Hello Everyone,
I have recently started a Nazarene University. I have never practiced Christianity really. I have been curious about it and have read verses more. I honestly am not sure about how to except God or what to pray about or even what to say the first time talking to him. I mean this is not stuff your taught in school. I am just curious. All comments are welcome.
Just ran across your thread and have a few thoughts on the subject.
Ephesians 2:8 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—
Revelation 3:20 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.
Romans 10:8-11 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,”[
a] that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: 9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”
O.K., there are many ways to do this and many other verses but, for me, this scripture sequence is as good as any. Let's take a look and break these down a bit:
- Ephesians 2:8 ...First and foremost, you are saved by God's free gift of Grace and Faith...nothing more and nothing less will do. Think about it: How else could God devise a foolproof plan to save you and defeat the devil unless , in all his perfection and power, he would do it for you. The only other option would be for you to be involved and you would end up boasting about it. You are not perfect and the devil would defeat you without God's total supreme power over darkness,
- Revelation 3:20 Everything between God and us is based on free will to choose; why would such a perfect God make you do anything...it would defeat his purpose in toyally conquering sin and Satin. God calls you first and he seeks you out first. Once truly saved, you will probably see where God has been calling you for sometime. Here in Revelation is a famous verse from Jesus that sums up this calling process: Christ coming into you is the hallmark that identifies a Christian, the indwelling in you of God himself; this seperates us from all other religions. Here's the big caveat, it is based on you opening the door only. God calls, you open and he comes in.....free will choice!
- Romans 10:8-11 In these verse, God explains what it takes. These aren't the only verses in the Bible. This may take time to fully understand or it could happen soon, maybe now! Basically, as God calls on your heart again and again ( as he is now), It is up to you to acknowledge you sinful, that Jesus died for your sin and will resurrect you when he indwells you.
The Bible is clear about when you talk to God (Jesus) is the same as praying and the Holy Spirit is an advocate for you when you do talk to Him, so don't worry about exactly what to say...God knows you better than you know yourself. Keep talking to him! You being here, right now, is no mistake. You are calling out to God because he is calling out to you. The Bible says that as a Christian, you love God because he loved you first. He does love you and wants your free will decision to join his family. Remember this, your real earthly father is only temporary, God is your true Father for all eternity.
Do something similar to what it says in Romans, do it right now and be saved. If your not sure yet, remember God is perfectly paitent and his calling will never cease; he has an open invitation.
God Bless
