How Can I Know God?
The Problem
The gospel is the good news of all that God has done to provide salvation for men and women. The gospel starts with God. The Bible tells us that God is holy, perfect, righteous, good, and just. All that He does is good and right. Psalm 119:68 says of God, “You are good and do good.” Because God is holy, righteous, and just, He cannot tolerate sin or allow it into His presence. Habakkuk 1:13 says that God is “of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong.”
This presents a tremendous problem for men and women, for all of us have sinned against God and broken His laws. In Romans 3:23 we read, “For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” All of us have willfully rebelled against God and disobeyed His good and perfect laws. We have all rejected the ways of God, choosing to gratify our sinful desires rather than obey God.
The punishment for such willful disobedience is spiritual death. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death.” All men and women are spiritually dead because of their sin, and God must pour out His full, furious wrath on sin. The punishment for sin is an eternity in hell.
The Solution
The Bible tells us however, that God deeply loves every man and woman, and does not desire to send anyone to hell. In light of this, God sent His only son Jesus to earth, to pay the penalty for our sins. Jesus was born of a virgin, was fully God and fully man, and obeyed God perfectly throughout His entire life. He never sinned, although He was tempted in every way. After living a life of perfect obedience, He was put to death upon a Roman cross, dying the death of a common criminal. While hanging on the cross, God the Father punished Jesus for the sins of His people. The Father poured out His full wrath upon Jesus, giving Him the punishment that we deserve. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “For our sake he [God the Father] made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
Now God offers the free gift of salvation to all who turn from their life of sin and call upon Jesus Christ, trusting in Jesus to save them from the wrath of God. When we place all our hope and trust in Jesus, our sins are forgiven, our consciences wiped clean, and God adopts us as His children. We cannot earn salvation, it can only be accepted as a gift.
God longs to give you the gift of salvation. Turn to Him today and receive the greatest gift.
