The Bible tells us that God created the world perfectly, and created us to know Him personally — to worship and walk with Him. Everything and everyone fit together in peace and harmony. We see beauty, purpose, and evidence of His design all around us.
See the Scriptures::
Genesis 1:1,
Genesis 1:31,
Psalm 19:1
But things don't seem perfect anymore, do they?
WHERE DID IT GO WRONG?
Man was not satisfied to follow God’s design, and we have selfishly decided to do things our own way. The Bible calls this sin and tells us that we all have sinned and turned away from God’s design. The consequence of sin is separation from God, in this life and for all eternity.
Life doesn't work when we ignore God and His original design for our lives. Sin leads to a place of brokenness. We see this all around us and in our own lives as well, and we can’t fix it on our own. We need help.
See the Scriptures::
Romans 1:25,
Proverbs 14:12,
Romans 3:23,
Romans 6:23a
We need help, but there’s good news!
Hear the good news!
Because of His love, God did not leave us in our brokenness. Jesus, God in human flesh, came to us and lived perfectly according to God’s design. Jesus came to rescue us. He took our sin to the cross, paying the penalty of our sin by his death. Jesus was then raised from the dead, proving that He had overcome sin and death.
Simply hearing this good news is not enough. We must admit our sin and stop trusting in ourselves. We must ask God to forgive us, turning from sin and giving our lives over to Jesus. This is what it means to repent and believe. Believing, we receive new life through Jesus and God turns our lives in a new direction.
See the Scriptures::
John 3:16,
Colossians 2:14,
Ephesians 2:8-9,
Romans 10:9
What happens when we give our life to Jesus Christ?
Restoration...
When we give our life to Christ, God restores our relationship to him. We begin to discover meaning and purpose in a broken world. Now we can pursue God’s Design in all areas of our lives. Even when we fail, we can continue by the forgiveness that was given to us in Christ. God’s Spirit empowers and transforms us to pursue His Design and assures us of His presence in this life and for all eternity.
See the Scriptures::
Galatians 2:20,
Ephesians 2:10,
Galatians 5:22-23
God doesn't just restore us, but one day He will restore everything!
What more is there?
God has done a wonderful thing in forgiving us and restoring us, and has even more wonderful things to do. God has promised us eternal life with Him, and will one day make all things new. We have the joy of knowing that the trials of this life are only temporary.
The Bible tells us that there will be a new Heaven and a new Earth — once again perfect with no struggle, pain, sorrow, or grief. We can look forward with hope to living eternally joyous lives with Christ, our King.
See the Scriptures::
Revelation 21:4,
Romans 8:18
Following Christ begins with a conversation between you and God in prayer. You can have it anywhere and at any time, but it simply requires a humble submission to Him. It may sound something like this:
"My life is broken and I recognize that it's because of my sin. I need you. I believe that Jesus came to live, die, and that He was raised from the dead to rescue me from my sin. Forgive me. I turn from my selfish ways and put my trust in You. I know that Jesus is God, and I will follow Him.”
See the Scriptures::
Romans 10:13,
Romans 10:9
Begin reading the Bible — we suggest the book of John.
Spend time talking to God every day.
Come visit us at SMRBC to be encouraged in your walk. Not in our area? Contact us to help you find another great church in your area.
Download this free PDF with first steps for new believers.
We invite you to come learn more, ask questions, and discover what it means to be a Christ-follower with us. We meet at 10101 Staples Mill Road, Glen Allen, VA 23060. Our services are on Sundays, with a traditional service at 8 AM and modern worship at 9:30 and 11 AM — all with the same great, Biblical teaching from God's Word.
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