Have you heard of the Four Spiritual Laws?
LAW ONE
GOD’S LOVE
“God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
GOD’S PLAN
[Christ speaking] “I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly” [that it might be full and meaningful]. (John 10:10)
Why is it that most people are not experiencing the abundant life?
Because…
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LAW TWO
PEOPLE ARE SINFUL AND SEPARATED FROM GOD SO WE CANNOT KNOW AND EXPERIENCE GOD’S LOVE AND PLAN FOR OUR LIFE.
PEOPLE ARE SINFUL
“All have sinned and fall short of God’s glorious standard.” (Romans 3:23)
We were created to have a personal relationship with God, but by our own choice and self-will we have gone our own independent way and that relationship has been broken.
This self-will, often seen as an attitude of active rebellion towards God or a lack of interest in Him, is an evidence of what the Bible calls sin.
PEOPLE ARE SEPARATED
“The wages of sin is death” [spiritual separation from God]. (Romans 6:23)
This picture illustrates that God is holy and people are sinful. A great gap separates the two. The arrows illustrate that people are continually trying to reach God and the abundant life through their own efforts, such as a good life, philosophy, or religion – but they always fail.
The third law explains the only way to bridge this gap…
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LAW THREE
JESUS CHRIST IS GOD’S ONLY PROVISION FOR OUR SIN. THROUGH HIM YOU CAN KNOW AND EXPERIENCE GOD’S LOVE AND PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE.
HE DIED IN OUR PLACE
“God demonstrates His own love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
HE ROSE FROM THE DEAD
“Christ died for our sins…He was buried…He was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures…He appeared to Peter, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred…”
(1 Corinthians 15:3-6)
HE IS THE ONLY WAY TO GOD
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me’.” (John 14:6)
This picture illustrates that God has bridged the gap which separates us from Him by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross in our place to pay the penalty for our sins.
It is not enough just to know these three laws…
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LAW FOUR
WE MUST RECEIVE CHRIST
“As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.” (John 1:12)
WE RECEIVE CHRIST THROUGH FAITH
“By grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8,9)
WE RECEIVE CHRIST BY PERSONAL INVITATION
[Christ is speaking] “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him.” (Revelation 3:20)
Receiving Christ involves turning to God from self (repentance) and trusting Christ to come into our lives to forgive our sins and to make us what He wants us to be. Just to agree intellectually that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for our sins is not enough. Nor is it enough to have an emotional experience. We receive Jesus Christ by faith, as a decision of our will.
THESE TWO CIRCLES REPRESENT TWO KINDS OF LIVES:
SELF-DIRECTED LIFE
S – Self is on the throne.
† – Christ is outside the life.
• – Interests are directed by self, often resulting in discord and frustration.
CHRIST-DIRECTED LIFE
† – Christ is in the life and on the throne.
S – Self is yielding to Christ.
• – Interests are directed by Christ, resulting in harmony with God's plan.
Which circle best describes your life?
Which circle would you like to have represent your life?
The following explains how you can receive Christ:
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YOU CAN RECEIVE CHRIST RIGHT NOW BY FAITH THROUGH PRAYER
(Prayer is talking to God)
God knows your heart and is not so concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of your heart. Here is a suggested prayer:
“Lord Jesus, I need You. Thank You for dying on the cross in my place for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Saviour and Lord. Thank You for forgiving me of my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be.”
Does this prayer express the desire of your heart?
If it does, pray this prayer right now, and Christ will come into your life, as He promised.
HOW TO KNOW THAT CHRIST IS IN YOUR LIFE
Did you receive Christ into your life? According to His promise in Revelation 3:20, where is Christ right now in relation to you?
Christ said that He would come into your life. Would He mislead you? On what authority do you know that God has answered your prayer? (The trustworthiness of God Himself and His Word, the Bible.)
THE BIBLE PROMISES ETERNAL LIFE
“The witness is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:11-13)
Thank God often that Christ is in your life and that He will never leave you (Hebrews 13:5). You can know on the basis of His promise that Christ lives in you and that you have eternal life from the very moment you invite Him in. He will not deceive you.
What about feelings? …
DO NOT DEPEND ON FEELINGS
The promise of God’s Word, the Bible – not our feelings – is our authority. The Christian lives by faith (trust) in the trustworthiness of God Himself and His Word. This train diagram illustrates the relationship between fact (God and His Word), faith (our trust in God and His Word), and feeling (the result of our faith and obedience). (John 14:21)
The train will run with or without a passenger car. However, it would be useless to attempt to pull the train by the passenger car. In the same way, as Christians we do not depend on feelings or emotions to decide what is true, but we place our faith (trust) in the trustworthiness of God and the promises of His Word.
NOW THAT YOU HAVE RECEIVED CHRIST
The moment that you received Christ by faith many things happened, including the following:
1. Christ came into your life. (Revelation 3:20; Colossians 1:27)
2. Your sins were forgiven. (Colossians 1:14)
3. You became a child of God. (John 1:12)
4. You received eternal life. (John 5:24)
5. You began the great adventure for which God created you. (John 10:10; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:18)
Can you think of anything more wonderful that could happen to you than receiving Christ? Would you like to thank God in prayer right now for what He has done for you? By thanking God, you demonstrate your faith.
To enjoy your new life to the full ...
SUGGESTIONS FOR CHRISTIAN GROWTH
Spiritual growth results from trusting Jesus Christ. “The righteous man shall live by faith” (Galatians 3:11). A life of faith will enable you to trust God increasingly with every detail of your life, and to practice the following:
1 Go to God in prayer daily. (John 15:7)
2 Read God’s Word daily (Acts 17:11); begin with the Gospel of John.
3 Obey God moment by moment. (John 14:21)
4 Witness for Christ by your life and words. (Matthew 4:19; John 15:8)
5 Trust God for every detail of your life. (1 Peter 5:7)
6 Holy Spirit – allow Him to control and empower your daily life and witness. (Galatians 5:16,17; Acts 1:8)
FELLOWSHIP IN A GOOD CHURCH
The Bible tells us the importance of meeting together with other Christians (Hebrews 10:25).
Have you ever watched a fire burning in a fireplace? Several logs together burn brightly. But if you pull one log away from the fire, its flame soon goes out. The same thing happens to us if we do not spend time with other Christians. Attend a church where Christ is talked about and the Bible is taught. Start this week and make plans to attend regularly.
If this article has been helpful to you, please give it or read it to someone else. This way you might help another person come to know God personally.
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