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When we are in tough situations … life’s most difficult ones … some real questions about God come to mind:

You might be facing a difficult situation right now. It could deal with a loved one, a personal crisis, the threat terrorism, health issues financial pressures, etc. Whatever it may be, do not lose hope. There may actually be a solution you have not thought of . . . an answer for the deep questions you are asking.

Ironically, the solution may not be in changing the particular situation you or a loved one is facing . . . it may be in beginning a relationship with the God who created you. This crisis may be leading you to what might be Your Most Important Decision.

Think about it. God is well-aware of what you are experiencing right now. A right relationship with Him may be the answer to many of the urgent problems you face. Would you like to be forgiven and welcomed into a personal relationship with God, receiving the promise of eternal life that He offers, along with immediate help to cope with the problems you are facing?

The following four principles will help you discover how to enter into a personal relationship with God and receive his help to deal with what you are facing.

(references contained in this booklet should be read in context from the Bible whenever possible.)

“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).

“Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3, NIV).

Man was created to have fellowship with God; but, because of his own stubborn self-will, he chose to go his 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.

“The wages of sin is death” [spiritual separation from God] (Romans 6:23), and “...(Those) who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.. .will he punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord...” (2 Thessalonians 1:8,9)

This diagram illustrates that God is holy and man is sinful. A great gulf separates the two. The arrows illustrate that man is continually trying to reach God and establish the personal

relationship with Him through his own efforts, such as trying to live a good life, philosophy, or religion—but he inevitably fails.

The third principle explains the only way

to bridge this gulf. . .

3 Jesus Christ is God’s only provision for man’s sin. Through Him alone we can know God personally and experience

God’s love.

“God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

“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 to more than five hundred. . . .“ (1 Corinthians 15:3-6).

“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).

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 truths . . .

4 We must individually receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; then we can know

“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)

“By grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works that no one should boast” (Ephesians 2:8,9).

[Christ speaking] “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one 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.

Self-Directed Life
S — Self is on the throne
— Christ is outside the life
● — Interests are directed by self, often resulting in discoid and frustration

Christ-Directed Life

— Christ is in the life and on the throne

S — Self is yielding to Christ

● — Interests are directed by Christ, resulting in harmony with God’s plan

You Can Receive Christ Right Now by Faith Through Prayer (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 Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving me of 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, and help me with these problems I face.”

Does this prayer express the desire of your heart? If it does, pray this prayer right now, and Christ will come into your life, as He promised.

Did you receive Christ into your life? According to His promise in Revelation 3:20, where is Christ right now in relation to you? Christ said that He would come into your life and be your friend so you can know Him personally. 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” (1 John 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.

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.

This train diagram illustrates the relationship among fact (God and His Word), faith (our trust in God and His Word), and feeling (the result of our faith and obedience) (John 14:21).

The train will run with or without the caboose. However, it would be useless to attempt to pull the train by the caboose. In the same way, we as Christians do not depend on feelings or emotions, but we place our faith (trust) in the trustworthiness of God and the promises of His Word.

The moment you received Christ by faith, as an act of your will, many things happened, including the following:

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 . . .

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 14:2 1).
            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).

If you have prayed to ask Jesus Christ to enter your life, you may receive free basic information on getting to know God better at www.growinginChrist.com.

God’s Word admonishes us not to forsake “the assembling of ourselves together . . .“ (Hebrews 10:25). Several logs bum brightly together; but put one aside on the cold hearth and the fire goes out. So it is with your relationship with other Christians. If you do not belong to a church, do not wait to be invited. Take the initiative; call the pastor of a nearby church where Christ is honored and His Word is preached. Start this week, and make plans to attend regularly. You can locate a good church within the

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For more information write: Campus Crusade for Christ, P.O. Box 593684, Orlando, FL 32859