Maybe you’re wondering
Who Is Jesus?
Discover meaning and purpose
Christianity is all about encountering a relationship with the God who created us
We were created to be in relationship with Him. Until we do so, there will always be a deep void in our hearts that we will try to fill with other things — like money, fame, careers, or human relationships. But these things cannot satisfy our deepest hunger, and they will never lead us to the true meaning and purpose of life.
In John 6:35, Jesus says, “I am the bread of life.”
Jesus is the only one who can satisfy our deepest hunger. He is the one who makes it possible for our relationship with God to be restored. In Him, we can live in a relationship with our Creator and find the true meaning and purpose of life.
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Some Good Questions
Asking questions is a great way to get to know someone and learning about Jesus is no different. This is a great starting point to learn about some of the basics of Jesus, God, and spirituality.
Who Is Jesus?
Jesus is the Son of God. Some people see Him as a prophet, a moral person or a good religious teacher. But He is more than that — He is the Son of God, born of a virgin Mary to become the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. During His life on earth, which is recorded in history, Jesus claimed to be the unique Son of God — on an equal footing with God. He assumed the authority to forgive sins. He said that one day He would judge the world and what would matter then would be how we responded to Him in this life.
Why Jesus?
Jesus came to die for us. He came “to give His life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). He did it because He loved us and did not want us to have to pay the penalty for all the things that we had done wrong. On the cross He was effectively saying, “I will take all those things on myself.” He did it for you and He did it for me. If you or I had been the only person in the world He would have done it for us. Paul wrote of “the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). It was out of love for us that He gave His life as a ransom. The word “ransom” comes from the slave market. A kind person might buy a slave and set Him free—but first the ransom price had to be paid. Jesus paid, by His blood on the cross, the ransom price to set us free.
What are we free from?
Freedom from shame
The Scripture says that “Everyone who believes in Him will not be put to shame.” (Romans 10:11). On the cross, Jesus bore the full weight of our guilt and shattered the power of our shame. And now, He neither despises our weaknesses nor looks with contempt at our brokenness. The hope that we have in Christ does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us (Romans 5:5).
Freedom from guilt
Whether we feel guilty or not, we are all guilty before God because of the many times we have broken His laws in thought, word, and deed. Just as when someone commits a crime there is a penalty to be paid, in the same way there is a penalty for breaking God’s law. “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). The result of the things we do wrong is spiritual death – being cut off from God eternally. We all deserve to suffer that penalty. On the cross Jesus took the penalty in our place so that we could be totally forgiven, and our guilt could be taken away
Freedom from addiction
Jesus said that “everyone who sins is a slave to sin” (John 8:34). Jesus died to set us free from that slavery. On the cross, the power of this addiction was broken. Although we may still fall from time to time, the power of this addiction is broken when Jesus sets us free. That is why Jesus went on to say that “if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36).
Freedom from the fear of death
Jesus came so that “by His death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death” (Hebrews 2:14-15). We need no longer fear death. Death is not the end for those whom Jesus has set free. Rather, it is the gateway to heaven, where we will be free from even the presence of sin. When Jesus set us free from the fear of death, He also set us free from all other fears.
What are we free for?
Jesus is no longer physically on earth, but He has not left us alone. He has sent His Holy Spirit to be with us. When His Spirit comes to live within us, He gives us a new freedom.
Freedom to Know God
The things which we do wrong cause a barrier between us and God: “your iniquities have separated you from your God” (Isaiah 59:2). When Jesus died on the cross, He removed the barrier that existed between us and God. As a result, He has made it possible for us to have a relationship with our Creator. We become His sons and daughters. The Spirit assures us of this relationship, and He helps us to get to know God better. He helps us to pray and to understand God’s Word (the Bible).
Freedom to Love
“We love because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). As we look at the cross, we understand God’s love for us. When the Spirit of God comes to live within us, we experience that love. As we do so we receive a new love for God and for other people. We are set free to live a life of love—a life centered around loving and serving Jesus and loving and serving other people rather than a life centered around ourselves.
Freedom to Change
People sometimes say, “You are what you are. You can’t change.” The good news is that with the help of the Holy Spirit we can change. The Holy Spirit gives us the freedom to live the sort of lives that deep down we have always wanted to live. Paul tells us that the fruit of the Spirit is “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). When we ask the Spirit of God to come and live within us, these wonderful characteristics begin to grow in our lives.
Why does God allow suffering?
God’s goodness and sovereignty are not contradicted by the existence of suffering in the world. At the heart of the Christian faith is a God who knows what it is to suffer. The cross of Christ is the ultimate manifestation of God’s justice and God’s love for us. Jesus ended His days on earth nailed to a cross with a crown of thorns shoved onto His head. Before dying on the cross, He was whipped and beaten beyond recognition. He was abandoned by His closest friends in His hour of deepest need. Jesus is described in the Bible as, “… a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering” (Isaiah 53:3). When we are in the middle of our pain and suffering, we can remember that God too experienced sorrow and pain with His son on the cross. He took on our pain and suffering so we could freely choose to give our lives to Him.
In suffering there is also a message of warning. Are you prepared to meet God? What do you have to do to be ready? God took the initiative in giving His Son Jesus Christ. God says, “I love you. I want to forgive you. I want you to go to Heaven.” But you must respond to Him.
Receive Jesus Christ into your heart as Lord and Savior. Follow Him and serve Him from this moment on. You can know that you are prepared to meet God, whatever the future holds.
You're Invited
An act of faith
You’re invited into the story
Jesus Christ Provides a Relationship with God and Evernal Life
Through His death on the cross and resurrection (Romans 5:10). The New Testament makes it clear that we have to do something to accept the gift the God offers.
Romans 10:9 promises, “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” This is an act of faith. John writes that “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
Believing involves an act of faith, based on all that we know about Jesus. It is not blind faith. It is putting our trust in a person, Jesus Christ. You can do this by following these three steps:
1. Ask
2. Believe
3. Accept
If you would like to have a relationship with God and you are ready to take the above three steps to trust Him for your salvation, we invite you to pray a simple prayer to start that Relationship:
Lord Jesus Christ, I am sorry for the things I have done wrong in my life.
Please forgive my sins and save me from eternal separation from God. I now turn from everything which I know is wrong. Thank You that You died on the cross for me so that I could be forgiven and set free.
Thank You for providing the way for me to know You and to have a relationship with my heavenly Father. Through faith in You, I have eternal life, forgiveness and the gift of Your Holy Spirit. I now receive these gifts.
Please come into my life by Your Holy Spirit to be with me forever. Give me the strength, wisdom, and determination to walk in the centre of Your will. Thank You for hearing my prayers and loving me unconditionally.
In Jesus’ Name, amen.
If you prayed the prayer, congratulations!
Here are a few next steps
Learn from the Bible
One we have received Jesus and put our trust in Him, we become children of God. He is our heavenly Father. Like any father, He wants us to have a close relationship with Him. We develop this relationship as we listen to Him (primarily through the Bible) and as we speak to Him in prayer. The Bible is the word of God, and you might find it helpful to begin by reading a few verses of John’s gospel every day. Ask God to speak to you as you read.
Belong to a church
It is important to be part of a group of Christians who get together to worship God, to hear what God is saying to them, to encourage one another, and to make friends. Church should also be an exciting place for you to express your giftings as you serve and follow God’s plan for your life. Welcome to the family of God at The Peoples Church!
Learn and grow in community
We are created to live in Christ-centred community. Here at Peoples, our diverse groups are all about developing meaningful friendships as we share life together. It’s where we dig deeper into God’s Word and care for one another in love.