Knowing and following God begins at the end of self. If we think we can add God to a self-focused life, we are wrong. Only when we come to the end of ourselves can we know Him. This is not commonly taught today, but it is truth.

Many people believe they know God based on things they’ve heard or the religious traditions of man, but they don’t actually know Him. God’s Word, the Bible, is the truth which tells us who He really is, and how to follow Him.

FALSE

“God loves everyone.”

TRUE

God is angry with the wicked every day. (Psalm 7:11)

FALSE

“Ask Jesus into your heart.”

TRUE

“What shall we do?” – “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:37-38)

FALSE

“Once saved always saved.”

TRUE

But he who endures to the end shall be saved. (Matthew 24:13)

These examples reveal the faultiness of relying on what we’ve heard or been taught, rather than searching the Bible for truth ourselves.

The entirety of Your Word is truth, and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever. (Psalm 119:160)

For the Word of God is living and powerful… (Hebrews 4:12)

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God… and able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 3:15-16)

God created a Garden and placed in it two trees. He created man (male and female) and walked together with them in perfect peace. He gave them everything in the Garden except one tree and said, “Do not eat of this tree or you shall surely die.”

The serpent Satan deceived man into doubting God, “You will not die! You will become like God!” Man listened to Satan instead of God, chose his own way, and ate of the tree.

True to His Word, God cursed man and cast them out of the Garden. Now, instead of beautiful fellowship, the inheritance of every person became this curse of broken fellowship with God, life chained to our own selfish will (sin), physical death, and ultimate separation from God in the horrific torments of hell forever.

There is nothing any man can do to restore their relationship with God. BUT GOD did what needed to be done in order TO RESTORE MAN TO HIMSELF. He sent His only begotten Son Jesus Christ to live the perfect life, to be our example, and to die as the perfect sacrifice which paid the full penalty of sin for all who would humble themselves, lay down their own lives, and follow Him in obedience for the rest of their days.

Religion and tradition say all you need to do is “accept the gift of Jesus” in order to “be saved” from the fate of the Garden. “Ask Jesus into your heart” they say, but they are misleading people into thinking it’s enough to just add Jesus to a still sinful, self-centered life. We must see what the Word of God, our absolute authority, says about how to know and follow God.

All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) The wages of sin is DEATH, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our LORD. (Romans 6:23) God now commands all men everywhere to REPENT. (Acts 17:30) “What shall we do?” “REPENT, and let every one of you BE BAPTIZED IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST for the FORGIVENESS of your sins, and you shall RECEIVE THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.” (Acts 2:37-38) “If My people will HUMBLE THEMSELVES, PRAY, SEEK MY FACE, and TURN FROM their wicked ways, then I will HEAR, and will FORGIVE their sin.” (II Chronicles 7:14) Then Jesus said to them, “FOLLOW ME,” and they IMMEDIATELY left (all) and FOLLOWED HIM. (Matthew 4:19-20, Luke 5:27-28) “I am the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE. NO ONE comes to the Father EXCEPT THROUGH ME.” (John 14:6)

Chaos is abounding today. Everyone has a choice. Live for self or FOLLOW CHRIST.

Many false prophets will rise up and deceive many and the love of many will grow cold. But he who ENDURES TO THE END SHALL BE SAVED. (Matthew 24:11-13) SEEK THE LORD while He may be found, CALL UPON HIM while He is near. Let the wicked FORSAKE HIS WAY and the unrighteous man HIS THOUGHTS; let him RETURN TO THE LORD and He will HAVE MERCY ON HIM; and to our God for He will ABUNDANTLY PARDON. (Isaiah 55:6-7)

He said to them, “COME AND SEE.” They came and SAW, and REMAINED WITH HIM. (John 1:39)