Knowing God Personally I

Adapted from Knowing God Personally by Cru.

Copyright © 2021 Campus Crusade for Christ International. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

How can I know God personally?

These four points explain how to enter into a personal relationship with God and experience the life for which you were created.

Principle 1—God loves you and created you to know him personally.

What do the following verses say about God?

1 John 4:9

"God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him."

John 17:3

"And this is the way to have eternal life - to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth."

The Bible tell us...

1. God loves you (1 John 4:9)
2. God wants you to know Him (John 17:3)

Most people do not know God personally because...

Principle 2—We are separated from God by our sin, so we cannot know him or experience his love.

What do the following verses tell us about sin?

James 4:17

"To him therefore who knows to do good, and doesn’t do it, to him it is sin."

Romans 3:23

"For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard."

Romans 6:23

"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord."

The Bible tells us...

1. Sin is not only doing what is wrong but also failing to do what is right before God. (Jam. 4:17)
2. Everyone is sinful. (Rom. 3:23)
3. Sin has consequences (Rom. 6:23)

What do you notice about the illustration below?

▲ = God

We may try to bridge this gap through good deeds or following a religion. However, all our efforts fail because they can't solve the problem of sin that keeps us from God.

But God in His love provided a solution for our sin...

Principle 3—Jesus is God's only solution for our sin. Only through Him can we know God and receive His love and forgiveness.

What do the following verses say about Jesus Christ?

Colossians 1:15

"Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation."

1 Peter 3:18a

"Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God."

Acts 1:3a

"During the forty days after he suffered and died, he appeared to the apostles ... and he proved to them in many ways that he was actually alive"

John 14:6

"Jesus told him, 'I am the way, the truth and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.'"

The Bible tells us...

1. Jesus is God (Col. 1:15)
2. Jesus died in our place (1 Pet. 3:18)
3. Jesus came back to life (Acts 1:3)
4. Jesus is the only way (John 14:6)

What is different about the illustration that we looked at previously?

Although we deserve to be cut off from God forever, in his love God sent Jesus to pay the penalty for our sins by dying on the cross.

Through Jesus, God has bridged the gap that separates us from him, and provided a way for us to be forgiven and restored to relationship with him.

It's not enough just to know these points...

Principle 4—We must each respond to Jesus by placing our trust in Him as our Saviour and Lord. Only then can we know God personally.

This response involves...

1. Agreeing with God that we are sinful and deciding to turn from our sin.
2. Trusting God to forgive us completely because Jesus died for our sin.
3. Choosing to follow Jesus; putting him first in our lives.

What do the following verses tell about our restored relationship with God?

John 1:12

"But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God."

Ephesians 2:8-9

"God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it's a gift from God... so none of us can boast about it." Ephesians 2:8-9

Titus 3:5

"He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life."

The Bible tells us...

1. The relationship is personal (John 1:12)
2. The relationship is a gift (Eph. 2:8-9, Titus 3:5)

Who is on the throne of your life—Jesus or yourself? Which circle best describes you? Which would you like to describe you?

If you have not, will you today put Jesus on the throne of your life and trust in Jesus alone and not your own goodness for your eternal salvation?

The following is suggested prayer...

Lord Jesus, I want to know you personally. I'm sorry for going my own way. Please forgive me for all my sin. Thank you for dying on the cross to pay for my sin. I agree to turn from my old ways and follow you as my Saviour and Lord. In Jesus Name, Amen.