The First Step to Being a Good Parent
As parents, everything we do revolves around relationships.
But the single most important factor in your life entails a relationship outside of your immediate family.
The Bible reveals that God exists. He is not merely a force, ethereal energy, a collection of souls, or an uninterested observer. He is a real person Who created you, loves you, and has a perfect plan for you. But that plan cannot be fulfilled outside of a personal relationship with Him. My son receives benefits that no other little boy on the planet receives by virtue of the fact that he is my son. The Bible is clear that my human relationship with my son is a wonderful picture of our relationship with God. We cannot be estranged from Him and yet demand the benefits of an intimate relationship.
The first thing we must know about this relationship is that since God is perfectly good He cannot tolerate wickedness. "Sin" is a simple word to encapsulate all that God cannot abide. What is sin specifically? Well, God’s Word has much to say on the subject, but this much is enough for our discussion here: we must realize that we have all sinned in one way or another (Romans 3:23). Have you ever stolen, lied, hated someone, or committed adultery? Of course you have. I have. In fact, everyone has done at least one bad thing. Everybody has sinned. “As it is written, none is righteous, no, not one.” (Romans 3:9-10) And since we have all sinned, we must also understand that our sin drives a wedge between us and God. This wedge is not mere ambivalence, our sin puts us at odds with God. The old phrase “if you’re not with us, you’re against us” would be quite appropriate here.
Whether you feel “against God” or not, you must realize that this is the precise position you are in. The worst part about the whole situation is that anyone who is against God must be separated from Him for eternity in a place called Hell. We are criminals deserving of a sentence, and an eternity of punishment is the only way to pay for sin against an infinite God. Former President Bush outlawed broccoli from the White House because of his disdain for the green vegetable. How much more will the perfectly just Creator of the universe cast wickedness from His sight?
But there is glorious news! Knowing that we humans were incapable of rectifying our standing before Him -- and knowing it would take an eternity of torture to pay for our high crimes against God -- the Father sent an Advocate. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to earth in our stead. He not only lived a perfect life, He not only died in our place, but He also conquered death when he raised from the dead three days later! He now offers the free gift of reconciliation to everyone who believes in Him and His advocacy for us (John 1:12). He promises to take our sentence, to stand in our place before God, and to proclaim us sinless based on His own righteousness.
So what must you do to claim Christ’s righteousness as your own and enter into an intimate relationship with God the Father? All you have to do is ask. “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13). Jesus possess infinite righteousness, and He’s willing to impart it to you to fulfill your debt to God. If you accept the free gift of reconciliation, God the Father will credit Jesus’ righteousness to your account. That’s all you have to do. “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).
Now, you might ask “I believe in God, isn’t that enough?” Well, the Bible says that even the demons believe in God. But they don’t love Him, they don’t beg Him for forgiveness from their sins, and they don’t ask Him to clean out the sin that’s keeping them from having a relationship with Him. They believe God exists, but they don’t want Him to rule their life.
Romans 10:9 reads, "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." To confess that Jesus is Lord is to acknowledge your belief that Jesus is the supreme Sovereign of your life. He gets to decide what's right, He sets the standards for a relationship with Him, and His doing will is our highest goal and joy. And to believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead is to live in a such a way that reflects that new life in us.
God wants to be your Savior. He wants to be your lover. He wants to be your Lord. He wants to have a relationship with you. All you have to do is accept His offer. Believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved! If you don’t know what to say, even if you’ve never prayed before, all you have to do is talk to God just like you’d talk to me. Tell Him something like, “Dear God, I know I’m a sinner. I know You hate my sin and would never have an intimate relationship with me the way I am. I believe that Jesus Christ came to earth, lived a perfect life, died on the cross, and rose again. I believe He did that for me. Please forgive my sin and cleanse my heart.”
These aren’t magical words, and they’re not the only things you can say, but it’s a start. If you’ve never asked Jesus Christ to cover your wickedness with His holiness, please do it today. He will change your life, and He will even change your after-life. And that is the key. God is not offering a “fire escape” from Hell. It’s about a relationship He wants to start with you today and carry on every day between now and eternity.
If this post has helped you realize your need for salvation, or has helped you understand what it takes to have a relationship with the God of the universe, or if you still have more questions . . . please leave a comment or send us an email at Counselor@TruthLoveParent.com. We’d love to hear if you’ve entered a relationship with the God of the universe! We’d love to know if God has cleansed your heart from sin! We’d also love to answer any more questions you may have.
This is the single most important part of a person’s life. Please enter into a relationship with God today, don’t wait. “Today is the day of salvation!”
