Why am I here?
Has that question ever crossed your mind? Do you wonder what gives life meaning? Has everything you tried just given you momentary happiness then fades away? This is a normal quest for everyone. We are seeking something but we do not always know how to find it. We are seeking a relationship, a meaningful, satisfying, relationship with someone who knows all our faults and shortcomings yet loves us anyway. We want someone who is always there, who forgives us when we fail. We search for people, fads, entertainment, worldly goods, religions, but we still come up empty.
It’s a relationship you were created for.
We seek this relationship because we were created to have this relationship, and it is simple to get!
“For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; ALL THINGS WERE CREATED BY HIM AND FOR HIM.” EXACTLY! This is it! Who is this person? This quote is from Colossians 1:16 NIV. You were created by Jesus for Jesus. He created you to have a close, loving relationship with Him. That is why you are here. There is no other complicated reason. It is all very simple. He loves you and He wants you to love Him.
But it is a relationship you do not have because of what you have done.
“We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:6 NIV
We all, by our nature, do things our own way. God defined the way we are supposed to live, but we have all turned away from that way and have done it our way. That is what is meant by the word sin. Sin is not doing it God’s way, but doing it our way. Like it or not, God created this world and He makes the rules. He set down the rules for Adam and Eve and they disobeyed and did it their way. The punishment was swift and decisive. Separation from God. Death.
“But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.” Isaiah 59:2 NIV
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23 NIV
Our sin is a death sentence, and that death sentence MUST be paid. There are no exceptions.
It’s a relationship you can have because of what Jesus did.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV
Grace is a free gift, totally undeserved. Jesus is offering you this free gift because He does not want anybody to be able to brag about having the gift when you do not. He does not want you not to have the gift because you cannot afford it. It is free. It costs you nothing. Why?
“This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.” Acts 2:23-24 NIV
Jesus gave His life willingly, nobody forced Him. He was nailed to the cross by men and He died. God raised Him from the dead and He lives today. God conquered death when He raised Jesus. Jesus died to pay the death penalty for all. He was able to pay it because He is the only person to ever walk this earth who never sinned in His life.
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6 NIV
Jesus said it all. He is the ONLY way to God. Religion is man’s attempt to reach up to God and it always fails. God reached down from heaven and sent His Son, Jesus. Jesus walked the earth, died to pay our debt, then arose to live again. He is the only way to God, there is no other way. And it is all part of God’s plan to give you a way to live with Him forever. Remember why the Bible says you were created in the first place?
Read this promise from the Bible. Put your name in the blanks. When Jesus died, He knew your name. He did it personally for you and He wants to give you this gift.
"For God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16 NIV
Personalize this promise:
GOD LOVES _______ SO MUCH THAT HE GAVE HIS ONE AND ONLY SON THAT IF _______ BELIEVES IN HIM, THEN _______ SHALL NOT PERISH, BUT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE."
IT’S A RELATIONSHIP YOU MUST CHOOSE
There is no such thing as a one-way relationship. You do not want one in your life and neither does God. God did His part when He sent His Son to die for you, to pay your death penalty.
“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” Acts 3:19 NIV
Repent, another one of those religious words. What does it mean? Repent simply means to turn away from. Turn your back on doing things your way and turn towards Jesus, to do things His way. A simple concept. Turn away from one thing and turn towards something else. Jesus is waiting with His arms wide open. This is a choice that He is not going to force on you. He wants you to make up your own mind and to follow Him because you want to.
You must choose to turn away from the self-centered life and turn towards the Christ-centered life.
Self-centered life
You are doing things your way. This is called sin. God cannot live in the presence of sin. If you want to be happy, to have purpose, to have that great love relationship…
Christ-centered life
Believing in Christ is like a drowning person grabbing the outstretched hand of a lifeguard and saying, “You’re my only hope!” You cannot save yourself. You are drowning, there is no hope. You are going to die. Christ is reaching down with His hand to save you, but you must reach out and grab His hand. God’s way is the way we would want for ourselves if we only knew the truth, if we were smart enough to know all consequences of our actions.
Sin-gap gone
When you put total trust in Jesus to be your personal rescuer from your personal sin, the sin-gap is gone forever. The hole in your heart is filled. You are home. If you want to begin this relationship you were made for, you can tell Him that right now by talking with God through prayer.
It’s all about Jesus
“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:20 NIV
“To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne." Revelation 3:21
So what do I do? Talk to God and ask for the free gift, the greatest and most valuable gift you can ever receive. Pray this prayer, mean it, and Jesus will save you. You will be saved forever and nobody can ever take that away from you, no matter what they say. You will belong to Him. Just as He promised, you will sit with Him on His throne. He truly loves you that much.
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“Dear God, I know that I am a sinner. I know that you love me and want to save me. Jesus, I believe you are the Son of God. I believe you died on the cross to pay for my sins. I now turn from my sin and, by faith, receive you as my personal lord and savior. Come into my heart, forgive my sins, and save me, Lord Jesus. In your name I pray, Amen.”
These Kingdom Servants pages are written and maintained by Ken Pugh
Revised February 15, 2009