Knowing God
If you’ve been listening to our broadcast, you know that the Bible teaches the only way to have hope that never ends is through a relationship with God. We also learn from the Bible that since God is, well, God – we relate to Him on His terms, not ours. This is good news because most of us have all learned that harsh reality: we can’t find true hope on our own, so we keep searching for it elsewhere. But everything in this world will let us down at some point, but God never will.
So how do we have a relationship with God on His terms? How do we find the hope that God offers?
First, we have to recognize that our relationship with God is broken because of our disobedience to God. Even if you have never read the Bible, you could probably guess how God would want you to live (we call that a conscience) – and you would admit that even a brief survey of your daily life would be far different than what God wants. Are you willing to admit that you have disobeyed God?
The Bible also tells us that disobeying God is dangerous. Romans 6:23 tells us that because of our disobedience, we are separated from God. And, since God is the source of life, to be separate from Him means we can’t live forever on our own. Everybody dies. That isn’t how God made the world. Instead, it is what we did to it by disobeying Him. Are you willing to admit that without God, you will die without hope?
Good news! God wants you to have hope. Jesus, who is God, came and made the way for us to experience restoration with God. He never sinned. He died on the cross and took the penalty for our disobedience on Himself. Not only that, He rose from the dead in complete victory over the damage we caused: death itself was defeated. Are you willing to admit that you can’t pay for your disobedience and need Jesus to cover it for you?
So how do we gain hope in Jesus? The Bible says, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.” (Acts 16:31) Also, it says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) To receive hope through the forgiveness of God and to gain life in Jesus that never ends, you have to believe in Him. Are you ready to put your trust in Jesus for forgiveness?
Here is a prayer that can help you put faith into words:
“Jesus, I agree that I need your forgiveness. I have done things I should not have done – things you did not want me to do. Please forgive me. I trust that when you died on the cross, you paid for the punishment I should have received. I believe that you rose from the dead – and I trust that by putting my faith in you, I will live with you forever. Thank you for saving me from my disobedience and eternity without you. Amen.”
We would look forward to hearing from you if you put your faith in Jesus as a result of Lasting Hope. You can let us know what God is doing in your life by sending an email to us at greg@lastinghope.org. We look forward to hearing from you!