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A monk demonstrating qigong at a temple on Taishan in Shandong Province. |
How You Can Have a Relationship With God
The first step is to acknowledge your need for God. God created us to depend on him for everything, in the same way that a child relies on his or her father. However, in our natural state, we prefer to depend on ourselves. Many people try to make themselves better by following a religion or a code of ethics. Many other people think they can find power within themselves to make themselves great. If a child insists on providing for himself, he cannot live in his father's house. He foolishly goes out to live on his own, shunning the security of his father's home. This is the situation between us and God. We have insisted on relying on ourselves instead of God. Basically, this is what the Bible calls "sin." Sin is not just bad actions. Sin is an attitude of rebellion against God. Our rebellion against God must be punished by death. It results in physical death and spiritual death--separation from God, not only in this life, but in the next life as well. People try to perform rituals and do good works to offset their rebellion, but they can never do enough. |
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The only way to reach God is through his son, Jesus Christ. He said, "I am the way, the
truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except by me." (John 14:6)
God couldn't bear to see the people he created wandering in confusion, loneliness,
and fear. So he sent his son, Jesus, to earth in the form of a man.
He was a man, but he was also God himself. He was tempted as we are to rebel
against God, but he lived a perfect life.
Although he was innocent, he was executed like a criminal.
How could a powerful God be put to death by the creatures he made? He willingly allowed himself to be killed because this was the only way to make a way for humans to be reconciled to God. Because he was innocent, he was able to take the place of the guilty on the execution ground. His was the death that we deserved. He took all of our rebellion upon himself when he died, and paid the penalty for all of our sin. |
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The steeple of Jinan's cathedral. Blue skies like this are rare in China today. The polluted sky in China reminds us of the pollution in the hearts of men and women. It makes us dirty and obscures our view of God. |
The good news is that Jesus didn't stay dead. He came to life again after being
buried three days. He was seen by hundreds of people. This proved that he had power
over life and death. He returned to heaven and he is waiting for you now to receive
him as the master of your life. You can have a new life too if you become a child of
God.
Here's how you can become a child of God:
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| This is a very simple explanation of Christian beliefs. People have made "Christianity" very complex by constructing intricate religions and systems of laws and rituals around Jesus. In fact, Jesus' message is very simple: you must depend on him and no one or nothing else. Nevertheless, you probably have many questions. The Internet has tons of information about Jesus. Better yet, look for a church where people believe in Jesus and are trying to follow him. |
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