There is no need to wander through life, aimlessly and alone. Reach out and take His hand! He will lead you to His eternal home to live with Him forever!
Did you know there is someone who cares about you and wants to give you the very best? He does not enjoy seeing you sad or confused; He wants to fill you with joy and peace. Who could this person be?
It is God, who longs to be your loving heavenly Father!
He wants you to be His child. In the Bible He gives this promise to those who meet the conditions: “I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters” (2 Corinthians 6:17–18). What could be better than to know God as your loving Father? It is wonderful to have such a relationship with Him!
Sin has separated you from God. The first couple, Adam and Eve, were created innocent. But they disobeyed God, and disobedience is sin. You were born as an innocent baby. When innocent babies die, they automatically go home to be with their heavenly Father. But as you grew up, you could no longer be God’s innocent child because you chose to sin. The Bible says, “Your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you” (Isaiah 59:2). You became accountable to God for your actions, and you sinned—we all did. The Bible says, “There is none righteous, no, not one . . . for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:10, 23).
Your sin condemned you; your life lacked purpose and peace, and you were unhappy. The Bible says, “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23), and “The soul that sinneth, it shall die” (Ezekiel 18:4). You wanted life, but you faced death!
Does this description fit you even now?
Your heavenly Father loves you so much He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to suffer and die on the cross for you. His shed blood is the only sacrifice that can possibly take care of your sins. You don’t need to be doomed to eternal death for them! Jesus opened the way for you to once again be God’s child.
The Bible says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). And now “we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:7).
Jesus is the only way to eternal life, peace and joy. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).
You can have peace and forgiveness in your heavenly Father’s mercy. It is His free gift to you. The Bible says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9). There is nothing you can do to deserve God’s gift, but He urges you to believe and recieve it.
How can you receive this gift?
Repentance means to be sorry for your sins. “Godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation” (2 Corinthians 7:10). “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out” (Acts 3:19). If you are truly sorry for your sins you will confess them. This means that in your prayer to God you will actually name your sins. You may not remember every sin you have ever committed, but when you think of them you will confess them. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). God will freely forgive your sins.
If you long to be right with God, that is a sign that Jesus is knocking at the door of your heart. He will not force open the door; He patiently knocks. He says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him and sup with him and he with me” (Revelation 3:20). Jesus is the most important visitor you will ever receive. When you allow Him to come in, you will allow Him to take control of your heart—in fact, He will control your entire life. This might seem like a scary thing to do. However, those who have done this testify to the great blessing it is to have yielded control to Him. That is what it means to allow Jesus to be Lord. Those who receive Jesus as Lord are given the right to be God’s children. “As many as received him, to them gave he power [the right] to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” (John 1:12).
When you receive Jesus into your heart, the Holy Spirit will abide with you. He will cleanse your heart and give you peace (1 Peter 1:2–3). Receiving Christ Jesus in sincere repentance will move you to change your direction of travel and your way of life. God will empower you to do what is right (John 16:13).
“If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). Reject your fleshly desires and determine to use the power God gives you to follow Jesus. He will free you from the bondage of sin. Your heavenly Father will give you peace when He makes you His child. His Spirit will produce fruit in your life: “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance” (Galatians 5:22–23).
Your new relationship with God will make you want to take these important steps:
Yielding to God is the best decision you will ever make. Remember, He is your loving heavenly Father. He wants to be your intimate friend and supply all your needs. Reach out to Him; He is reaching out to help you be victorious over sin. Through Him you can “walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4) and be made more and more like Him (2 Corinthians 3:18). Life as His child is very fulfilling; it brings great joy and lasting peace. It is not only an emotional experience; it is a complete change of life. May the joy of the Lord be your strength! (Nehemiah 8:10).
When your life as God’s child on earth comes to a close, you will pass through the valley of death, and He will be with you. Or if you live until Jesus returns, you will be changed “in the twinkling of an eye” (1 Corinthians 15:52) and go to be with your heavenly Father for all eternity!
God is so good! Reach out and take His hand! He will lead you to His eternal home to live with Him forever!
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