Learning about God
Who is God?
God is the supreme being and creator of the universe.
What is the Bible?
The Bible/The Scriptures is God’s living Word. It reveals truth about God, His creation, and His redemptive plan for mankind through his Son, Jesus Christ.
It is 66 books, about 1200 pages, has roughly 44 human authors, it is comprised of the Old and New Testament and it covers approximately 4000 years of human history.
Why should you read it?
The Bible is used by Christians as a guide for life, for living in His Word, for guidance. The Bible tells us, All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be equipped, having been thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
Why do I need God?
Our need for God is rooted in our creation.
Acts 17:28 says For in Him we live and move and exist.
Are you happy? I mean truly happy? Do you have peace that surpasses all understanding?
A relationship with God for me is knowing that I am not in control. Before I came to the Lord, I used to stay up at night worrying about all kinds of things; AI taking over the world, a zombie apocalypse, the stock market crashing, losing my loved ones to a car wreck, all the space junk in outers space colliding and the world as we know it coming to an end… the list goes on and on. But now that I have accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I have peace. Because I know that I cannot control any of those things. Only God can. And there is peace in that. But more importantly, I believe we need God because without Him we are cooked. Our need for God is connected to our need for moral direction. God is our compass, if you will.
Is God always good or is He tyrannical and a punisher?
God is Love and 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 says that love is patient, love is kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record or wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
What’s more, God is our hope for an eternal life.
Why do I want eternal life?
It is God’s gift to humanity for believing in Jesus Christ.
Romans 6:23 says For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Why do I need to be saved?
Colossians 1:26-28 says, The mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.
How do I accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior?
This is the easy part. In order to be saved, In Romans 10:9 the Bible says, If you declare with your mouth, Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
If you are ready to be saved, say this prayer to God in earnest:
Jesus, I believe that You are the Son of God who died on the cross for my sins, to rescue me from sin and death. I ask your forgiveness and I give myself to you now.
Now what?
If you just prayed that prayer with sincerity and accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, I am so so excited for you!! What’s next is you go out and get your hands on a Bible and you start reading His Word! Use Bible Gateway to figure out which translation works best for you, then go to your favorite place and buy a Bible! I recommend you start reading in the New Testament but obviously you can start wherever you want! Before you start reading ask God to open your eyes, your ears and your heart to His Word and to show you what He wants you to know at that reading. Each time will be different. If you start reading and don’t understand something, take notes and keep going. It could just be that you’re not meant to understand that part yet. That’s okay.