Chapter 2

. . . And To Be Known

How Do We Know Him?

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Hebrews 11:6.

It is not possible to know God without first believing in Him. But unlike all other forms of theisms, the writer of Hebrews states that we must also believe that he rewards those who seek him. Or in other words, we must believe that He will answer our prayers.

YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN

You can know about God by reading the Bible, going to church, listening to preachers, and reading in history what God has done. But you cannot know God personally without being born again. "But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear" (Isa. 59:2). We all have inherited the original sin of Adam, so that we are born separated from God. Sin means that we have missed the mark, as in an arrow shot that misses the bull's eye. There is nothing that we can do to earn the right to come into God's holy presence. "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags" (Isa. 64:6). "As it is written, 'There is none righteous, no, not one'" (Rom. 3:10). We live in a generation where sin and iniquity have been white washed as though nonexistent. We all commit sin in pursuing selfish desires. "If I regard iniquity in my heart, Yahweh will not hear me" (Psa. 66:18). It is only in acknowledging our sinfulness before Jesus that He will hear us. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). But it is not lip service that he listens to. "For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of" (2 Cor. 7:10). It is in judging ourselves guilty, that we may call upon the Lord. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord [Jesus] shall be saved" (Rom. 10:13).

Why did Jesus say to Nicodemus, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, 'Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God'" (John 3:3)? "There shall no flesh be justified in his sight" (Rom. 3:20), that is, by self effort. We are all extensions of Adam, and an entirely new person must take his place. There is only one new person that is just in God's sight: Jesus. His righteousness is "for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised Jesus our Lord from the dead; who was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification" (Rom. 4:24 & 25). To be born again is to be "buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life" (Rom. 6:4). That newness of life is a spiritual rebirth that comes from the Holy Spirit of God coming into our hearts.

The means of salvation is simple: acknowledge your sin, be willing to change, confess that Jesus died for your sins and was raised from the dead, and ask Him to come into your heart. For "if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Rom. 10: 9 & 10). Jesus said, "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven" (Matt. 10:32 & 33). It takes a simple prayer from the heart. Here is a sample prayer that can be prayed to invite Jesus into your heart:

Dear Jesus, I believe that you are God who became a man so that you could die for my sins. I admit that I am a sinner and that I need your help. I believe that you rose from the dead and are alive even now. Forgive me of my sins, and come into my heart so that I may be a new person, to be born again. I believe you heard me and I believe that you answered me. Thank you for coming into my heart.