HOW CAN I FIND GOD?

Sometimes people feel the search for God is like looking for a needle in a haystack. They fear their effort may prove fruitless, so they go about it apprehensively. Still worse, others never even begin to look.

But the Bible tells us that we can find God:

“‘You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord.” – The Bible, Jeremiah 29:13-14

It’s important to understand that God is not hiding. The Bible tells us that God has revealed Himself in many ways. He not only wants to be found, but is in search of us. He desires every person to be in relationship with Him.

But how has He revealed Himself?

First of all, God’s existence is evident through His creative acts.
“From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see His invisible qualities – His eternal power and divine nature.”
– The Bible, Romans 1:20

The Bible also says:
“The heavens tell of the glory of God. The skies display His marvelous craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make Him known.” – Psalm 19:1-2

The Bible is saying that the universe itself is evidence that God exists. The fact that we have something instead of nothing speaks volumes. And the fact that the universe and our solar system appear to be fine tuned to support life – against all scientific and mathematical odds – give us reason to reflect. Given the hostility of the universe and the ferocity of the explosion that gave birth to it, we can marvel at the fact that we are here. This can lead us to ask, "Why?"

More Clues
God’s creative power tells us that He exists. But God didn’t stop His revelation there.

According to Christianity, God entered human time and space to communicate to us through the person of Jesus Christ, His Son.

The Bible teaches that Jesus physically entered human history about 2,000 years ago. He claimed to be God, performed miracles and taught ethics in a way that no one ever had before or has since.

He was drawn to those who society labeled as outcasts or unimportant: the disabled, ethnic minorities, children, the poor and others who were down and out.

Jesus infuriated many of the religious leaders of His day because He chose to publicly and boldly confront their hypocrisy and “holier-than-thou” self-righteousness. As a result, these religious leaders retaliated and lobbied for His execution.

On a bleak day about 2,000 years ago, He was murdered by the Roman government. But what seemed like the end was only the beginning.

Eyewitness testimony as recorded in the Bible reveals that Jesus rose from the dead in an incredible act of supernatural power. He appeared to His followers and encouraged them to live by His teachings. Jesus then returned to Heaven, but promised to always be with His disciples in spirit.

God also inspired a book, the Bible, that records His work in history and gives us fascinating insights into the life of Jesus and His first followers. The Bible claims that, although it is written by human hands, it is “inspired by God.” It truly is a book like no other. If you’ve never read the Bible, or have only had a glimpse, you need to give it a chance to speak to your heart.

To learn more of Jesus, you can read about His life in the Bible in the biographies called Luke and John.

Why Does it Matter?
These facts mean that, yes, you can find God, and that this God has revealed Himself through nature, Jesus Christ and the Bible. But God wants more than for us to merely know about Him. He wants us to know Him – personally. Is this possible?

Incredibly, it is.

“And we know that the Son of God has come, and He has given us understanding so that we can know the true God.” – The Bible, 1 John 5:20

Notice it doesn’t say “know about Him.” It says “know Him.” There is a big difference between the two. You know of the president, but you probably don’t know Him. The personal relationship makes all the difference.

How Can I Know Him?
The Bible teaches that God created us, loves us and has a special plan for our lives. “My purpose is to give life in all its fullness,” Jesus says in the biography of John.

God wants to bring fulfillment and meaning to our lives in a way that no one and nothing else can. But something has come between people and God. A serious problem has separated us. The Bible calls this problem sin.

Now, you may think of sins as behaviors that are truly awful: rape, murder, child abuse -- things that could send you to jail. And while these things are sins, that doesn’t tell the whole story. The Bible teaches that sins are wrong actions, attitudes and thoughts. Sin can mean outright defiance of God, or it can mean mere apathy toward Him. Sin can be failing to live up to an obligation, telling a lie – even a “little white” one. Sin is criticizing someone behind her back, taking something that isn’t yours, or responding in anger. It can be selfishness or self-righteousness. This isn’t meant to be a comprehensive list, but it shows that all of us have a sin problem.

“For all have sinned; all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” – The Bible, Romans 3:23

Our sin hurts God and creates distance in our relationship with Him. It’s similar to the analogy of a friend who offends us again and again, even though we ask her to stop. But the problem grows deeper.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – The Bible, Romans 6:23

The wages – meaning payment or result – of sin is death. This death is physical, spiritual and eternal. It ultimately means that, if we continue apart from God, we will spend eternity in the place the Bible calls Hell. But that isn’t God’s desire. He wants everyone to be in relationship with Him beginning right now. It’s our choice.

“He is being patient for your sake,” the Bible says. “He does not want anyone to perish.” Not only that, but God wants us to live with Him forever. In the biography of John, Jesus says Heaven exists “so that you will always be with me.”

Because of God’s great love for us, God sent Jesus to pay the penalty for our sins. The Bible says:
“Christ also suffered when He died for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but He died for sinners that He might bring us safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but He was raised to life in the Spirit.” – 1 Peter 3:18

In a courtroom analogy, we stood before Judge Jesus. He pronounced us guilty, but then stepped down from the bench and took our punishment upon Himself. You may or may not have known about the work Christ has done. Either way, you must understand that it’s not meant to be merely another historical fact that you file away in your head. God wants us to respond to the work of Christ.

In the book of John, the Bible tells us what Jesus requires in order to come into relationship with Him:
“But to all who believed and accepted Him, He [Jesus] gave the right to become children of God.”

First of all, Jesus is asking us to agree with what He reveals in His teaching in the Bible: God loves us; sin separated us from Him; Jesus died so that we could be reunited with God.

But God is also asking us to respond to this message. He wants us to acknowledge our need of His forgiveness. God wants us to thank Him for the work that He has done for us in sending His Son to die for our wrongs.

God also wants us to invite Him into our lives to begin a relationship with Him as our friend and leader.

What does this response to God look like? Each person’s conversation with God will be unique. Following is an example to guide you: “God, thank you for creating me and for loving me. I realize I’ve sinned against you, and that because of this, I deserve eternal separation from you in Hell. I believe that you sent Jesus to die in my place so that I can have eternal life and a fresh start with you. I believe that Jesus died and rose again for me. I ask for your forgiveness. I ask for your friendship, and I ask you to be the new leader of my life.”

Once we begin this relationship with God, we immediately become a member of His spiritual family. His Holy Spirit enters our lives to encourage us to live the way God wants. We immediately gain eternal life. Although our physical body will die, our soul will live on forever with God.

Is there any reason why you can’t find God right now? He is waiting for you to respond to Him.

Questions? Please contact us.

Common Questions

How can I find God?
What does it mean to be a Christian?
Am I good enough for God?
Will I go to Heaven?
Why should I believe in God?
Who was Jesus?
What about Christians who are hypocrites?
What makes Christianity so special? What about other religions?
Why do bad things happen to good people?
Why should I trust the Bible?
Do faith and science conflict?