 In
all the highs and the lows of life, one thing
is certain: The choices we make along the way
greatly affect the outcome. And the most important
choice we will ever make is about our relationship
with God.
The path is designed to allow us to make the
journey of life with a friend. We are all designed
to live our lives in relationship with God.
The bad news is that we all begin our journey
separated from God. The cause of this separation
is our sin.
God
says it this way:
"For all have sinned; all fall short
of God's glorious standard" (Romans 3:23).
When He says, "all have sinned; all fall
short," He means that, in our thoughts,
words, and actions, none of us have lived up
to God's standard of perfection. And our sin
not only causes us to be separated from God,
but it also earns us a penalty of death.
God
says it this way:
"For the wages of sin is death . .
." (Romans 6:23).
. . . I [God] do not leave sins unpunished (Exodus
34:7).
To make matters worse, we cannot, by our own
efforts, escape God's judgment or pay the penalty
for our sin. No amount of personal effort, good
works, or religious deeds can earn us a right
relabtionship with God.
 The
bad news is that our sin separates us from God.
The good news is that God doesn't want us to
remain separated from Him.
And since there is no way we can be perfect
or pay the penalty for our sin, God sent His
only Son, Jesus Christ, to take the punishment
for us. The good news is that Christ
gave His life to pay the penalty for our sin.
The Bible says:
"But God showed his great love for
us by sending Christ to die for us while we
were still sinners" (Romans 5:8).
"We have left God's paths to follow our
own. Yet the LORD [God] laid on Him [Jesus]
the guilt and sins of us all" (Isaiah 53:6).
Through Christ, we have the opportunity to enjoy
an intimate, personal relationship with God.
But we must respond to the offer God has made
to us. We respond by deciding to trust in Christ
alone to restore our relationship with God.
The Bible says:
"God saved you by His special favor
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" (Ephesians
2:8-9).
"Jesus said . . . 'I am the way, and the
truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father,
but through Me'" (John 14:6).
If you have chosen to trust in Christ,
you have started a relationship with God that
will continue forever. If you have not, you
can choose to begin your relationship with God
right now.
 Ask
God to forgive you for your sin.
Tell God that
you accept Christ's death on your behalf as
the only way to a relationship with God. Thank
Him for sending His Son Jesus Christ to pay
the penalty for your sin. And make a total life
commitment right now to follow God’s plan
for your life.
It's not your words that
save you. It is Christ's payment of your penalty,
a payment you receive by trusting in Him alone
as your bridge to God. If this is truly the
attitude of your heart, you now have a relationship
with God through Christ and can enjoy getting
to know and love Him. You can have confidence
in this fact because of God's promises . . .
"Anyone who calls on the name of the
Lord will be saved" (Romans 10:13).
Jesus said, "He who hears My word and
believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting
life, and shall not come into judgment, but
has passed from death into life" (John
5:24).
 Every
relationship requires attention and interaction
in order for it to grow. It's no different in
your relationship with God. There are 3 things
you can do to help ensure you stay on the path
and grow in your relationship with Him.
1) Spend time listening. For
a relationship to grow, you need to spend time
getting to know the other person. God has given
you the Bible (His word) to help you know who
He is, what He values, and how He wants your
relationship to go. If you want to know Him,
you must spend time learning what He says about
Himself through the Bible.
2) Spend time talking. You
need to share with God what is on your heart.
You can do this by talking to Him. This is called
prayer. Prayer is sharing your thoughts and
feelings with God just as you do any other friend.
Of course, God already knows everything about
you, but He still wants you to communicate with
Him about your desires and needs.
3) Spend time with others who also trust
Christ. When you place your faith in
Christ, you join a community of other people
who have placed their faith in Christ. This
community is called the church. Local churches
provide a great resource for you to deepen your
understanding of God's character. Others who
know Christ can also help you learn how to mirror
His character in your life – to become
more like Him.
Once you have made the
decision to follow Christ, you will want to
tell others about your journey.
If you have made the
decision to follow Christ, we would love to
hear about it and become a resource for you.
Please give us a call at 931.455.5461,
or contact us online at MyJourney[at]fbctullahoma.org.
If you are seeking a
local church to attend, you are welcome to visit
First Tullahoma. And, if your journey is rough
right now and you need help, we can offer assistance.
We would love to come alongside you and help
lighten the load.
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