About Jesus

GOD HAS BEEN PURSUING YOU!

Do you realize that God has provided a way for you to be a part of His family? It’s true! Many in our world would have you think that God is a giant cosmic policeman that exists to keeping you from having fun. Others say that God is like our grandfather, wanting to pass out spiritual goodies to all that ask. Still others feel that God is someone they can stick in their pocket like a good-luck charm, only to be used when rough times hit.

BUT WHAT DOES THE BIBLE HAVE TO SAY ABOUT GOD?

God is our Creator

Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” God is the author of all that is — the sun, moon, stars, the earth, the universe. It’s all His. By virtue of that, all things are under His control.

God is Holy

“But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy’” (1 Peter 1:15-16). Being holy means to be pure and without blemish. God cannot stand sin in His presence. That’s why He wants us to be holy so we can be with Him.

We Are Made in God’s Image

In Genesis 1:26, God says, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” God put humans in charge of overseeing His creation. We were special in His eyes. Psalm 139:14 shows just how He made us: fearfully and wonderfully! We have been created to have a relationship with Him and can only be at peace and harmony if we are in His will.

Even though God hates your Sin, He loves you!

1 John 4 says this, “God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. . . . There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. . . . We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:16, 18-19). We don’t have to fear God when we live in His love. Even though we were wonderfully made, we chose to disobey God. We as humans always lean away from God to do our what we want. We seek to find in things other than God. God is the one who puts that love in us. We cannot love God in our own strength because we have sinned. Romans 3:23 says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death.” The type of this speaks of is the type that separates us from God forever. If we have sinned and are destined to be separated from God, is there any hope?

How Can You Know God Loves You?

Romans 5:8 says, “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Yes, we have sinned. But God still showed how much He loved us by sending Christ to tear down that wall of separation that we call sin. Remember Romans 6:23, For the wages of sin is death? Theres more to that verse: . . . “but the gift of God is eternal life THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD.”

God Came to Live With Us

In John 1:14 it says, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” The Word was God-in-the Flesh, Jesus Christ. God wanted to relate to our existence here on earth, so He came to live among us. It says that, “For we do not have [One] who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus remained sinless and holy. He is called the Lamb of God (John 1:29) that was a spotless sacrifice for our sins.

And with Jesus not only being fully God, but fully Man, that makes Him a perfect representative for us. “For as by the one man’s [Adam’s] disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s [Jesus’] obedience the many will be made righteous… As sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 5:19, 21).

You see, God demanded a sacrifice for the remission of sins and Jesus’ blood had to be shed for the forgiveness of our sins ( Ephesians 1:7, Hebrews 9:27). So, Jesus shed His to pay for the penalty of our sin once and for all.

God Has Made a Way through Jesus Christ

The way we delight in Him is to believe and commit to His Son, Jesus Christ. John 14:6 says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. NO ONE comes to the Father but through Me.” How can we delight in God when we don’t embrace the way to Him? Christ is the way, Christ is the embodiment of all truth, Christ is the giver of all life — and the one who died on the cross. You cannot make your own way to God. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, For it is by grace you are saved through faith, NOT OF YOURSELVES, it is the gift of God; not of works, so that no one should boast. You cannot believe what you want and think that all things lead to God. Only Jesus is the Truth. And unless you have Jesus, you are still in your sins, because He is the LIFE.

Will You Respond to His Call?

The Gospel of John says that no one can come to the Father unless the Spirit draws Him (John 6:44). Maybe the Holy Spirit is convicting you and drawing you right now! In John 11:25, Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life. He that believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” We will all die physically, but our soul will live on. Belief and commitment to Christ means that your soul will have life and dwell with God forever. If you do not believe in Christ, you will die, meaning you will be separated from God here on earth and forever in hell. Now is the time to respond to the Spirit’s call!

1 John 1:9 says, If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us those sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. When we believe, we must confess our sins to Him one by one. Then we must repent, which means to turn away from that life of sin and turn to Christ by living our life in Him and under His rule.

Give Your Life to Jesus Christ

If you wish to give your heart to Jesus and live for Him, you can pray this prayer or put it in your own words:

“Lord, I confess that I am a sinner — a sinner who is lost and separated from you. Lord, I know you love me and sent your Son to pay for my sin. Lord, I love you because you first loved me and I give my heart to you and ask that from this point on you would be the ruler of my heart and my life. Thank you for saving me. I will live for you. In Jesus’ name, Amen! ”

If you have prayed this prayer, then you are now a part of His family. I urge you to tell somebody, and if you wish, you can send us an e-mail at boonescreekchurch@gmail.com  and talk with our pastor. Also, continually pray that God would help you. Read your Bible and find a strong, Godly, Bible-believing church so you may be strengthened by fellow believers in Christ. Those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. (Romans 8:14). Welcome to the family!!

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© 1999, 2004 by Rev. Matthew Perry. Boone’s Creek Baptist Church. 185 N. Cleveland Ave., Lexington, KY 40509. (859) 263-5466.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.