How can I know God?

At Little River we believe that everyone can come to know God personally! We also believe that everyone can be completely forgiven of all the bad things that they have done and that everyone can have the assurance of going to Heaven! You may be wondering how can these things be true in my life? Can I really know God? Will He really forgive some of the things that I've done? Can I really be sure that I am going to heaven?
The answer to all of those questions is YES! So how can these things be true in your life?
Have you ever heard of the word F.A.I.T.H. ?

F = Forgiveness
We cannot have eternal life and heaven without God's forgiveness.
"In Him (Jesus) we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our sins"
Ephesians 1:7
So, through Jesus God's forgiveness is available!

A = Available
God's forgiveness is available for ALL!
"For God so loved the world in this way: He gave His only Son (Jesus), so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16
This verse tells us God's forgiveness is available to ALL, but it is NOT AUTOMATIC.
"Not everyone who says to Me (Jesus), 'Lord, Lord!' will enter the kingdom of heaven."
Matthew 7:21
So, this begs the question "Why not?" Why is God's forgiveness NOT AUTOMATIC?

I = Impossible
It is IMPOSSIBLE for God to allow sin into heaven!
You see, God is a holy and just God:
"For judgment is without mercy"
James 2:13
God, because of who He is and how holy He is, will judge sin and His judgment will be without mercy.
This poses a problem for mankind because mankind is SINFUL.
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
Romans 3:23
So, how does a sinful person enter heaven, where God allows no sin?

T = TURN
So, if a sinful person wants to enter heaven he or she must TURN.
In the Bible to TURN means to repent or change directions.
We must TURN from SOMETHING - our sin and self
"But unless you repent you will all perish as well!"
Luke 13:3
We must TURN to SOMEONE - Jesus Christ alone!
(The Bible tells us that) "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures."
1 Corinthians 15:3
"If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."
Romans 10:9
So if you will TURN from your sin and self and TURN to Jesus then you will be assured of...

H = Heaven
Heaven is eternal life.
The Bible speaks of Heaven in two ways:
HERE
"I (Jesus) have come that they may have life and have it in abundance."
John 10:10
We do not have to wait until we die to begin experiencing the benefits of Heaven. In this life we can experience God's forgiveness, true peace, true joy, and true hope. We can also have the assurance of one day going to Heaven!
HEREAFTER
"If I (Jesus) go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, so that where I am you may be also."
John 14:3
We can know for sure that one day we will be with Jesus in Heaven!

If you would life to receive God's forgiveness and the assurance of one day being in Heaven with Him then you need to trust Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord. You can do that by praying this prayer:
"Dear Jesus, I believe that You died on the cross for my sins and that you arose from the grave. I now ask you to forgive me of my sins, help me turn from them and save my soul. I give You my life and trust you as my Savior and Lord. Amen."

If you prayed this prayer you can be assured that your sins are forgiven and you will one day go to Heaven! You are now a child of God! Welcome to God's family!

At Little River, we would love to celebrate with you and help you learn how to grow in your faith. Please contact us at 338-1006 or by email us at info@littleriverbaptist.org and let us know how we can serve you!