Ecclesiastes 1:2 “Meaningless! Meaningless! Says the Teacher, Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” 1:8 “All things are wearisome, more than one can say.” Why is everything meaningless? Because we chose to disobey God and go our own willful way. This results in separation from God. People who are skeptical or atheist are separated from God.

How do I start believing in God?

Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” Ecclesiastes 12:13 “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” God has two sides to him…Love and Wrath. It is our decision to experience either his love or his wrath. People feel his wrath if they are separated from him. Fear of God is the first step.

Recognize that you are a sinner

Being a slave to sin and death (Satan) is why we are separated from God. Adam and Eve were the first to become slaves to sin. What is sin? Simply disobeying God and his Word.

Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” You see, eternal life is a gift. We do not deserve it. For we all have sinned. God is holy. There is no possible way for us to reach God through our own good deeds or religion. However, it is possible for Him to reach us! How? No bridge reaches God, except one. Through Jesus Christ and what he has done for us. All we have to do is accept it. This is how God reaches us.

Well, how do I go about accepting Jesus into my life?

God loves you and wants you to experience peace and life, abundant and eternal. People seek inner peace. There is an emptiness or a vacuum in every heart that needs filled. The Holy Spirit is the only thing that can fill this void. We try to fill it by relationships, favorite foods, movies, going out to clubs, shopping, watching sports and the list goes on and on. Yet, people still feel a void in their hearts. This is why many cults and gangs exist. This is why so many religions exist. People are trying to find an answer.

Romans 5:1 “We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Jesus accomplished something so beyond our comprehension. He was crucified and raised from the dead for a particular reason. That reason is to defeat sin and death. Once we sin, which we do everyday, we will die. Sin leads to death. However, Jesus conquered the grave. Jesus became our sin! He was punished instead of us! When he died on the cross, he put our sin, past, present, and future, to death! Jesus became us! He became our sinful nature, even though he was sinless throughout his life on earth. When he rose from the dead, he defeated death. So, instead of struggling with Satan on earth ourselves, we place our faith in Jesus because He is the only one who has defeated Satan. And with His Spirt living in us, we can also defeat Satan. You see, we cannot, no matter how hard we try, obey the Ten Commandments. This is why Jesus came. He knew this. If we say we do not sin, Jesus had no reason to die and raise. We call Jesus a fake and a liar. However, He is the furthest from this. His blood is the New Covenant. It takes the place of the Old Covenant, i.e., the Ten Commandments. His blood “washes away” our sins. When we accept him into our hearts, he pours out his blood through the Holy Spirit through our minds, hearts, bodies, and souls. The benefits are tremendous for accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior.

So, what are the benefits?

1. Eternal Life with God (a life that lasts forever without pain or suffering and with total peace) 2. Forgiveness of sins on Earth 3. Peace in our hearts on Earth (through the Holy Spirit) 4. Called a “Child of God” 5. Considered a “saint” in God’s eyes 6. Helping others out with life on Earth by telling them “The Truth” 7. Formed into a better person on Earth in many areas of life 8. Deal with problems in life in a different light 9. Knowing God is in control of every situation, which is quite relaxing 10. Approach physical death with more confidence

And, I am sure there are many more not mentioned, but they are all positive!