Seeking God? Print
Welcome to what may be the most life-altering webpage of your life!  Since you have come to this page, it is obvious that you have been searching earnestly to find out the purpose for your existence, and you hunger for answers to many questions that you have posed over the years.  Perhaps you have a void in your heart that hasn't been filled by anything that you have placed your hopes in, or you are dealing with personal trauma such as the death of a loved one or other family troubles.  Maybe you are tired of the endless cycle of frustration that surrounds you, and you are open to hearing about Someone who is concerned with your every need...  Someone who will never betray or let you down.

At this time, I want to introduce you to the One who can fulfill your every need, despite all arguments to the contrary.  You have heard about Him frequently, and He has been the subject of many debates, but until now you have probably never been presented with the truth about His life and what He represents.  His name is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the One who died in our place so that all men would have the opportunity to live in eternal serenity, restored to our rightful place and privileges as originally intended by God..

Before moving on, I simply ask that you open your mind and permit me to share some things that will refute the stereotypes presented in the media.  I only ask that you spare a few minutes to journey with me down:

The Roman Road

Romans 3:10-12 - As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

The fall of Adam ushered in countless generations of people who were tainted by the ravages of sin, destined to be subdued by their baser instincts for survival and  self-gratification at the expense of others or in direct violation of God's purpose and will for our lives.  If we truly examine our hearts, motives and attitudes concerning daily situations, can most of us honestly state that we have had pleasing God at the forefront of our minds?  In the passage above, the word "unprofitable" means "rendered worthless or spoiled," which illustrates how far we have drifted from God's original intent for His greatest creation.  Despite that fact, each of us will have to account for all of our actions, thoughts and even the intent of our hearts before a perfect and faultless God, hoping that He'll accept our petty excuses for our shortcomings.

Just think of it: throughout all history and our current population of over 6 billion people, not one individual on his own merit has ever been deemed worthy of acceptance into the kingdom of God, let alone before His presence.  Even Jesus, who lived a sinless life, had to subject Himself to being obedient to every command of His Father, relinquishing His mortal desire for self-preservation in the garden of Gethsemane in favor of sacrificing His life as God intended.  Because He was tempted in every manner as we were, but refused to yield to these temptations, Jesus was worthy to sacrifice Himself for a fallen world.

Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God

This is a simple statement, but one of the biggest obstacles to people believing that they have a need for salvation.  After all, most of us are fairly responsible, reliable, and caring individuals, aren't we?  None of us would admit that we are perfect, but in comparison to the criminals that we see on the news and such infamous persons such as Adolf Hitler and Charles Manson, we are far removed from their destructive types of behavior.

However, you have to understand that you are comparing yourself with other human beings, while the actual criteria for perfection can only be based on God.  When you realize that He is perfect and has never had an evil thought or committed an irresponsible act, our actions and thoughts take on a much harsher perspective.

Imagine this: presenting your life before a perfect God who, despite His love, has no tolerance for imperfection, and having to explain your shortcomings.  Every act, thought, deed, word, and even the things that you have hidden in shame from others will all be uncovered and called into account.  Even if you are the best person by human standards, you cannot honestly state that you've never experienced anger or jealousy, failed to commit an act that merited punishment, or even done minor things such as gossip.  Any one of these things will cause you to fall short of God's expectations of you, and each of us yields to these temptations daily.

The problem that we have to face in consideration of this matter is that if we've ever completed one act or had one thought or attitude of the heart that is contrary to God's will for mankind or our lives, we have failed to meet His criteria for entering Heaven and eternal life with Him after we die.  This may sound grim, but before you get frustrated or depressed, read on and I promise you that we'll eventually reach some good news.

Romans 5:8 - But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Now this is a puzzling statement: Jesus Christ, who died over 2000 years ago, died for the sins against God of someone who is currently living?  It seems implausible, even impossible, yet it is the greatest truth that this world will ever know.

The word "commend" means "to present something as a trust or deposit for the fulfillment of a debt."  This is typically not intended for the use of the benefactor, but for individuals who will benefit after the death of the person who allocated the funds or resources.  In other words, it's an investment for the future that has taken into consideration the original debt, plus any unexpected expenses that may be accrued, to be distributed at the time in which the inheritors require it.

David, the psalmist and warrior king who was known for murder, deceit and philandering as much as his love for God and military success, understood the importance of this arrangement.  In Psalm 31:5, David said that he "committed" his spirit to God.  In contrast to the word "commend", "commit" means to entrust or appoint someone to oversee the judgment of something, in this case, his soul itself before the judgment of God.  He went through many battles and trials, yet he never lost his perspective on the importance of truly repenting to God for his ungodly actions.  As a result, despite his failures, God called him "a man after My own heart, which shall fulfill all My will."  This seems like a strange statement, yet God could speak it because He saw David's genuine sorrow as he reflected on the sins and struggles of his life.

In Leviticus 17:11, it states that it takes blood to atone for the sins of a man, but the blood used to pay the price for his grievances must be without the taint of sin.  In the Old Testament, God temporarily permitted the substitution of animals to prevent man from performing human sacrifices as other religions did.  Even if He had permitted it, it still would've failed to pay the penalty for the other person's life because it would have been a case of sinful blood being spilled for another sinful person.  The only means of resolving this problem was to have a sinless person sacrifice His untainted blood, not just for one person, but for everyone who ever existed or will eventually exist on the planet.

As a result, Jesus was born in a supernatural manner (born of a virgin woman and the Holy Spirit) so that He did not have the tainted blood of all the descendants of Adam.  You may say, "yeah, right!" to someone being born in such a way, but if you can believe that an eternal God could create the earth and all the stars in creation, isn't it relatively easy to believe that He could not only create man, but also override the normal pregnancy and birthing process?

