The Christian Faith – Why Does it Matter?
We all have an emptiness within us. Have you ever noticed that? We have a desire for more. We long for more love, more understanding of our soul, more true intimacy, more peace, more joy, more purpose. More.
God created us like that.
He created us in His image, which means we have a desire for a deep love relationship. He created us to have that relationship with Him. That’s how we’re made.
“But I don’t believe in God” you might say. That’s fair enough. You can believe whatever you want. But that doesn’t change the facts. God took the time to create you and still pursues a personal relationship with you, regardless of whether or not you think He exists.
And if the Creation vs. Evolution debate has you questioning God’s existence, I would urge you to check out “Key Articles” at creation.com and at least read the one called Created or Evolved to get your questions answered. It’s important.
Our sin separates us from God (Romans 3:23)
God created us to be in relationship with Him. But humankind decided that our own desires were more important than God’s desires and so the first sin came into this world through Adam and Eve. And we all ultimately continue with that struggle between what we want and what God wants day in and day out. It’s called pride…thinking we know better than the almighty Creator of the entire universe!
And that’s why the Christian Faith matters.
Humans as a whole, and we as individuals, end up doing a lot of stuff to try to rule our own lives and even go directly against God, who created us. This has separated us from God and “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).
But, even so, God the Father sent His Son, Jesus Christ to walk this earth as a man, experience the deepest pain and tragedy as only humans can, and die to take the punishment for our sins. For YOUR sins. For my sins. For our sins past, present and future. To bridge that separation from God. Then Jesus was also resurrected to prove that He is God and has the eternal victory over sin and death and that we too can have new life and victory over sin.
“For 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, NIV).
That’s why the Christian Faith matters. And it matters so much to God.
So, if any of us are willing to accept that God carried out this amazing act of love and are willing to give control of our lives over to Him as an act of belief and thanksgiving, then we can have a personal relationship with Him on this earth in preparation for an eternal life in heaven.
And He would love nothing better! (Luke 15:10, 2 Peter 3:9)
He’s done everything He can.
Why hold onto our pride, our life-as-we-know-it with all the hurts, the bitterness, the anger, the unhappiness, the broken relationships, the facades, the endless search for joy, peace and love. Don’t we all want something more?
Jesus is the something more. The relationship we can have with God through His Son is the more we’re all looking for. Just being spiritual doesn’t cut it. God the Father is looking for, longing for, a very personal and involved relationship with you if you’ll let Him in. It’s not some zen or aura that you attain for yourself. It’s God, the Creator of the Universe saying we matter so much to Him that He was willing to sacrifice hugely to save us from the punishment our sins deserve.
Even if we have everything we could want by this world’s standards, we all know there is still something missing. That’s why we keep striving to find it…the elusive pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. A better job, a better husband, a career in addition to motherhood, the climb up the corporate ladder, a better body, the latest spiritual craze. We are all striving to fill a hole intended only for a relationship with God.
So, I encourage you to give it some thought. This could be a major turning point not just for you, but for your marriage, for your children, your family. And it does have eternal consequences.
Will you accept His free gift of salvation and relationship?
If you would like to start building a relationship with Jesus, I’d encourage you to pray and acknowledge your need for Him and for His salvation from the sin we all hold onto. Make that decision to turn away from your sin and towards a relationship with God instead. You can invite Him to come be Lord of your life just by talking to Him as you would talk to a friend. And then commit to learning more about Him, chatting with Him regularly and putting time into your relationship with Him just as you would with a relationship with another human being.
Only one difference. Jesus literally saved your life. He paid a large price to have that relationship with you into eternity. So as you build your relationship with Him, remember to thank Him and love Him for what He has done. “For while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8, NIV).
What now?
If you have made a commitment to Jesus today, I invite you to share that decision with someone. You can contact us via our Contact Page so we can pray for you, or simply tell a friend or a spouse. I’d also recommend beginning to read the Bible, perhaps the book of John. You can find it online at www.biblegateway.com or just by clicking this link Book of John.
A relationship with God isn’t a promise of a wonderful, stress-free life. In fact, your life will likely get tougher as Satan does his level best to get you to give up your new faith. But I encourage you to find a solid Christian community in your neighborhood. If you have tough questions, find a Bible-believing Pastor who can answer them. (And don’t forget your greatest resource for all your questions, written by your Creator Himself, is the Bible. Bible Gateway has several options as well as an App to give you somewhere to start.)
At Bible Gateway, you also have access to many different devotional newsletters that can get sent right to your inbox to help you learn more about your new relationship with Jesus. These can be found under “Study” and then by clicking the “Newsletters” link https://www.biblegateway.com/newsletters/. I encourage you to scroll through and find one that pertains to where you are at right now. There is a section specifically for women towards the bottom of the list, but some of the others might really meet your needs right now. These will help encourage you in your daily growth.
Please contact us with any questions you have about the Christian Faith. We believe this is the most important decision you will ever make on this earth…to accept the need for God in your life, to accept His salvation, and then to walk in the path He sets out for you. We would love to hear from you!