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FROM JIM’S HEART—Having God as your heavenly Father and to be personally related to God can only come through putting your faith and trust in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. This has to be the starting point in your quest after God’s own heart.
So if you truly desire to be God’s, then now is the time to make sure you have access to God’s power through a relationship with Him. To do that you need to think about your sin, because sin is what separates you from a holy God. Sin is anything that you do that misses God’s perfect standard of holy behavior.
Have you ever told just one lie, even “a little white lie”? According to Scripture, whoever attempts to keep all of God’s law “yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it” (James 2:10). And we are told in Romans 3 that “there is none righteous; no, not one… there is none who does good; no, not one” (verses 10,12). This means all of us. Everyone has sinned and fallen short of what God calls for.
But there is hope! The Bible gives clear instructions on how to deal with your sin in these verses below. They form what is called “the Roman Road” toward a relationship with God the Father because all these verses come out of the book of Romans. Follow what the apostle Paul says as he leads you down the Romans Road toward salvation through the Father’s Son, Jesus Christ:
Romans 3:23—“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
We were “all” born with sin. You might not want to admit it, but you have sin in your heart. You are under the power of sin’s control. Oh, maybe you do a few good things in your life, but unless you are perfect, you are still a sinner. Step 1 for you is to admit that you are a sinner.
Romans 6:23a—“The wages of sin is death.”
Sin is a dead-end street. It ends in spiritual “death.” We all face physical death. But spiritual death is worse because it separates you from God for all eternity. The Bible teaches that there is a place called the lake of fire, where lost people will be in torment forever. It is the place where people who are spiritually dead will go. Step 2 for you is to understand that you deserve not only physical death, but also spiritual death for your sin.
Romans 6:23b—“But the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Notice the little word “but” in the line above. There is an answer to your sin problem. Salvation is a free “gift” from God to you! You can’t earn this gift; rather, you must reach out and receive it. Step 3 for you is to ask God to forgive you and save you.
Romans 5:8—“God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
When Jesus died on the cross, He paid sin’s penalty. He paid the price for all sin, and when He took all the sins of the world on Himself on the cross, He bought—He purchased—you out of slavery to sin and death. The only requirement is to believe in Jesus and what He has done for you. Jesus did all this because He loved you. Step 4 for you is to give your life to God the Father through Jesus Christ, His Son
Romans 10:9-10—“If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Jesus from the dead, you will be saved.”
If you’ve already done all of the above, thank God and live for Him! If you have put your faith and trust in Jesus as your Savior, you are a child of God, and God is your Father. And, as a bonus, you can be an outstanding model of a believer in Christ. Strive to live a life of obedience to His commands, and you will be a person after God’s own heart.
RESPOND
God, You know my heart better than I do. Help me to open my heart to You. Purify my heart, I pray, and renew me from the inside out. Amen.
RENEWING RESOURCES 
A Man After God’s Own Heartby Jim George—Discover God's perfect design for how you can make a difference in all the key areas of your life, your marriage, and your parenting. Shop for this Christian resource for men today!
The Bare Bones Bible Handbookby Jim George—The perfect resource for learning about the books of the Bible in short, fascinating overviews. Pick up a copy of this Bible study aidhere!
REFLECT
If you do not have a relationship with Christ, find a church to speak with a pastor there or contact a Christian friend.
If you do have a relationship with Christ, then pray for those in your life who do not.
REMEMBER
If you have put your faith and trust in Jesus as your Savior, you are a child of God, and God is your Father.
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Jim and Elizabeth George are bestselling authors and national speakers dedicated to helping people live a life after God’s own heart. Together, they have written over 150 books with more than 14 million copies sold around the world. For over 35 years, the teachings and steadfast example of Elizabeth and Jim have helped countless men and women:
Jim and Elizabeth George are bestselling authors and national speakers dedicated to helping people live a life after God’s own heart. Together, they have written over 150 books with more than 14 million copies sold around the world. For over 35 years, the teachings and steadfast example of Elizabeth and Jim have helped countless men and women:
How did men and women in the Bible accomplish great things for God? There wasn’t any secret formula or bestselling book on success for them. In fact, they were ordinary people like you and me. What made them effective was their willingness to obey God—one decision at a time.
