Knowing God Personally
God is not “A” force, He is THE MOST POWERFUL FORCE IN THE UNIVERSE!
That is one of His attributes, omnipotence, which means “all powerful”. God created everything out of nothing! Satan is not the opposite of God! He is not omnipotent, omnipresent, nor omniscient. He is a creature, created to serve God, but his pride got in the way and caused his tremendous fall. Yes, he is powerful, but he is no match for God! He is only allowed to go so far in his efforts to destroy mankind. Remember the story of Job. God allowed Satan to torment him (but not kill him) because He had a purpose for Job’s suffering. In the end, Job realized that God was sovereign and was intimately involved in the details of every person’s life. Job finally realized that he could not possibly know or understand all the factors that play into the circumstances of human tragedy. God also brought good out of Job’s suffering by restoring all former blessings to him because of his obedience in loving his enemies after he forgave his detractors.
People may wonder why God would be personally concerned with individual human beings, but the fact is, God is extremely interested in every single human being He created. The Bible says we are God’s “masterpiece” in Ephesians 2:10.
God created each person in His own image and since He is manifested in three persons (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) everyone has inherited “personhood” from God. This means that people generally have a sound mind and the ability to form relationships with each other. Some people believe in evolution which teaches that human beings are simply the result of blind, natural processes mutating organisms randomly over millions of years. Blind, natural forces have no capacity for love or intelligent design so if evolution is true, how can people trust their own thought processes?
God is personally interested in YOU, and as a matter of fact loves you with an everlasting love, (see Jeremiah 31:3). Please read on to discover how you can begin or deepen your relationship with God.
Why Should People Try to Know God Personally?
To realize that God is your loving and caring heavenly Father may be difficult for some people who grew up with an absent or abusive Father. If that was your experience, please read Isaiah 49:14-16 which describes God as a real Father who will love you forever.
14“Yet Jerusalem says, “The Lord has deserted us;
the Lord has forgotten us.”
15 “Never! Can a mother forget her nursing child?
Can she feel no love for the child she has borne?
But even if that were possible,
I would not forget you!
16 See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands.
You may be mad at God for not answering your prayers or for allowing a loved one to die after you prayed constantly for that person to be healed. These objections to pursuing a personal relationship with God are perfectly understandable. They relate to the classic problem of evil. Why does a supposedly Good and Powerful God allow so much evil and unjust suffering to occur in the world? As mentioned above in the story of Job, God does have a purpose in allowing the suffering that people go through as a result of natural disasters such as volcanoes, earthquakes, tornadoes, and floods.
People cannot know all the hidden factors involved in each situation, but God does bring good out of evil. Sometimes, through tragedy, people reconcile with each other after years of emotional distance. Other times, people learn to face their fears and become stronger and more compassionate after being forced to handle trials and tribulations.
Another thing to consider is the fact that God gave mankind free will. Mankind used his free will to disobey God, causing the fall of man and the fall of nature (thorns, weeds, difficult childbirth, natural disasters, etc.). People continue to use their free will to cause evil and suffering by their own selfishness. Jealousy, ambition, greed, and anger have caused many men and women to commit murder because they couldn’t get what they wanted when they wanted it.
Are you holding back from getting closer to God because of your guilt? Do you believe He could never forgive you or love you because of the terrible things you have done? Many people have felt that way too, but that is the EXACT REASON JESUS CAME TO EARTH! That issue, everyone’s tremendous guilty conscience, is the reason the most famous verse in the Bible, John 3:16 was written. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
If you need more proof that God has provided a way to forgive you and be reconciled to Him, please see Romans 5:8-10:
“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”
Everyone has disobeyed God (sinned) "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way..." Isaiah 53:6 either by active or passive rebellion and as a result everyone is separated from God. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23.
Trying to please God and get to Heaven on your own merit by doing good deeds and living a good, moral life WILL NOT WORK! Jesus Christ is the ONLY WAY to get to Heaven. “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6. Faith in Jesus is what pleases God according to the Bible in Hebrews 11:6: “But without faith it is impossible to please Him. For he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” And that’s another reason why it’s worth the effort to seek to know God better, because He rewards those who do.
Jesus had the authority to say these things about Himself because He actually IS GOD! He proved it by rising again from the dead. You may need to do some research for yourself to believe the Bible is reliable on this point. A good place to start are books by Lee Strobel such as “The Case for Christ”, “The Case for a Creator”, and “The Case for Faith”. Another great resource for evidence of the historicity of Jesus is a book by author, apologist, and archaeologist Dr. Titus Kennedy called “Excavating the Evidence for Jesus”.
You may ask “Why is Christianity so exclusive?” or “How Can There Be Only One True Religion?” Truth is exclusive by nature (2 + 2 will always equal 4, not 5 or any other number), and you wouldn’t want it to be any other way. For instance, if you buy a plane ticket from Nashville to Miami, you wouldn’t want the pilot to fly to Denver just because he felt like it. You wouldn’t want anyone but you to have the login and password to your online bank account either.
God knows you intimately whether you like it or not. Another one of His attributes is omniscience which means all-knowing. This doesn’t mean that He is in Heaven watching and waiting for people to disobey Him, gleefully making another mark against them. No, as the Creator, He gave people free will. He knows that because of human nature, all people will choose to disobey His laws (the ten commandments) and try to live life their own way.
