| HOW
TO BE RIGHT WITH GOD
by Pastor Claude
Have you ever looked back in your life
and wished you could start over? Millions of people have that
wish every day. Sometimes it has to do with their job or career,
sometimes with their marriage or a relationship, and sometimes
with choices and decisions made in life.
Wouldn't it be great if you could change
the past, correct your mistakes and start all over again?
I would like that very much, because I've made many mistakes
in life, and I'm sure you have, too. But you and I know that
is wishful thinking. You can't change the past. |
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Pastor Claude with his family: wife Rachel and sons Zack(l) and
Andrew(r). Prior to Crossroads, Pastor Claude ministered
at churches in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. He is a graduate
of Philadelphia Biblical University, Biblical Theological
Seminary, and more recently received a Doctor of Ministry
from Dallas Theological Seminary.
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| This desire to start over
is even stronger when we think about God. Down deep we know
that God is real. We can't see Him, touch Him, or audibly
hear Him, but we know He exists. It's hard to explain how
or why we know this, but we do. And because we do, we try
to do all kinds of things to get Him to like us, and look
upon us with favor. But no matter how hard we try, we always
have that annoying feeling that we're not right with God.
Don't you wish you could be right with
God, and start a brand new relationship with Him? A relationship
that is not dependent upon anything you do, but upon what
God wants to do for you and in you. This is not wishful thinking;
it is exactly what God wants to do in your life. Here's what
the Bible says: |
John 3:16 |
God loves us
so much that He sent His only Son to come to earth, and everyone
who believes in Him will not suffer eternal death, but instead
receive eternal life. |
John 17:3 |
God wants us to know Him.
Contrary to what we think God is not playing hide-and-go-seek with us. He sent Jesus
to reveal what He is like, so that as we come to know Jesus,
we realize what God is like. |
John 14:6,7 |
You can only know God through Jesus.
Why would the Son of God come to earth if there were other ways to come
to know God? Jesus Himself said that He is the way –
He is the truth – He is the life. No one come to the
Father except through Him. (Read Acts 4:12 also.) |
Isaiah 59:2 |
Sin presents a real problem for us.
The problem is that it separates us from God. We all have sinned and fall
short of God's ideal for us (Romans 3:23). In essence God
is on one side and we are on the other side, and between us
there's a grand canyon that separates us from Him (1 Timothy
2:5). |
Romans 6:23 |
The consequence of our sin is death and judgment.
Sin causes us to miss God's very best for our lives here and now
(John 10:10), and to face the penalty of eternal death and
judgment. |
Isaiah 53:5,6 |
Jesus paid the price for our sins.
He willingly took our sins upon Himself. He suffered and died, so that we wouldn't
have to. He rose again to prove that He really was God in
the flesh, and that He has power over death. Because He lives
He can give life to all who come to Him (1 Thessalonians 4:14-18). |
Ephesians 2:8,9 |
The
Good News is that God wants to give us an incredible gift.
God wants to give you the gift of forgiveness
and salvation. We need salvation and forgiveness from our
sins. We can't earn it, buy it, or work for it, because it
is a gift–God's gift. But a gift doesn't become ours
until we receive it. |
Here's how you can receive God's great gift of salvation and forgiveness:
A
Acknowledge
your need |
Come
clean with God and admit your need to receive God’s
forgiveness and salvation. |
B
Believe the
Good News |
Jesus Christ
died in your place and rose again to be your Savior and to
provide forgiveness for your sins. Do you believe that? If
you really don't believe that, you need to reread this article
and think about your eternal future. The truth is that without
faith you're lost. If you don't have this kind of faith, ask
God to give it to you. |
C
Choose to invite Christ
into your life |
Pray in the simplest way you know
how and tell God of your desire to receive His wonderful
gift of forgiveness and salvation, and to have Jesus Christ
come into your life and teach you how to live for Him. |
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This is how you make things right with God. This is how you can have
a fresh start with God.
If you've done that, or if you have additional questions, I would
love to hear from you. You may contact me at pastorc@ptd.net
or call me at 570-386-4880. Would you also consider connecting
with other believers at Crossroads. We would love to get to know
you and your family. Crossroads is a church for people like you.
Browse through our web site and get to know us better.
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Warmly in Christ,
Pastor Claude
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