the joy of knowing Jesus
I came to know Jesus as my Lord and Savior at a young age. What’s even better is that I’ve had the privilege of living my life for Him ever since! If you do not know Jesus on a personal level and would like to meet Him, keep reading.
When God made man, he was without sin and created to live forever. Then Genesis 2:15–17 tells us, “The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, ‘You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.’” Chapter 3 of Genesis tells us that Adam and Eve disobeyed God and partook of that which was forbidden. The punishment? Death! And that punishment has been passed on to all of humanity through the tainted blood of Adam. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 6:23 goes on to say, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
1 Corinthians 15:22 concludes, “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.” We had no choice; we were all born in sin and the punishment of that sin is death. Death, on the other hand, had no power over Jesus because He never sinned, and that is why He was able to rise from the dead. Jesus’ blood is pure because He was born of a virgin and His Father is God. This is what makes His sacrifice acceptable to God and His provision for our sins to be forgiven. Romans 5:6–8 tells us, “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
First, we must REPENT of our sins. 1 John 1:8–9 tell us, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Next, we must ACCEPT Jesus into our lives. John 1:12 says, “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” Ephesians 2:8–9 tells us, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
Then we must CONFESS that we BELIEVE. Romans 10:9–10 declares, “Because, 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. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”
If you do not know Jesus personally and have not accepted Him into your life, you can do it today. All you have to do is pray. Start by acknowledging your need for the savior and repent of your sins. By faith, (believing in your heart) accepting the fact that by Jesus’ death on the cross and his resurrection from the dead, your spiritual debt has been paid. Your sins are now forgiven. Ask Jesus to come into your heart and make His abode there. Then confess (make it known to others) that Jesus Christ is your personal Lord and Savior.
Rejoice! You now have eternal life through Him. May the Lord Jesus bless you abundantly as you begin your new life with new hope and new purpose. Amen.
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