Obeying God’s laws does not make a person boring or live an unfulfilled life. On the contrary, God’s laws are for mankind’s protection. Obeying them enables a person to live a joyful, abundant, and totally fulfilling life! Yes, becoming rich will bring people status and power and enable them to purchase material things that give them pleasure. Yes, sexual freedom is pleasurable for the moment, but does it satisfy in the long run? Many people who have done these things, and obtained these things, say they felt empty inside and unfulfilled afterwards. Having gained wealth, power, and a life full of pleasure, they ended up unhappy, having hurt themselves and others because they were never satisfied.
Relativism is a worldview popular in today’s culture. In this view people believe there is no absolute truth. But is it true there is no truth? Yes, there is a standard of absolute truth, and that truth is found in Almighty God. Eternity is real, God is real, and He created each person with a conscious soul that will live somewhere forever. He wants people to live forever with Him in Heaven.
If you are trying to decide whether you want to pursue a relationship with Almighty God, it may be helpful for you to consider that God has gone to an awful lot of trouble to show human beings that even though He is invisible, He does exist, He does love people, and He does want them to know Him, love Him, and continue to learn about Him. Our knowledge of God is imperfect while we are on this earth. In 1 Corinthians 13:12 we learn: "For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face". Christians believe that Heaven is their true home, and they are only passing through until they get there. That’s why in Matthew 6:20 people are urged to “store up their treasures in heaven”. God’s Word teaches that Heaven is a far better country, a far better home. In Heaven people will have far better relationships, a far better body, and far better understanding.
That’s also why He:
· Inspired men by the Holy Spirit to write the 66 books of the Bible.
· Sent His only son Jesus Christ to Earth to teach mankind about God and His love for them.
· Made a way for people to live in Paradise with Him forever by believing that His son Jesus died for them to pay the penalty for their sins and rose again from the dead.
Getting to know God personally shows people their true purpose in life and teaches them that the problems they go through have a purpose. God uses trials and tribulation to make people stronger, wiser and better able to empathize with and help others as a result. Knowing God personally gives people hope and an eternal perspective on life.
So, think about it, there is no guarantee you will live another day. What if you died tonight? Is it worth it to wait, to indulge in sex, drugs, and the single-minded pursuit of material things? Is it the best use of your remaining time on Earth to pursue and worship the idol of self? Have you noticed that the happiest people you know are the ones who spend most of their time serving others, ultimately serving God? Why not try to get to know God better? What do you have to lose except wasting your time on things that may bring you momentary pleasure, but ultimately steal your joy? God has promised to lead and direct us with His infinite knowledge and wisdom.
How to become a CHILD OF GOD and Have a Personal Relationship with God
To begin a relationship with the God of the Bible people first need to realize that God is totally loving, forgiving, kind, and merciful, but He is also one hundred percent holy and just. Because of this, He requires that sin, rebellion, and disobedience be punished and paid for. On the cross, Jesus took all our sin on Himself and completely, fully paid for it with HIS BLOOD.
Once a person has realized and admits they are truly guilty of rebelling against their loving, holy Creator, their Heavenly Father, they must DESIRE to stop doing things they know God has commanded are WRONG. They must desire to repent, which simply means to turn in the other direction, to walk away from doing things that break God’s laws and grieves God’s heart. This is what it means to be saved. “Saved from what” you may ask. Jesus wants people to be saved from spending an eternity without Him, perpetually separated from Him and all His goodness, love, mercy, forgiveness, and loving kindness.
After a person has made a commitment to change and truly has the desire to follow Jesus, all that’s left for them to do is to tell God that they love Jesus and want Him to come into their heart to live with them forever (see Romans 10:13: “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”). A person might want to pray to God something like the following:
“Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe YOU died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior.”
After a person prays this or a similar prayer something wonderful, astounding, and amazing has happened to that person! The Holy Spirit has come to live in their heart to guide them, protect them, and comfort them forever! They have become a new creation as it says in 2 Corinthians 5:17. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
It is very important at this point for a brand-new Christian to join a local Bible believing Church, get Baptized (publicly declare your faith) and attend it regularly. The reason this is strongly suggested is because Satan would like nothing better than to drag a new believer back into their old life and become his possession. Don’t let that happen to you! A new believer needs to be discipled to become a mature Christian. All believers need the love and support of each other to survive in this ever-increasing evil world. It is also extremely important for a new believer to read the Bible regularly to learn what God has to say on every aspect of human life. They will find strength and comfort in the pages of the Bible. Finally, it is important for a new believer to pray even if they feel they don’t know how to pray. Prayer will enable them to feel closer to God. Even if your words are clumsy and you feel inadequate, pray anyway, get on your knees the first thing in the morning, praise God, thank God, and ask Him to protect and guide you throughout the day. Reading a daily devotion after you pray is helpful also and there are many phone apps or books available to help you. Pray again before you go to bed each night and thank God for His help during the day. Be sure to ask Him where you might have been selfish, dishonest, resentful, or afraid and ask Him how you could do better tomorrow. Doing these things will result in you having peace of mind and a good relationship with God as written in John 14:27: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
Here are the ABC’s of salvation, which describe the steps to salvation:
- Admit: Acknowledge that you are a sinner and that you need a Savior
- Believe: Believe that Jesus died and rose again to pay for your sins
- Confess: Confess that Jesus is your Lord and Savior
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23,
“For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance[a]: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” 1 Corinthians 15:3-4
“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” John 1:12