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The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.  Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place?  He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false.  He will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God his Savior.  Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob.  Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.  Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.  Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.  Who is he, this King of glory? The LORD Almighty-- he is the King of glory.  - Psalm 24 NIV                                                                                                                      
 

Knowing God

The Glory of God and the Life of Man
What you believe about God, your purpose in life, goodness, sin, Jesus, heaven, and hell will have enormous consequences in this life and the next. You are about to encounter seven of the most important questions in the universe. Your answers to these questions will affect you forever. Please consider them carefully.
Do you believe in God? Who or what is God? How can we know about God?

1. There is a God who is infinitely glorious.
"Stand up and praise the LORD your God, who is from everlasting to everlasting." "Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise. You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you."

(Nehemiah 9:5-6)


The Triune God of the Bible, Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is infinitely more beautiful and wonderful and holy and majestic and powerful and awesome than the greatest human mind can comprehend. His power knows no end, His justice is perfect, His mercy is like a never ending tide, His holiness is whiter than the whitest snow, His knowledge is exhaustive, and His love cannot be contained by all creation. He has existed and will continue existing in all His beauty forever. He has no beginning and no end. He placed every star in the sky. He knows every atom in the universe by name. He stands alone in honor and value and worth. His name is above all names. He has no equal.
What does God want from you? Why are you here? What’s your purpose?

2. We were created by God for His glory.

“Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth – everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made."

(Isaiah 43:7)


The God of the universe designed the universe to display His glory. We exist to reflect the greatness of God. Our whole purpose in life is to see and be satisfied by the glory of God. Everything that we do – whether we eat or drink or drive a car – must be done to the glory of God. How remarkable. God, in His infinite wisdom and love, created us such that we are to spend our entire lives pursuing the most magnificent, satisfying, beautiful, and worthy being in all of existence – God!
Are you doing what you were created to do? How does God see us? Does God see us as basically good?

3. Everyone has sinned and thus failed to live for God’s glory.

“There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

(Romans 3:23)


None of us have done that which we were created to do. That is, every one of us have sinned by failing to glorify God as we should. We have exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator. In other words, we choose constantly to glorify God’s creation (toys and money and sex and relationships) rather than God Himself. When God sees us, He does not measure our goodness in comparison with other people. Instead, God measures our goodness against Himself—a standard which we all fail to meet.
What’s the big deal about sin? How does God feel about sin? Does God really punish sin?

4. The cost of our sin – of failing to live for the glory of God – is death.

“For the wages of sin is death.”

(Romans 6:23)


In choosing to sin, we have prevented ourselves from doing the very thing that we were created to do – glorify God. By our sin, we have separated ourselves from God and His glory. This act of rebellion brings with it extremely serious consequences. By failing to glorify God as we should, we have brought the wrath of God upon ourselves. The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness. Those who remain in their sin will ultimately be judged guilty by God and sentenced to spiritual death – hell.
Who is Jesus? Why couldn’t God just let our sins slide? Why did Jesus have to die?

5. In order to show His love, uphold His justice, forgive sinners, and display His glory, God sent His Son, Jesus, to pay for our sins with His death.

“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

(1 John 4:9-10)


Because of God’s great love for us and His glory, He did not leave us without hope in our state of enmity. He provided a way for us to again delight in His glory and be reconciled to Himself. God cannot ignore injustice. Because He is just, God must punish all sin. Therefore, God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. That is, in order to show His love, uphold His justice, forgive sinners, and display His glory, God sent His Son, Jesus, to pay for our sins with His death. Jesus death absorbed the full wrath of God for all of our sins.
How does God decide if you go to heaven or hell? What do we have to do to get to heaven? How can our sins be forgiven?

6. The forgiveness of sins and the everlasting life bought by Jesus death belongs to all who repent, believe, and love Jesus.

“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out.” (Acts 3:19)

"Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.” (Acts 16:31)

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; …‘Do this and you will live.’” (Luke 10:25-27)

God decides whether or not we go to heaven based solely on our response to Jesus. In order to gain access to the forgiveness, love, and glory of God in Jesus — in order to get to heaven — we must repent, believe, and love Jesus. Repenting means turning from sin and towards God. Believing means trusting and placing our faith in the promises of God rather than the promises of sin. Loving means realigning our affections to delight in the Delightful One.
What should you do if this makes sense to you? What’s the next step? How do you begin a Christian life?

7. If these six truths resonate in you, if they make sense to you, if you believe them then:
  1. Call on the name of Jesus. If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." Ask Jesus to forgive your sins and give you a delight in Him.
  2. Tell someone. Find a mature Christian to talk to and pray with. The Christian life is hard. You need to find someone to live it with.
  3. Get a Bible and begin to read it. God has literally written you a letter. He wants you to know Him and His will for you. Mostly, He wants to reveal the magnitude of His love and His glory to you. He does these things in the Bible.
  4. Get plugged into a local church. God’s chosen vehicle for nourishing and shaping faith is the Church. Find a Christian church where you can worship, pray, learn, and minister with other believers.
Sunnyside Free Lutheran Church
6623 227th Ave. N.E. Stacy, MN 55079
651.462.4163

Our prayer and purpose is that the truths on this page might awaken individuals to a greater understanding of and a deeper satisfaction in the greatness of God!

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of International Bible Society. "NIV" and "New International Version" are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark office by International Bible Society.