The Heart Of The Father

 Before Paul decided to love Jesus, he hated him and all those who loved him. He hated them to the point of arresting them and putting them in jail. Paul went from someone who hated Christians to being one of the Christians the most in love with God. How could something like this happen? How can you go from hating Jesus to loving him passionately in an instant? It’s a miracle, the miracle of the new birth. Paul met Jesus face to face on the way to Damascus and this meeting transformed his life. He fell in love with Jesus and became one of the greatest bearers of the message of salvation.

And you this morning, did you meet Jesus? Maybe not in such an intense way as Paul, but did you meet him? Did you also make this decision to love Jesus? Just because you’ve been coming to church since you were born doesn’t mean you’re automatically a Christian. What makes us a Christian? One becomes a Christian when one recognizes that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, when we recognize that we are sinners and that without him we are nothing. It is when we realize that Jesus died on the cross in order to restore the relationship that was broken by sin between us and the Father that we become Christians. Jesus died in order to restore this relationship of love and intimacy between us and God the Father.

Did you make that decision to follow Jesus? Did you choose to give him your heart and invite him to come and live in you? If not, it’s time this morning. It’s time this morning to open your heart to him.

Prayer

“Jesus, I ask forgiveness for my sins, I recognize that you died on the cross for my sins and to give me life. I give you my heart and I invite you to come and live in me. I want to follow you and I want to talk about you to the people around me. Thank you for loving me. I want to get to know you. Amen.”