THE FOUR SPIRITUAL LAWS

Just as there are physical laws that govern the physical universe, so are there spirituallaws which govern your relationship with God.

1. God loves you, and offers a wonderful plan foryour life.
   • "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son,that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life."John 3:16
   • (Christ speaking) "I came that they might have life, and might haveit abundantly" (that it might be full and meaningful) John 10:10
2. Why is it that most people are not experiencing the abundant life? Because...
3. Man is sinful and separated from God. Therefore, he cannot know and experience God's love and plan for hislife.
   • "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" Romans3:23
   • Man was created to have fellowship with God; but, because of his stubborn self-will, he chose to go his own independent way and fellowship with God was broken. This self-will, characterized by anattitude of active rebellion or passive indifference, is evidence of what the Bible calls sin.
   • "For the wages of sin is death" (spiritual separation from God)Romans 6:23
   • A great gulf separates God and man. Man is continually trying to reach God and the abundant life through his own efforts, such as a goodlife, philosophy or religion.
4. The third law explains the onlyway to bridge this gulf...
5. Jesus Christ is God's only provision for man's sin. Through him you can know and experience God's love and plan for your life.
   • "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" Romans 5:8
   • "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..." 1Corinthians 15:3-6
   • "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
   • God has bridged the gulf that 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.
6. It is not enough just to know these three laws...
7. We must individually receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; then we can know and experience God's love and plan for our lives.
   • "But 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
   • "For 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
   • "Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, 'Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him.' In reply Jesus declared, 'I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.' 'How can a man be born when he is old ?' Nicodemus asked. 'Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!' Jesus answered, 'I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.'" John 3:1-8
   • (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 the kind of people 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 anemotional experience. We receive Jesus Christ by faith, as an act of the will.
8. The following explains how you can receive Christ:

You can receive Christ right now by faith through prayer

(Prayeris talking with God)

God knows your heart and is not so concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of your heart. The following is a suggested prayer:

"Lord Jesus, I need You. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving 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 yourlife? According to His promise in Revelation 3:20, where is Christ right now in relation to you? Christ said that He would come into yourlife. Would He mislead you? On what authority do you know that God has answered your prayer? (The trust worthiness of God Himself and His Word.)

The Bible promises Eternal Life to All Who Receive Christ

"And 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 the 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.

Do not depend upon 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 is based on thefact that God spoke in His Word. We have faith inGod and his Word. Our feelings are the result of our faith and obedience. John 14:21

We as Christians do not depend on feelings or emotions, 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, as an act of the will, many things happened, including the following:

1. Christ came into your life (Revelation 3:20 and 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 (John10:10, 2 Corinthians 5:17 and 1 Thessalonians 5:18)

Can you think of anything more wonderful that could happen to you than receivingChrist? Would you like to thank God in prayer right now for what He has done for you? By thanking God, you demonstrate your faith.

Suggestions for Christian Growth

Spiritual growth results from trusting Jesus Christ. "The righteous man shall live by faith (Galations 3:11). A life of faith will enable you to trust God increasingly with every detail of your life, and to practice the following:

• Go to God in prayer daily John 15:7
• Read God's Word daily Acts 17:11-- begin with theGospel of John
• Obey God moment by moment John 14:21
• Witness for Christ by your life and words Matthew 4:19; John15:8
• Trust God for every detail of your life 1 Peter 5:7
• Allow the Holy Spirit to control and empower your daily life and witness Galations 5:16,17; Acts 1:8

Fellowship in a Good Church

God's Word admonishes us not to forsake "the assembling of ourselves together..." (Hebrews 10:25). Several logs burn brightly together; but put one aside on the cold hearth and the fire goes out. So it is with your relationship to other Christians. If you do not belong to a church, do not wait to be invited. Take the initiative; call the pastor of a nearby church where Christ is honored and His Word is preached. Start this week, and make plans to attend regularly.