Beginning Your Journey of Joy
These four principles are essential in beginning your journey
of joy.
PRINCIPLE ONE:
God loves you and created you to know Him personally.
God's Love: "God so loved the world, that He gave His only
begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have
eternal life" (John 3:16). see
notes
God's Plan: "Now this is eternal life: that they may know
you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent" (John
10:7-10). see notes
What prevents us from knowing God personally?
PRINCIPLE TWO:
People are sinful and separated from God, so we cannot
know Him personally or experience His love.
People are Sinful: "All have sinned and fall short of the
glory of God" (Romans 3:23). see notes
People were created to have fellowship with God; but, because of our
own stubborn self-wills, we chose to go our own independent way and fellowship
with God was broken. This self-will, characterized by an attitude of active
rebellion or passive indifference, is an evidence of what the Bible calls
sin.
People are Separated: "The wages of sin is death" [spiritual
separation from God] (Romans 6:23). see
notes
 |
This diagram illustrates that
God is holy and people are sinful. A great gulf separates the two. The
arrows illustrate that people are continually trying to reach God and establish
a personal relationship with Him through their own efforts, such as a good
life, philosophy, or religion but we inevitably fail. |
The third principle explains the only way to bridge this gulf...
PRINCIPLE
THREE:
Jesus Christ is God's only provision for our sin. Through
Him alone we can know God personally and experience God's love.
He Died in Our Place: "God demonstrates His own love toward
us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans
5:8).
He Rose from the Dead: "Christ died for our sins...He was
buried...He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures...He
appeared to Peter, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than
five hundred..." (1 Corinthians 15:3-6).
He is the Only Way to God: "Jesus said to him, ‘I am
the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through
Me'" (John 14:6). see
notes
 |
This diagram illustrates that God has bridged the gulf that separates us
from Him by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross in our place
to pay the penalty for our sins. |
It is not enough just to know these three truths...
PRINCIPLE
FOUR:
We must individually receive Jesus Christ as Saviour and
Lord; then we can know God personally and experience His love.
We must Receive Christ: "As many as received Him, to them He
gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in
His name" (John 1:12). see
notes
We Receive Christ through Faith: "By grace you have been
saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God; not
as a result of works that no one should boast" (Ephesians 2:8,9).
When we Receive Christ, we Experience a New Birth: (Read John
3:1-8).
We Receive Christ by Personal Invitation: [Christ speaking] "Behold,
I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door,
I will come in to him" (Revelation 3:20).
Receiving Christ involves turning to God from self (repentance) and
trusting Christ to come into our lives to forgive us of our sins and to
make us what He wants us to be. Just to agree intellectually that Jesus
Christ is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for our sins is
not enough. Nor is it enough to have an emotional experience. We receive
Jesus Christ by faith, as an act of our will.
These two circles represent two kinds of lives:
Self-Directed Life  |
 Self is on the throne |
 Christ is outside the life |
 Interests are directed by self often resulting in discord
and frustration |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| Christ-Directed Life
|
| Christ is in the life and on the throne |
| Self is yielding to Christ |
 Interests are directed by Christ, resulting in harmony
with God's plan |
|
Which circle best represents your life?
Which circle would you like to have represent your life?
The following explains how you can receive Christ:
You Can Receive Christ Right Now By Faith Through Prayer
(Prayer is talking with God)
God knows your heart and is not so concerned with your words as He is
with the attitude of your heart. The following is a suggested prayer:
Lord Jesus, I want to know You personally. Thank You for dying on
the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my
Saviour and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal
life. Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person
You want me to be.
Does this prayer express the desire of you heart?
If it does, pray this prayer right now, and Christ will come into your
life, as he promised.
How to Know that Christ Is In Your Life
Did you receive Christ into your life? According to His promise in Revelation 3:20,
where Christ right now in relation to you? Christ said that He would come
into your life. Would He mislead you? On what authority do you know that
God has answered your prayer? (The trustworthiness of God Himself and His
Word.)
The Bible Promises
Eternal Life to All Who Receive Christ
"The witness is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this
life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have
the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you
who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may know that
you have eternal life: (1John 5:11-13).
Thank God often that Christ is in your life and that He will never leave
you (Hebrews
13:5). You can know on the basis of His promise that Christ
lives in you and that you have eternal life from the very moment you invite
Him in. He will not deceive you.
Feelings Can be Unreliable
You might have expectations about how you should feel after placing
your trust in Christ. While feelings are important they are unreliable
indicators of your sincerity or the trustworthiness of God's promise. Our
feelings change easily, but God's Word and His character remain constant.
This illustration shows the relationship between fact (God and His Word),
faith (our trust in God and His Word) and our feelings.
 |
Fact - this chair is
strong enough to support you. |
 |
Faith
- You believe this chair will support
you, so you sit in it. |
 |
Feeling
- You may or may not feel comfortable in this chair, but it continues to
support you. |
The promise of God's Word, the Bible, not our feelings, is our authority.
The Christian lives by faith (trust) in the trustworthiness of God Himself
and His Word.
Now That You Have Entered Into A Personal Relationship
With Christ
The moment you received Christ by faith, as an act of your will, many
things happened, including the following:
1. Christ came into your life (Revelation 3:20 & Colossians 1:27).
2. Your sins were forgiven (Colossians 1:14).
3. You became a child of God (John 1:12).
4. You received eternal life (John 5:24).
5. You began the great adventure for which God created you (John 10:10;
2 Corinthians 5:17; and 1 Thessalonians 5:18).
Can you think of anything more wonderful that could happen to you than
entering into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ? Would you like
to thank God in prayer right now for what He has done for you? By thanking
God, you demonstrate your faith.
To enjoy your new relationship with God...
Suggestions for Christian Growth
Spiritual growth results from trusting Jesus Christ. "The righteous
man shall live by faith" (Galatians 3:11). A life of faith will enable
you to trust God increasingly with every detail of your life, and to practice
the following:
G--Go to God in prayer daily (John 15:7).
R--Read God's Word daily (Acts 17:11) - begin with the Gospel
of John.
O--Obey God moment by moment (John 14:21).
W--Witness for Christ by your life and words (Matthew 4:19, John
15:8).
T--Trust God for every detail of your life (1 Peter 5:7).
H--Holy Spirit–Allow Him to control and empower your daily
life and witness (Galatians 5:16, 17; Acts 1:8).
Continue Your Journey of Joy
Click here to continue your journey
with helpful Bible Studies and answers to common qeustions about becoming
a Christian.
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