New Life

YOU WERE MADE FOR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD!    That's the reason you find yourself seeking answers and meaning- because God put Himself in us and it's our job to make the connection,  to seek Him, believe on/in Him and follow Him.   Go back and read Genesis 2 and see that God created you,  and "breathed life into you".   That is called the "soul", and thus you have a dual nature-  a physical body  and a spiritual soul.

Psalm 139:13-16 reminds us that God is still in the creating business and that no life begins without Him.   You are "fearfully and wonderfully made" because you were made by a wonderful God who made you who you are,  and He has a wonderful plan for your life.

Here's the challenge:  to move from SELF to GOD.   You've been raised in a society that tells you everything is about you,  that everything exists for you.    The truth is,  it's not about us,  it's all about God.  We exist because of Him,  and we need Him to find meaning and purpose in life.

So here's the steps:

1-  Understand God is Holy and Just.   He's not like us.  He is holy- "set apart, different" from all other things.  He made us,  and He loves us- but He declares how we are to live,  what behaviors are right and wrong and defines how we must come to Him.  He is just, in that He will not those who are guilty come to Him,  and will punish those who reject Him and His will.

2- That Makes Us Sinners:  the Bible says everyone is a sinner (Romans 3:23) and that the wages of our sins is death- hell  (Romans 6:23).   You may be a good person, even a great person,  but you are guilty of violating His ways/will and that makes you a sinner.  And sin separates us from God.

3- You Can't Save Yourself:  the world tells us we can buy our way out of a mess,  maybe talk our way out,  or at least do enough good things to earn heaven.   But they all fail. This is God we're talking about- the Creator of all- how much money do you have,  what can you possibly say to sway Him or what could you possibly do to earn His favor?  The Bible says there is nothing we can  do to earn or deserve heaven.  (Ephesians 2:8-9)

4- Believe In/On Jesus Christ:  Jesus was not simply a man, nor was He even a prophet of God.  He was and is the very Son of God-  with God in the very beginning helping Him create the world (John 1),  and was and is with God in heaven reigning over earth.  God demands a blood sacrifice for sins to be forgiven,  so to fix this once and for all,  He sent Jesus to this earth to teach us , demonstrate His love and power, model for us how to live- then to die on a cross as a blood sacrifice for us to be forgiven (John 3:16).   Then He rose from the dead and returned to Heaven.   Now here's the catch:  there's no other way to get to heaven, to get to God but through Jesus. Period.  (John 14:6)

5- :  Believe, Confess, Repent & Receive:  believing is called faith- you believe Jesus is the Son of God and died on the cross to forgive sins;  you transfer trusting yourself to trusting Christ with your life.   You confess that you are a sinner who can not save yoursellf.  You repent of your sins-  you express sorrow for committing sins and seek to stop doing it.  Then you receive Jesus Christ as your Savior!!    (Romans 10:8-10)

This is called "salvation"-  saved,  born again, new life.  It's the beginning point of a lifelong journey with God with the goal of becoming a "passionate, fully devoted follower of Christ!"