holy Spirit comes to dwell inside of us. In the Old Testament God dwelt in a temple; now, we are the temple and when we give our life to Christ, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in us. At this point, the Holy Spirit begins to transform us as we are obedient to follow God’s way of living. Once we give our life to Jesus we see things in a different light and want to do things to please Him.
Then, when we die our Spirit lives on in heaven with God. There is NO other way to be with God and have eternal life except through Jesus.
You can begin this transformation today by saying this little prayer: Jesus, I have messed up! I need someone to save me. I believe You died on the cross for me, please forgive my sins, come dwell in me and be Lord of my life.
If you just said that prayer: Congratulations and welcome to the family of God!
Now here are some important next steps:
1. Get a Bible and start reading every day. The book of John is a good place to start. Using a devotional will help you understand what the Bible is saying. Check here for recommendations.
2. Get involved with a group of believers either in a church, a home group or on-line.
3. Don’t give up. Sometimes being a Christian is difficult but the love of God and His blessings make up for all the difficulties.
And please let me know so I can celebrate with you. Stay tuned to this blog to learn more about Jesus!