Knowing God

John 17:1-3

Who is God? 

God is the supreme being, the Almighty, the originator and creator of all life, the Holy Spirit who alone is worthy of praise and of worship.

What is man’s primary purpose here on earth?

God made man from himself and for himself, he made man from his own very breath, from his own life. Man was specially made for God alone and he was made to have a special kind of relationship based solely and purely out love for his God. It was the love of God that gave life to you and i. God’s original purpose for creating man was for an everlasting loving relationship between God and man. Man was made to serve God and to glorify him in love, for God is love. (He made man in his image and like himself, man was perfectly made in God’s resemblance, having God’s attributes and characters. Man was made as a direct personification of the One Eternal Being). Then if God is love and he made man in his own very  image and likeness therefore man is also love. This is why the bible says that we must love God and then one another because we were made from love and by love for the purpose of love. 

But man separated himself from God. Sin is disobedient to God. Obedience to God is holiness and love. Jesus said in John 14:15 “if you love me you will keep my commandments”.

Sin destroyed the relationship between man and God. Disobedient to God brings death and obedience to God is life. If you love God you will obey him. If you don’t love him you will disobey him and many people hate God today and love the devil, how? Because they disobey him and obey the devil who hates them with deep hatred.

God wants you to know him, to serve him so that you will not die and go to hell.

God sent his son Jesus into the world so save all humanity and to bring us to the knowledge of God. Jesus came to die and shed his blood to reunite man to his God. To restore the relationship that sin destroyed between man and his creator.

John 17:1-3  

These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:

As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.

And this is life eternal, that they might know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

John 3:16

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Why do we need a saviour?

Man fell from God’s grace, man disobeyed God, man became God’s enemy, man was alienated from the one true God and the devil became the god of men. The devil became the ruler of the world, he tricked man to disobey God and the Bible says whomsoever you obey is your master.

Romans 6:16

Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?

Now God loved man so much he wanted man back, he wanted to continue his relationship with man but It was impossible except blood was shed for the sins of men. 

How and why?

Leviticus 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.

Hebrews 9:19-22 For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people,

Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you.

Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry.

And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

Why must blood be shed? Can’t God just forgive and forget?

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

God is a God of justice and the wages of sin is death. 

The truth is we are all supposed to pay for our sins individually, the whole world was meant to suffer for their sins and it was supposed to be with our own blood and with our own very lives. Everyone was supposed to bear his or her own punishment for their sins.

This was why Jesus stepped in to take the punishment of the whole world by giving his own life as it was prophesied concerning him in the old testament.

The penalty for sin is death and that was why Jesus paid the penalty of death for us so that whosoever believes in him with not die for his or her sins but have eternal life. 

He was worthy to carryout this sacrifice for us because he had no sin, he never sinned, and he was able to stand in the gap for us and received the punishment for the wrath of God was poured upon him on the cross of Calvary. We can not stand the wrath of God and God loved us so much he wanted us back.

John 3:17-19 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 

And this is the condemnation, that light (Jesus) is come into the world, and men loved darkness (Satan) rather than light (Jesus), because their deeds were evil. 

God has ushered his love towards us by sending his son Jesus to save us and to die a painful and shameful death in our place on the cross and yet we refuse God’s gift of salvation! 

You can’t save yourself neither can good works save you, neither can religion save you, only Jesus can save you.

All your good deeds towards humanity and all religious activities towards God and man has no ground to stand upon they are unacceptable by God except when you give your life to Jesus.

John 6:38 summarizes this very nicely, “For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.

Give your life to Jesus today and God will wipe away all your sins and you will become a child of God and heaven your new home, so that when Jesus return for his people those who accepted his salvation, those who agree and believe in God through Jesus Christ will he take to His kingdom there we will be with God and the Lord Jesus forevermore, amen.

How can I be saved?

Believe in your heart that God sent Jesus to save you and confess Jesus Christ as Lord and saviour and you will be saved.

Romans 10:9-11 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

For the scripture saith, Whosoever believes in Jesus shall not be put to shame.