When people ask me what my faith in God is all about, I simply tell them, "I am a great sinner and He is a great Savior!"
Captain Nate Hinzman is the Divisional Youth Secretary for the The Salvation Army in Massachusetts. Nate credits camp for literally saving his life and helping him discover his purpose. "The story of my life cannot be told apart from camp and the impact it has had in shaping who I am today!" Nate, his wife Loreita, and his son Jackson are overjoyed to call "The Happy Summer Place" their home.
If you want to begin a relationship with God here are 4 things to understand.
1. God created you to know him. He loves you!
The Bible tells us, "God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:16).
The problem is...
2. Our sin has separated us from God.
We have all done, said or thought things that we know are wrong. In other words, we have chosen to go our own way instead of God's. This "going our own way" is evidence of what the Bible calls sin.
The Bible says, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). And, "The wages (penalty) of sin is death" (Romans 6:23).
God is perfect and holy, and our sins separate us from Him forever.
The good news is that, about 2,000 years ago...
3. God sent His only Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins.
Jesus is the Son of God. He lived a sinless life and then died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins: "God demonstrates His own love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).
By giving His life for us, Jesus opened up the only way to have a relationship with God. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except by Me" (John 14:6).
Jesus rose from the dead and now He lives with God His Father. He offers us the gift of eternal life of living forever with Him in heaven.
So how can we begin a personal relationship with God?
4. We must personally receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
The Bible says, "To all who received Him, He gave the right to become children of God. All they had to do was to trust [believe in] Him to save them" (John 1:12).
Receiving Christ means that we acknowledge that we have done things that are wrong, and we trust in Christ alone to forgive us of our sin and help us change our lives to live God's way.
If you want to receive Christ, you can ask Him to be your Savior and Lord RIGHT NOW by praying a prayer like this. Remember, it is not only the words that are important but also the attitude of your heart.
"Lord Jesus, I believe you are the Son of God. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. Please forgive my sins and give me the gift of eternal life. I ask you in to my life and heart to be my Lord and Savior. I want to serve you always."
