Sermonettes 24
Making it Personal
Someone has said, "Knowing Christ died -- that's history. Believing He died for me -- that's salvation." A personal relationship with God begins with an event Jesus referred to as a new birth (Jn.3:3). Only when we are born spiritually into God's family do we become His children, His friends, His servants, and members of His spiritual kingdom.
To begin this personal relationship, take these steps:
Admit your need. We come into this world physically alive but spirituall dead -- missing out on the quality of life for which God made us. The Bible says: "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom.3:23), "There is none righteous, no, not one" (3:10), and "The wages of sin is death" (6:23).
Realise what God has done for you. God loved us enough to send His own Son into the world to rescue us from the devastating effects of our sin (Jn.1:1-14; 3:16). Jesus died in our place, offering Himself as the perfect sacrifice to pay the price of sin. With one sacrifice, He paid for the least -- and the worst -- of our sin.
Personally believe and receive God's gift. No one is saved by trying to be good. We are saved by trusting in Christ. The Bible says,
God longs to speak to you as you read His words in the Bible, and He longs to hear from you as you talk to Him through prayer.
If you would like an additional challenge, try reading through the entire Bible in one year.
It could be that you long to know God better, but you do not have a personal relationship with Him, If so, please read, Making it Personal at the end of this pamphlet. To make the most of the coming year and to experience a joyful eternity, you need to have the right kind of relationship with Him.
Or you may have entered into a personal relationship with Him but stagnated in your discipleship because you're not sure what to do or where to go next. If so, please read, Going On at the end of this pamphlet.
It is the prayer of the New Covenant Church of God that your year will be filled with the joy that comes as a result of knowing the Lord better and finding fulfilment in living for Him. As we step into the future together, may we echo these words from the apostle Paul:
"My one thought is, by forgetting what lies behind me and straining to what lies before me, to press on to the goal for the prize of God's high call in Christ Jesus" (Phil.3:13-14, Moff.)
This page was created on 13 April 1998
Last updated on 13 April 1998
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