How to Know God

Perhaps it was mere curiosity that brought you here or even a genuine desire to really know more about the God who created heaven and earth. Today, there are many ideas about God and how we can know Him and His plan for our lives. Fortunatetly, God has provided the answer to this important question in the Bible. Please take the next few moments and discover how to know God.

When it comes to knowing God, the Bible makes it clear that we must understand the Truth about us and the Truth about God. Let's look at the Truth about us first...

We are sinners

In fact, all of us are sinners... whether we like this fact or not. The Bible says, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). The word "sinned" means that we have missed the mark or standard set by God. The standard set by God is His standard of perfection. All of us have fallen short of God's perfect standard in our thoughts, words, and actions. We have not been perfect.

The penalty of our sin is death

The Bible declares that when we sin we earn a wage - death. Romans 6:23 states, "The wages of sin is death." This means we deserve to die and be separated from God forever because we have sinned against Him and have fallen short of His perfect standard. The one thing we must remember is that God never sends anyone to hell. We send ourselves there by rejecting the truth of the Bible.

Well, now that we have discussed the Truth about us, let's look at the Truth about God and what He did so that we can know Him and spend eternity with Him in heaven.

Jesus Christ died for us

Suppose you were convicted of a crime and were sentenced to death. Then one day while waiting in your prison cell, a guard walked into your cell and told you that you were free to leave because someone had convinced the judge that he wanted to pay the penalty for your crime. If that were possible, what would you do? Would you take the offer or reject it? Would you leave prison or pay the penalty yourself? The Bible says Jesus Christ took the penalty that we earned because of our sin, placed it upon Himself, and died in our place. "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). Three days later Jesus Christ came back to life to prove that He had conquered sin and death and that His claims to be the Son of God were true.

You can be saved through faith in Jesus Christ

Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For by grace [undeserved favor] you have been saved [delivered from sin's penalty] through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, that no one should boast." The word "faith" means trust. A person must trust or depend on Jesus Christ alone for the forgiveness of sins and for the gift of eternal life. Just as you trust a chair to hold you up through no effort of your own, so you must trust Jesus Christ to get you to heaven through no effort of your own. Feeding the poor won't get you to heaven. Going to church won't get you there either. While these things are good, such things will never bring anyone into heaven. You must trust in Jesus Christ alone and God will give you eternal life as a free gift!

Would you like to have Jesus Christ as your Savior?

If so, why not pray right now and tell God you are trusting in His Son for salvation? Remember, it's not a prayer that saves you. Prayer is merely telling God what you are intending to do. It is trusting in Jesus Christ that saves you.

"Dear God, I know I'm a sinner. I know my sin deserves punishment. I believe Jesus Christ died for me and rose from the grave. I trust Jesus Christ alone as my Savior. Thank You for the forgiveness of my sins and the gift of everlasting life. In Jesus' name, amen."

We are so blessed that you have made this important decision to trust Jesus Christ for salvation. John 5:24 tells us, "He who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life." Now, it is very important that you grow in your relationship with Jesus. Just like any relationship, you need to spend time with someone if you want to know that person well. The way to grow in your relationship with God is to pray and study the Bible. It's also important to find a local church where the Bible is taught from Genesis to Revelation. This will allow you to talk with a pastor who will help answer any questions you might have and it will give you a chance to spend time with other Christians who can encourage you in your new faith.

We would like to hear from you and help you grow in your relationship with Christ. You can either email us or write us at:

Calvary Chapel Worship Center
6550 SE Alexander Street
Hillsboro, OR 97123

If you have an immediate need for spiritual counseling, please call (503) 642-2003.