Questions about God
Is God really there?  Though mankind has debated the answer to this question for thousands of years, the Bible says that we all already know the answer.  Deep down, everyone of us knows that God exists.  As we are told in Rom. 1:19-20:

"Since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-- his eternal power and divine nature-- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse."

Is everything ok between me and God?  According to the Bible, everything is not ok between us and God.  The reason for this is something God's word calls sin.  Rom. 3:23 tells us that all of us have sinned.  And as learn from Rom. 6:23, the wages of sin is death.  By death, the Bible means both physical death and eternal punishment in the afterlife.   

What is sin? Sin is any violation of God's good rules for life, His commandments in other words.  Why is sin so serious?  It's because God, who exists eternally as Three Persons in perfect harmony, knows how life is supposed to work.  He knows how relationships are supposed to work.  And God has made all of this crystal clear to us in the Bible, particularly in His commandments to us.  Thus when we choose to disobey God's laws, we are transgressing everything that is good and lovely about life and relationships.  No wonder our just God says He will punish sinners forever. 

But can God forgive my sins? The glorious Biblical answer to this question is a resounding "YES"!  Because God the Father loves us even in our guilty state, He sent His Son into the world so that He might die and take the punishment that our sin deserves.  On the cross, Jesus bore the wrath of God in our place.  And He rose from the dead three days later to show that the sins of His people really have been dealt with forever.  1 Peter 1:24 tells us this:

"He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed."

Though many of us tend to think that God wants us to earn His forgiveness through doing good deeds, all God asks from us is that we simply confess our sins, turn from them, and place our trust in what Jesus has already done for us.  As we read in 1 John 1:8-9 and Rom. 10:9:

"If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

"If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."

If you would like to talk more about this, please feel free to contact one of our Pastors.  Click here for their contact information.