In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth and everything else that has been created, including man and woman. The Bible tells us that God created man and woman in his own image. So why did God create man and woman, and why did God create man and woman in his own image?
In a word, fellowship.
God desired to have someone with whom he could have a relationship. The man and woman were placed above all other created creatures for the special reason of being friends with whom God could converse. Genesis 3 tells that story. “Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, ‘Where are you?’ The man answered, ‘I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.’” You can read the rest of that conversation in verses 8-ff.
Previous to this exchange, the Lord God and the man and the woman had been meeting in the cool of the day to talk about what had happened during that day. The thing is, you and I were created to be in fellowship with the Lord God Almighty. Sin broke that relationship. Disobeying God’s commands always causes a break in our relationship with God. All disobedience is called sin.
Another description of that relationship was described by Blaise Pasqual, the French philosopher, when he said, “In every man there is a God-shaped vacuum that only God can fill.” When sin breaks that relationship you are left with emptiness, loneliness, sadness, and chaos! You are separated from God.
Way back in the Old Testament, God said: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you (to myself) with unfailing kindness.” -Jeremiah 31:3.
Even though your disobedience breaks the relationship with God, that does not stop God from loving you. “For God so loved the world (that includes you) that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” -John 3:16. That means that when you confess your sin, your disobedience, and trust Jesus to be your Savior, that broken relationship is no longer broken! Your fellowship with God is restored!
Through Jesus, your God-shaped vacuum is once again filled with God! No longer do you have to live in emptiness, loneliness, sadness, and chaos. That is good news, no, that is the best news ever!
How can you connect with God to do this? We turn to the Bible to tell us how.
Let’s start with a simple question. If you were to die tonight, would you go to God’s heaven and be in fellowship with God?
IF your answer is “no,” then read on.
Romans 3:23 tells us that “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” You can not bring glory to God when your sin has broken your relationship with God. And every person, except Jesus, has sinned.
“The wages of sin is death (eternal separation from God), but the (free) gift from God is eternal life in Jesus.” -Romans 6:23. That is the bad news and the good news!
“But God demonstrates his love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” -Romans 6:8.
This is what you do. 1 John 1:9 tells us that, “If we confess our sin, he (God) is faithful and just and will forgive us our sin and will cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Nothing else is required. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God–not of works, so that no one can boast.” -Ephesians 2:8-9. You don’t have to do anything else. Matter of fact, there is nothing else you can do! Forgiveness for your sin was taken care of by Jesus when he was crucified on the cross! Jesus paid the penalty for your sin.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old is gone, the new is here!” -2 Corinthians 5:17. Your old empty, lonely, sad, and chaotic self was crucified with Jesus! Your sin is gone. You ARE a brand new person! You can turn away from your old sad and destructive behavior and start a brand new life as a friend of the Lord God.
If you want to accept God’s offer to forgive your sin, pray this prayer: “Heavenly Father, I need you. I have sinned and need forgiveness. Please forgive me of my sin and restore a good relationship between us. I want Jesus to be Lord of my life. Guide me through your Word to be the kind of Christ follower that will bring glory to you. Help me find friends who will support my new self and to live for others and not for myself. Thank you for loving me and forgiving my sin. Amen.”
So what happened to your sinful past? Psalms 103:12 tells us that, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our sin.” Do you realize how far that is? There is no way you can measure the distance of the east from the east. It is eternal, it goes on for ever and for ever and for ever and for…! Your sin is gone!
So now that you are a brand new person, a child of God’s love whose sin has been removed for all eternity, there is only one more thing to do: “Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.” -1 John 2:6. Begin by reading the Bible, God’s vital words, for you and for all who have had their sin forgiven. Read God’s Word, the Bible, every day and do what God’s Word tells you to do. Become part of a Bible-believing church. Obey God’s command that you be baptized. Build new friendships. Start hanging out with other people who also have let Jesus be their Savior.
By-the-way, welcome to the family of God. You are God’s adopted child and because of that you are a (spiritual) brother or sister to everyone who has had their sin forgiven. On top of that, you will spend all of eternity with God in God’s heaven! Now THAT IS GOOD NEWS!
