You have probably heard the phrase “God is love” before. This phrase comes directly from the Bible. (1 John 4:8) In fact, God loves us so much that He calls us His children, especially when we walk on His path with justice, mercy and humility.
“How great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! For this cause the world does not know us, because it didn’t know him.” (1 John 3:1)
Although God loves us very much, we remain separated from Him because of sin. Sin occurs when we break God’s commandments. It is due to our sinful nature that we are separated from God’s very presence. With the exception of confessing our sins to Him, as long as we continue walking in sin, our prayers are not heard.
God is very clear on the matter. “Your sins have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.” (Isaiah 59:2)
The Bible tells us that the wages of sin is death, but that God has given us a gift that is so great that it brings us eternal life. This eternal life is through His Son Yeshua. (See Romans 6:23)
Some people think they can live their lives without acknowledging the need for God. However, the fact is that we can do nothing without Him and His Son.
“I am the vine. You are the branches. He who remains in me, and I in him, the same bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)
Due to the fact that all people have sinned, it is imperative to confess our sins to God. The Bible tells us that “all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)
When we confess our sins and turn to God in righteousness, vowing to sin no more, He forgives us and He hears our prayers.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)
How fortunate we are to have the ability to come to God and have our sins forgiven. It is through His own Son, whose name is Yeshua (Jesus), that we are brought to the throne of God. He took upon his shoulders the sins of the world at his baptism in the Jordon River and took them to the Cross when he was sacrificed as a perfect offering. This act allows God’s sons and daughters to have a righteous standing before Him. From the Bible we read: “For him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf; so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)
Yeshua told a man that to have God’s blessing, a person must be born again of the water and the spirit. We read this in John 3:5, “Most certainly I tell you, unless one is born of water and spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God!”
In coming to God, it is important to hold firmly to the fact that God loved the world so much that He sent His Son to give us eternal life by taking upon himself the sins of the world at his baptism, and removing the curse of death from us at his death on the Cross. (John 3:13-17)
When we have Yeshua in our lives, we have everlasting life, but we must continue to walk with him faithfully. He promises us: “Most certainly, I tell you, he who believes in me has eternal life.” (John 6:47)
“As therefore you received Yeshua Messiah, the Lord, walk in him.” (Colossians 2:6) This righteous walk with God and His Son cause us to put away our old life, and to adopt the new, clean way of living. The Bible calls this a “new creation” and that the old creation has been put away.
“If anyone is in Messiah, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
“He has shown you, O man, what is good. What does Yahweh require of you, but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8)
Steps to Walk with God
1. Realize that God loves you.
2. Understand that sin separates us from God.
3. We confess our sins to God, repent (vow to no longer sin), asking forgiveness where we have erred against God’s truth (even if we didn’t know we were wrong)
4. We acknowledge the baptism and death of Yeshua
5. We begin a new life with God by being made clean from our old ways and now living a life that is pleasing to our Creator.
These five steps are just the beginning of your new journey with God and His Son. As a child of God, you will want to know what your Father in heaven requires of His sons and daughters by reading and studying His word the Bible. Within the pages of the Bible is contained the very message of God for all generations of humanity. We can trust that God’s word, through His help, will guide us in our daily lives as we walk with Him in His Way. (2 Timothy 3:16)