Know
The way of salvation and forgiveness isn’t complicated.
Andrew Palau explains how our fractured relationship with God can be repaired, simply by accepting the gift He offers us.
What does it take to know God—not just intellectually but the way you know a loved one? The kind of knowing that engages your heart. The kind that is about connection, intimacy, faithfulness, and love you can count on through all the twists and turns of life, and beyond into eternity.
You can know God that way. No matter who you are, what your circumstances are, or what your history is, God loves you and wants you to know him. You. You can begin your journey of walking with God right now. It starts by grasping and responding to a few truths from the Bible.
The short, simple version is here. To go deeper, just click the link at the end of each paragraph.
Humans are by nature separated from God. We are born into a state of being called sin. It’s more than just wrong thoughts, words, and deeds—it’s also the negative force within us that produces them. None of us are free from sin. “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8). (What Is Sin Really?)
You yourself are a sinner. No matter how good you are humanly speaking, your best works are tainted by your dark side. That is something God takes so seriously that, left unresolved, the relational chasm between you and him will remain for eternity. And you can’t fix it. “All have sinned, and all their futile attempts to reach God in His glory fail” (Romans 3:23 VOICE). (Nobody’s Perfect)
God gave Jesus, his Son, to take away your sin. Jesus died on a cross on your behalf. He did so in order to break the power of sin over your life, pay the penalty for all the individual sins you’ve ever committed, and obtain forgiveness and peace with God. “When we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6). (Why You Need a Savior)
Jesus rose from the dead—and obtained new life for you. Not just the same kind of life, but a whole new quality of life connected with God that gives you hope and strength for today and will carry you into eternity with God, who loves you more than you can fathom. “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:28). (A New Life—Starting Now)
What you could never do for yourself, Jesus has done for you. But it’s not yours automatically—you have to ask him for it. It’s that simple. He’ll work with you from there. Just talk with God the best you know how—from your heart. That’s so important. When your words come from your heart, God hears you. “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” (Romans 10:9).
You can use the following as a model.
God, I know I am a sinner, separated from you—but I want to be with you.
I believe Jesus, God in the flesh, lived a sinless life,
died in my place on a cross,
and rose from the dead in a transformed body, never to die again,
all on my behalf.
Jesus, I am entrusting you with my life. Lead me, teach me, and love me. Help me to know you. And change me as you see fit. From now on, you are my Lord, my Savior, my brother,
and my friend.
Welcome to your new journey with God! There’s lots to learn. For growth, help, and encouragement along the way, see the Resources page.
Randy Hekman, a former judge himself, tells about a Perfect Judge who not only condemns anything below His standard of perfection, but then... makes a way for us to be accepted.