God created you. Not only that, he
loves you so much that he wants you to know him now and spend eternity with
him. Jesus said, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son so
that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”1

Jesus came so that each of us could
know and understand God in a personal way. Jesus alone can bring meaning and
purpose to life.

What keeps us from knowing God? …

We sense that separation, that distance from God because of our
sin. The Bible tells us that “All of us like sheep have gone astray; each of us has turned to his own way.”² 

Deep
down, our attitude may be one of active rebellion or passive indifference
toward God and his ways, but it’s all evidence of what the Bible calls sin.

The result of sin in our lives is death — spiritual separation
from God.³Although we may try to get close to God through our own
effort, we inevitably fail.

There is
a distance, a gap between us and God. The arrows show our efforts to reach
God…doing good for others, religious rituals, trying to be a good person,
etc. But the problem is that none of these good efforts actually cover up our
sin or remove it.

Our sin
is known by God and stands as a barrier between us and God. Further, the Bible
says that the penalty for sin is death. We would be eternally separated from
God.

Except…for
what God did for us.

So, how can we have a relationship with God? …

Jesus Christ took all of our sins-knowing everything we have
ever done or will do-suffered and paid for them with his life on the cross.
Jesus died for us, in our place. He did this out of his tremendous love for us. 

“…he
saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his
mercy.”⁴ Because of Jesus’ death on the cross, our sin
doesn’t have to separate us from God any longer.

“For
God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes
in him will not perish but have eternal life.”⁵

Jesus is “the image of the invisible God…by him all things
were created.”⁶

Jesus not
only died for our sin, he rose from the dead.⁷ When he did, he
proved beyond doubt that he can rightfully promise eternal life — that he is
the Son of God and the only means by which we can know God. That is why Jesus
said, “I am the way, the truth and the life; no one can come to the Father
except through me.”⁸

Instead
of trying harder to reach God, he tells us how we can begin a relationship with
him right now. Jesus says, “Come to me.” “If anyone thirsts, let
him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me… out of his heart will flow
rivers of living water.”⁹ It was Jesus’ love for us that
caused him to endure the cross. And he now invites us to come to him, that we
might begin a personal relationship with God.

Just knowing what Jesus has done for us and what he is offering
us is not enough. To have a relationship with God, we need to welcome him into
our life…

The Bible says,
“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave
the right to become children of God.”¹⁰

We accept Jesus
by faith. The Bible says, “God saved you by his special favour when you
believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation
is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about
it.”¹¹

Accepting Jesus
means believing that Jesus is the Son of God, who he claimed to be, then
inviting him to guide and direct our lives.¹² Jesus said,
“I came that you might have life, and have it more abundantly.”¹³

And here is
Jesus’ invitation. He said, “I’m standing at the door and I’m knocking. If
anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in.”¹⁴

How will you respond
to God’s invitation?

Consider these
two circles:

Which circle best represents your life?

Which circle
would you like to have represent your life?

Begin a
relationship with Jesus…

You can receive Christ right now. Remember that Jesus says,
“I’m standing at the door and I’m knocking. If anyone hears my voice and
opens the door, I will come in.”¹⁵ Would you like to
respond to his invitation? Here’s how.

The precise words you use to commit yourself to God are not
important. He knows the intentions of your heart. If you are unsure of what to
pray, this might help you put it into words:

“Jesus, I want to know you. I want you to come into my
life. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sin so that I could be fully
accepted by you. Only you can give me the power to change and become the person
you created me to be. Thank you for forgiving me and giving me eternal life
with God. I give my life to you. Please do with it as you wish. Amen.”

If you sincerely asked Jesus into your life just now, then he
has come into your life as he promised. You have begun a personal relationship
with God.