But the single most important factor in your life entails a relationship outside of your immediate family.
The Bible reveals that God exists. He is not merely a force, ethereal energy, a collection of souls, or an uninterested observer. He is a real person Who created you, loves you, and has a perfect plan for you. But that plan cannot be fulfilled outside of a personal relationship with Him. My son receives benefits that no other little boy on the planet receives by virtue of the fact that he is my son. The Bible is clear that my human relationship with my son is a wonderful picture of our relationship with God. We cannot be estranged from Him and yet demand the benefits of an intimate relationship.
The first thing we must know about this relationship is that since God is perfectly good He cannot tolerate wickedness. "Sin" is a simple word to encapsulate all that God cannot abide. What is sin specifically? Well, God’s Word has much to say on the subject, but this much is enough for our discussion here: we must realize that we have all sinned in one way or another (Romans 3:23). Have you ever stolen, lied, hated someone, or committed adultery? Of course you have. I have. In fact, everyone has done at least one bad thing. Everybody has sinned. “As it is written, none is righteous, no, not one.” (Romans 3:9-10) And since we have all sinned, we must also understand that our sin drives a wedge between us and God. This wedge is not mere ambivalence, our sin puts us at odds with God. The old phrase “if you’re not with us, you’re against us” would be quite appropriate here.
Whether you feel “against God” or not, you must realize that this is the precise position you are in. The worst part about the whole situation is that anyone who is against God must be separated from Him for eternity in a place called Hell. We are criminals deserving of a sentence, and an eternity of punishment is the only way to pay for sin against an infinite God. Former President Bush outlawed broccoli from the White House because of his disdain for the green vegetable. How much more will the perfectly just Creator of the universe cast wickedness from His sight?
But there is glorious news! Knowing that we humans were incapable of rectifying our standing before Him -- and knowing it would take an eternity of torture to pay for our high crimes against God -- the Father sent an Advocate. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to earth in our stead. He not only lived a perfect life, He not only died in our place, but He also conquered death when he raised from the dead three days later! He now offers the free gift of reconciliation to everyone who believes in Him and His advocacy for us (John 1:12). He promises to take our sentence, to stand in our place before God, and to proclaim us sinless based on His own righteousness.
So what must you do to claim Christ’s righteousness as your own and enter into an intimate relationship with God the Father? All you have to do is ask. “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13). Jesus possess infinite righteousness, and He’s willing to impart it to you to fulfill your debt to God. If you accept the free gift of reconciliation, God the Father will credit Jesus’ righteousness to your account. That’s all you have to do. “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).
Now, you might ask “I believe in God, isn’t that enough?” Well, the Bible says that even the demons believe in God. But they don’t love Him, they don’t beg Him for forgiveness from their sins, and they don’t ask Him to clean out the sin that’s keeping them from having a relationship with Him. They believe God exists, but they don’t want Him to rule their life.
Romans 10:9 reads, "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." To confess that Jesus is Lord is to acknowledge your belief that Jesus is the supreme Sovereign of your life. He gets to decide what's right, He sets the standards for a relationship with Him, and His doing will is our highest goal and joy. And to believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead is to live in a such a way that reflects that new life in us.
God wants to be your Savior. He wants to be your lover. He wants to be your Lord. He wants to have a relationship with you. All you have to do is accept His offer. Believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved! If you don’t know what to say, even if you’ve never prayed before, all you have to do is talk to God just like you’d talk to me. Tell Him something like, “Dear God, I know I’m a sinner. I know You hate my sin and would never have an intimate relationship with me the way I am. I believe that Jesus Christ came to earth, lived a perfect life, died on the cross, and rose again. I believe He did that for me. Please forgive my sin and cleanse my heart.”
These aren’t magical words, and they’re not the only things you can say, but it’s a start. If you’ve never asked Jesus Christ to cover your wickedness with His holiness, please do it today. He will change your life, and He will even change your after-life. And that is the key. God is not offering a “fire escape” from Hell. It’s about a relationship He wants to start with you today and carry on every day between now and eternity.
If this post has helped you realize your need for salvation, or has helped you understand what it takes to have a relationship with the God of the universe, or if you still have more questions . . . please leave a comment or send us an email at Counselor@TruthLoveParent.com. We’d love to hear if you’ve entered a relationship with the God of the universe! We’d love to know if God has cleansed your heart from sin! We’d also love to answer any more questions you may have.
This is the single most important part of a person’s life. Please enter into a relationship with God today, don’t wait. “Today is the day of salvation!”