Here at Cultivating Faith, we love talking about the Bible. What makes this book so absolutely unique is that it contains words given to us by God; it’s God speaking to us through different people, throughout history. And what does God keep saying: “I want a relationship with you.”
In the beginning, God created everything. Yet He uniquely created human beings to have a relationship with Him, to love and enjoy Him forever. It was perfect! (Gen 1-2, Col 1:15-17) We would honor and love Him as our gracious Creator, our Father. And God would graciously give us every good thing through a loving relationship with Him!
But when God gave the first two humans a choice whether or not to accept Him, they chose to reject Him. They sinned. And we have all sinned. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” We have all failed to live the way God created us to live, rejecting Him in our pride.
And with our horrible sin against God comes a horrible penalty. Romans 6:23 says, “The wages of sin is death…” Because of your sin, not only are you moving toward a physical death, but you are already spiritually dead. You are separated from a right relationship with God. And if you leave this life still spiritually dead, still rejecting God, you will fall into eternal death. You will receive the punishment we all deserve: eternal separation from the God we rejected and full removal from His grace.
BUT GOD did not leave us in sin. Knowing we would not choose Him even before creation, God always had a plan to save us from death and give us life again. In His great mercy and abundant love, he made a way for us to come back to Him. John 3:16 says, “For God loved the world in this way: He gave His only Son so that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”
God the Father sent God the Son into this world to live with us. The Son fully became a human being just like us, yet He lived perfectly without sin because He was still fully God. His name is Jesus and is the Christ, the One God has planned to come since the beginning (Gen 3:15; Acts 3:18).
And though He never sinned, Jesus Christ willingly laid down His life in our place. Taking our sins upon Himself and enduring the judgment of God that we deserve, Christ suffered and died on the cross for us. And through His loving sacrifice, we can now have forgiveness. And three days later He rose from the dead, overcoming death and offering us eternal life! “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 6:23).
In 2 Corinthians 5:17-18, we hear this good news: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come! Everything is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ…” Through Christ, you can be made new and reconciled to God! You can return to your Creator for the relationship you were wonderfully made to have! You can come back to the Father who loves you!
Right where you are, just as you are, be reconciled to God today!
How? By putting your faith in Jesus Christ to be your Savior and Lord.
You must trust in Christ’s death and resurrection to save you, to redeem you from sin and death, and restore your relationship with God.
True faith also involves repentance. Your faith leads you to turn from living for yourself and for the things of this world, and to turn toward living for Christ, trusting the Lord of all with control of everything. And then, ask God to save you. It’s the faith in your heart that matters, not the words of your prayer. But God said, “whosoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Rom 10:13). Here’s an example that can help you if you’re struggling to find the words:
“God, I confess that I have rejected you, I have sinned against you. But I believe that Jesus Christ alone can save me. I put my faith in His death and resurrection to redeem and to reconcile me back to you. Thank you for the forgiveness and eternal life I now have in Christ. Thank you for giving your Son in love for me. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.”
If you prayed that prayer or a prayer like it sincerely expressing your faith in Christ, we say, “PRAISE GOD!!!” We are joining in with all the angels in heaven shouting praises to God because you were dead but now, you’re alive! We are so excited for the new life you’ve been raised into and would love to know about it! Email us at cultivatingfaith.org@gmail.com to share this exciting news. As you step into this new life, here are some next steps we want to encourage you in:
- Connect with a church: Find a community of believers who can walk with you through these next steps. Christ wants people who follow Him to grow together; you cannot and should not do this alone. We highly recommend a church that understands the authority of the Scripture and central importance of the gospel.
- Be baptized: This is the first step of obedience (Matt 28:19). Baptism is an outward expression of an inward commitment; a picture of what Christ has done in your life (Rom 6:3-10). Talk to a pastor at the church about making your faith known in baptism!
- Read your Bible: Just like we live and grow by partaking of food, we grow as Christians by partaking of God’s Word found in the pages of your Bible and strive to know God more. If you don’t have a Bible, we would suggest the English Standard Version (ESV) or the Christian Standard Bible (CSB).
- Draw near in prayer: Just like any relationship, our relationship with God thrives in communication. We hear from God in His Word; we speak to God in prayer. Spend time everyday praising and thanking Him, confessing your sins and struggles, and asking for His help (Matt 6:9-13; Phil 4:6-7). Talk to Him and trust Him to work for your good!
- Commit to a church: Once you are baptized by a church, you now belong. You are part of a family where you strive to glorify God and love one another. Commit to worshipping with them weekly and studying the Bible with a group weekly. Find ways to serve with them using your gifts. Give to the ministry/mission of your church from the resources God has given you. Finally, receive the leadership and care of the pastor(s) given to you.
- Tell people about your story and God’s story: Let people know what God has done in your life! Jesus talks about sharing “the gospel”, which means good news. What you just read earlier about the work of God through Jesus Christ to redeem you—that’s the gospel! Share with people what Christ has done and love them by telling them of their need for Christ and the love of Christ for them.