Salvation

If you’re like most people, the fact is that most of what’s called ‘church’ is completely irrelevant to your life and that’s what you have said ‘no’ to in the past. The hypocrisy, politics, hurt and manipulation are things many of us have rejected.

The good news is that you’ve rejected not God, but man made structures that are imperfect and irrelevant to a large extent. But beneath all that junk is the truth that God wants to be in a relationship with you; a relationship on a conversational basis, allowing you to be you while transforming your life from the inside out.

While many have the mistaken idea that when people talk about knowing God they think ‘God’ is just an opinion, like an opinion about anything else in life and therefore ‘God’ is just a crutch that weak people use.
The truth is that God is a living being whose presence you can actually feel and whose leading through life you can actually receive. He is love and the only one who will never leave you nor let you down.

It’s not a matter of suddenly being ‘religious’, God hates man made religion, it’s a matter of beginning a dialogue and relationship. The ability to truly lead people into a relationship with God is what true Christianity is all about.

The prevailing thought is that there are many paths to God, but that’s not true for one simple reason. Jesus said that the Father God had life within Himself, and that he ‘has given to the son (Jesus) to have life within himself. That’s it. The Father only had one Son and therefore only gave life to that one Son. If you want that life you have to get it through the Son. Buddha, Mohammed, Confucius and any other holy men you can name did not have that life, only Jesus did. Therefore while what some of these men said is good, it isn’t life giving. Jesus rose from the dead in part, to prove his deity, to prove that he indeed does have life.

Again, the difference is more than opinion. When you have that life inside you it is VERY clear that you are alive and others are not. The way to receive this life is to acknowledge that Jesus is more than just a man, that he is Life in the flesh, the Son of God. When a person comes to that conclusion and speaks it out his or her mouth, beginning a relationship with God, talking to him, God moves inside you, recreating your innermost being, the eternal part of you. He begins to transform you from the inside out. You can feel a difference as you walk through life.

Sometimes we have to see through the hurts of life and pull from our innermost being the desire to truly know God from our heart. That is what I’m asking you to do right now. Begin by praying this out loud: "Heavenly Father, draw me close to you so I can have life. Jesus, you are the Son of God and I want to know you from the depths of my heart. I don’t want religion and I don’t want pain...I want healed and transformed from the inside out. I turn my life over to you right now. Come into me and give me Life. Jesus, you’ve been raised from the dead to prove you have that Life, please give that life to me too. I thank you for it...Amen"

Now begin to become aware of His presence on the inside of you. When you prayed that prayer Life was imparted to your spirit, the eternal and ‘real’ part of you. Learn to sense his presence in you. We don’t live by feelings, but it is undeniable that one can sense his presence down inside. That’s the Life I was talking about. Feel free to talk to the Lord anytime, anywhere. He’s available and as close as your words.

The next step is to begin learning about this Life. I’d suggest reading the Gospel of John in an easy to read version like the New International Version (something other than the Old King James version). Then move on to the other Gospels, Luke, Matthew and Mark.

Do one more thing. Write and let me know you’ve prayed that prayer. Let me know if you need other material or if you would like to get in touch with others in your area.

Being a Christian isn’t cultural or religious, it’s about walking with God on a day to day basis and learning from him. Congratulations!