Because of His love for God and you, Jesus lived a perfect life so that He could substitute and atone for all of your sins.  He did it for no personal gain, with just the desire to grant you the means of gaining acceptance before God for all eternity.  He had you in mind as He contemplated death at the garden of Gethsemane, and instead of running for His life, He freely chose to be beaten to a pulp, ridiculed and nailed to a cross for your sins.  He placed His life as an eternal payment in advance for every sin that you did and will commit, so that you can freely come before God without fear of retribution or judgment.

However, there is a responsibility that you have to assume to take advantage of what Jesus did for you, as we will see in the following scripture:

Romans 6:23 - the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

At this point, we've already covered the fact that God is perfect and will not accept any sin or imperfection in His sight.  We've also examined the nature of sin, where it lies and what Jesus has done for you to resolve the problem.  What we must now address is the importance of timing in making the decision of whether to accept the benefits of His sacrifice in your life.

According to the passage above, the wages, or costs of sin is death.  By "death," we're not just addressing the termination of life in your physical body, but the state of your spirit after you perish.  You see, your body is not the only thing living inside of you, you have a spirit being which resides in it, and it is actually your true person.  Death of the spirit is the eternal punishment rendered to you if you have to stand before God without something to account for your sins, and it will cause you to be eternally separated from Him.  Not to horrify you, but this separation includes being cast into a lake of fire with Satan and everyone who has refused to accept Jesus and His sacrifice.  There will be no time to rationalize with God, prepare an additional defense, or persuade Him to give you another chance to live a better life.  The Bible says that "it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment."  Once this judgment is rendered, there is no parole, no loopholes and no appeals process to get you off the hook, and this punishment will continue for all eternity.

This is the scariest thing that you will ever hear, but the greatest promise in history is contained in the same verse of scripture.  The penalty for sin is death, but Jesus presents us a gift of eternal life if we accept the truth of His sacrifice for us.  The fact that it is a gift is the greatest aspect of this promise, it ensures that you can receive it without expecting to pay for it.  Most of all, it is free so that regardless of your economic or social status, you may receive it as easily as anyone else.  Furthermore, no one can step between you and God and attempt to barter or corrupt this gift for personal gain, nor can anyone bribe God to change the decision He made concerning anyone's life.

However, like all gifts, this gift from God may seem appealing and advantageous to your life, but it has no significance if you refuse to appropriate it.  Imagine something more valuable than all the wealth of the world, something that is the true "Fountain of Youth" that people have dreamed of for centuries.  Futhermore, consider the foolishness of discovering this treasure and choosing to reject it in favor of seeking your selfish pursuits or because of your refusal to live according to rules that actually enrich your life.  There is no question that it is the biggest and most costly mistake of your life.

You may think that all of my arguments sound reasonable and you do accept the principles that I am outlining, but you don't feel that it's something that you'd like to accept or live by at this time.  Whether you want to "sow your oats," or "do the church thing when I'm ready to settle down," you are truly playing with fire, except this one will never be extinguished.  Every day that you wake up is a blessing in disguise, a miracle that gives you one more opportunity to accept Jesus as your Savior before it is too late.  Thousands of people die each day with the same attitude, and sadly, many of them never read something like this or had the opportunity that God is giving you right now.

"So," you may ask, "How do I accept this gift and take advantage of this incredible opportunity?"

Romans 10:9-10 - That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

So, as you can see, it's unbelievably easy!  All you have to do is truly believe in your heart the things that you have read from above, then say a simple audible prayer to confess that you accept the truth about Jesus!  Based upon the genuiness of your prayer, Jesus promises that you can stand before God without fear of punishment and you will live eternally with Him once your physical body perishes.  If you are ready to confess this, please repeat the following prayer:

Heavenly Father, in the precious name of Jesus, I confess that I have committed sins and have many shortcomings that have caused me to fall short of your glory.
Based upon the Bible, I believe that God sent His Son, Jesus, to live a sinless life and die on the cross to pay for the penalty that I deserved for my failures.  I also believe that Jesus rose from the dead, is living now in Heaven with God, and accepting Him as my Savior is the only means of achieving eternal life.
I ask You, Jesus, to come into my heart as my personal Lord and Savior, and I thank You for cleansing me free from all sins.  From this day forward, I trust You not only with  my eternal salvation, but I will follow Your instructions and Your leading of every aspect of my life.  In Jesus' name I pray, Amen!

If you have truly done this and meant it from the bottom of your heart, you are now saved and spared the penalty of eternal damnation for rejecting God!

So What Happens Next?

Your next step as a child of God is to find a local church home in which you can be instructed on how to live according to the word of God.  This church should be a place in which you feel like you're a part of a family, every member of your family can be instructed on how to live for God, and it should be a place in which you can find answers and support for your personal trials.  While no church or individual is perfect, you should feel enriched through your experiences with this organization, and your knowledge of God and His precepts should continually grow as you receive instruction from the Bible.

In terms of this site, your first step will be studying the New Believers Teachings, which is one of the categories under the Teachings section of this ministry.  You will find a curriculum and teachings that you can study online, or print for your personal growth.  This curriculum will provide a solid foundation on what your salvation means daily, as well as the importance of studying the Bible, spending time with other believers, etc.  I strongly encourage you to study these materials, and your local Christian bookstore can help you determine which Bible version will be easy for you to understand.

God bless you as you begin your journey in Christ, and please use our Contact Us page to ask questions or let us know that you made the best decision of your life!