Some information to help you in your new relationship with God

If I asked Jesus into my life, how do I know that He is now really there?

Only you know if you sincerely asked Jesus to come into your life, to forgive you and take up residence as the Lord of your life. However, assuming that you did make that decision, then did God hear you? Yes!.

1 John 5:14 says,

"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us."

Jesus promised that He would enter our lives, if we ask Him.

In Revelation 3:20 Jesus makes this offer,

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with Me."

Did you open the door of your heart to God? If so, what did He say He would do? Would God mislead you?

In John 6:37, Jesus said,

"All that the Father gives Me will come to Me; and him who comes to Me, I will not cast out."

And in John 10:27-29 Jesus said,

"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand."

Jesus died on the cross for our sins, so that we could have a relationship with Him. He's not indifferent to the issue. He went to great lengths to bring us into relationship with Himself. Jesus took our sins on Himself and covered us with His righteousness, making us fully forgiven and fully accepted by Him. We don't have to first live good lives, or perform religious rituals, or spend years begging Him. He is the one who made it possible for us to have a relationship with Him. And we come to Him based on what He did for us, rather than what we can do for Him. He paid for our sins, and now He offers to forgive us and come into our lives.

FIrst Peter 3:18 says,

"For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God."

If you have asked Jesus to forgive you, and come into your life to do whatever He would like...

Then here are some things that are true about your relationship with God:

• You are at peace with God (Romans 5:1)

  "Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."

• You became a child of God (John 1:12)

  "... to all who received Him, who believed in His name, He gave power to become children of God."

• You are no longer living in darkness (Ephesians 5:8)

  "... for once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light" and Colossians 1:13,14 "He has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His Beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."

• You are forgiven (Acts 10:43)

  "To Him all the prophets bear witness that every one who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name." and Ephesians 1:7,8 "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished upon us." 1 John 4:9,10 "This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins."

• You have been given eternal life (John 5:24)

  "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life; he does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life." and 1 John 5:11-13 "And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who has not the Son of God has not life. I write this to you who believe in the Name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life."

• You are sealed with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13)

  "In Him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, which is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory."

• You can begin to know God's love for you (John 15:7-11)

  "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you; abide in my love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full."

To grow in your relationship with God:

To get to know God better, spend time in His Word (reading the Bible). Ask Him to reveal more of Himself to you and to build your relationship with Him. The Gospel of John (fourth book in the New Testament) is a great place to start.

Talk to Him freely. We are encouraged to

"Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6,7)

To enjoy the friendship and encouragement of other Christians, E-mail us - we can help you find a Church nearby.

What if I sin again?

If God shows you a specific activity or thought in your life that is not pleasing to Him, ask Him to forgive you and seek to turn from those things to God. We are told that if we confess our sin, He will forgive & cleanse us: 1 John 1:9

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

All of us will struggle with sin - seeing things in our lives that we know don't please God. That doesn't mean we are not Christians. It may mean that we are sensing the Holy Spirit wanting to change that area of our lives. And as we spend time in His Word, and with other Christians for encouragement, God is changing us. But don't get discouraged - none of us are going to be perfect or live a life totally pleasing to God while on this earth. We all have the tendency and capacity to sin. God accepts us because of Jesus' death for us, and His Spirit in us will work in our lives to transform us as we continue to seek to know Him better.

If you have other questions, please feel free to E-mail us.

Used by permission from www.EveryStudent.com