Knowing Jesus
God's purpose in saving us from our sins is to enter into a relationship with us. His purpose is to bring us to Himself. God is love. He created us for relationship with Him, but our sins separate us from Him. Therefore, we have to have our sins forgiven before we can have that relationship. However, the forgiveness of our sins is secondary to God. He wants us. He does not just want to forgive our sins and let us go away from Him.
As I was preaching recently, God showed me this purpose for us. The way He showed me was that I was explaining that He does not save us just because we ask Him to forgive our sins and come into our heart. He only saves us when we put our trust in Him as Lord of our lives, turning from our sins. The reason hit me at that moment. Until we humble ourselves before Him, repenting of our sins, and submitting to Him as Lord of our lives, we are not in the position to have a real love relationship with Him.
This principle is even true of human relationships. We can't have a meaningful relationship with someone if we just want to get something from them. We have to be willing to give ourselves to them in love, so that we desire to know them and to do what we can to meet their needs. When we surrender to Jesus as Lord, we turn from our sins, because He hates sin, and we do what He wants, because He is Lord. He is then able to lavish His love on us and draw into a close love relationship with us.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Ezra 5-7.
As I was preaching recently, God showed me this purpose for us. The way He showed me was that I was explaining that He does not save us just because we ask Him to forgive our sins and come into our heart. He only saves us when we put our trust in Him as Lord of our lives, turning from our sins. The reason hit me at that moment. Until we humble ourselves before Him, repenting of our sins, and submitting to Him as Lord of our lives, we are not in the position to have a real love relationship with Him.
This principle is even true of human relationships. We can't have a meaningful relationship with someone if we just want to get something from them. We have to be willing to give ourselves to them in love, so that we desire to know them and to do what we can to meet their needs. When we surrender to Jesus as Lord, we turn from our sins, because He hates sin, and we do what He wants, because He is Lord. He is then able to lavish His love on us and draw into a close love relationship with us.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Ezra 5-7.