Why You Need God
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Probably the most fundamental question that anyone will ask him or herself is if he or she needs God. Truthfully, everyone has some form of a god, even if that god is him or herself. There are many who have denied any form of deity and believe that they are the only person who can provide the solution for all their needs and challenges. For others, they may choose something like money, fame, or physical power as their god, believing that this is the solution to every problem they face.
The Christian believes that God – the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit – are necessary for a person to be able to thrive. However, that need for God goes well beyond having someone who can lead you through the challenges of your life. Your need for God occurs on many levels.
Attached to God
There are many reasons why you need God, but let’s start with the most fundamental reason. You can do nothing of any consequence on your own. In John 15:5, Jesus declared, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
The believer is directly connected to Jesus. This is the promise that Jesus made to us. If we trust and put our faith in Him, then He abides in us. That has a number of amazing rewards associated with it. First of all, it means that we will bear much fruit. Many good things will happen because of our abiding in Jesus.
This type of fruit can be seen in many ways. The most obvious is described in Galatians 5:22-23, where Paul writes that the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. When you are abiding in Jesus, all these things will be seen in you. These things will not only be fruit in your own life, but will be things that you can share and lead others toward. Others, especially nonbelievers, will see the incredible joy, peace, love, and goodness you have, even in difficult situations, and will want to have these things. In this way, you will be as Jesus described…a light to the world (Matthew 5:14).
The fruit you bear will go beyond this, however. You will have the gentleness to help people through difficult circumstances, have the patience to be able to endure a rambunctious child, and the self-control to stand firm against somebody making terrible decisions. There are many different ways that you will be able to bear fruit.
Paul describes some of these in Romans 12:6-8 when talking about the gifts of the spirit. He talked about some being able to prophecy, while others will have faith. Some will serve, while others will teach. There will be those who will encourage and some who will be generous. You will have many gifts from God (something we will discuss in detail later), but you will also have ability to bear fruit which will change lives because you are attached to the true Vine.
Are you able to see the “fruit” produced in your own life?
Life Is Tough
Let’s be honest, life is very difficult. Our previous two week’s second of classes talked about suffering and how God is there through our challenges. This is one of the most important reasons why you need God. You will likely not find peace and perseverance through those tough times without God. Even if you do persevere through those challenges, it will be impossible for you to find peace and see the good that is occurring. You will suffer and find no joy.
God is the ultimate best Friend. He wants to help you through the challenges you face, and He is there every time when you need him the most.
Are there challenges you are facing right now where you need God?
He Transforms
One of the most common excuses people have for not coming to God right away is that they believe that they must “cleanse” themselves first. This is something that has been said millions of times throughout history: “I will accept Jesus after I get better.”
The truth is that you can’t get better apart from Jesus. Maybe you can improve some areas of your life. Maybe you can even make some drastic changes in your behavior. Those are only going to be temporary because only God can change your heart.
Romans 12:2 declares tells us: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
God’s expectation is that we would not succumb to the ways of the world but would be transformed in the way that we think, feel, and believe. The only way that this can happen is through the power of God acting in your life.
The great thing about God’s transformation is that it is not just about removing bad thoughts and ideas from your mind. It is also about transforming the way you think about yourself and the world.
Truth be told, most people absolutely hate themselves or at least think that they have no value. It is not surprising. Watch television or look on the Internet for any length of time and you will be bombarded with dozens of messages explaining what’s wrong with you. Your hair isn’t long enough, it’s too brittle, your teeth are not white enough, you’re not fast enough, strong enough, happy enough, pretty enough, tall enough, endowed enough, or smart enough. You are told countless times a day, every day, that there is something wrong with you.
God has never said that. While he wants to see you act in a holy and righteous way, where your heart is focused on Him and Him alone, God welcomes you right where you are at. In other words, God is saying “Come as you are!”
The Bible is filled with these types of examples to prove this. Paul was a murderer. Moses was a murderer. Joseph was a convicted rapist. Jacob was a fraud and a thief. David was a murderer and an adulterer. In addition, Moses likely had a stutter. Gideon is referred to as a “mighty warrior,” but was a coward. Practically every hero of the Bible was broken.
Despite their shortcomings and fears, God was able to use all of these men to do remarkable things. He can and wants to do the same things with you.
Do you think that God can use your brokenness to change the lives of others?
He Saves!
Of course, the primary reason why you need God is because you need to be free of the debt you owe for your sins. Honestly, this is something that is not talked about enough by teachers and pastors. While Jesus taught and provided a model for how we should act and believe, His primary purpose for coming to the earth was to die on a cross to pay the price for our sins. Isaiah 53:5 explains that “He was pierced for our transgressions,” and Romans 4:25 states that He “was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.”
God wanted an intimate relationship with you. However, your sin and disobedience kept you from that relationship. To ensure that there was no barrier between you and your Father, Jesus died on the cross to pay the debt that you earned for your sins. This is why you need God. You cannot save yourself from your sins. You cannot pay the debt that is owed for your sins except by dying and being eternally separated from God. Your Father did not want that, so Jesus paid the price for your sins.
He Guides
Before He died, Jesus promised His disciples that he would “give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever – the Spirit of truth (John 14:16-17).” In verse 26, He added, “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”
The Advocate that Jesus is speaking about is the Holy Spirit. The role of the Holy Spirit is to teach and direct us. What makes this relationship so special is that this is not a distant God out there giving commands. Instead, He is One who is dwelling within you.
In 1 Corinthians 3:16, Paul writes, “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” The Holy Spirit is dwelling within you. Think about that for a moment. God, Himself, is lives inside of you.
This gives you the ultimate guide. You have a God who cherishes you so much that He is living inside of you, feeling and enduring all the challenges that you face. He knows all of your struggles and wants to direct you so that you will have a better life.
How does it make you feel to know that God is dwelling in you?
Does that change your relationship with God in any way?
He Is Always There
Life can be very hard. There will be troubles that will be difficult for you to overcome. You will feel alone, broken, maybe even desperate. It is in these times that we need a friend most, and that is who God is.
You have a Friend who is always there for you. Best of all, He is a Friend who is living inside of you. As we learned, the Holy Spirit dwells inside the believer, providing counsel and guidance. He is also providing love and friendship. Throughout your struggles, you can know that God is always there for you.
God is not just assuring you that He is there. He is also assuring you that He will never leave. In Romans 8:38-39, Paul writes,
38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
In many places in the Bible, God assures us of His eternal presence in our lives. For example, Deuteronomy 31:6 states,
6 Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”
In your challenges and your difficult times, even in your infuriated and rageful times, God is there for you. He is the One person you can count on to always be there no matter what challenge you face.
Do you know that God is always with you?
Why We Don’t Find God?
The problem is that many of us struggle to find God. In the times we need Him most, He seems far away. However, we have learned in previous lessons that God is always there. So why don’t we feel His presence?
The biggest reason is that we simply don’t turn to Him. We choose to try to fix things on our own or opt to turn to an alternative solution to try to resolve our problems. These types of solutions may provide temporary relief, but they will inevitably fail. More importantly, they will push you further away from your relationship with God.
Keep in mind that God is accepting of your frustrations and anger. We read previously that God calls you to come to Him when you are feeling weak and run down. So, keep in mind the most important message of – simply come!
What are ways that you feel you need a closer walk with God?
Bible Passages for the Week:
Monday – James 5:16
Tuesday – Colossians 4:2
Wednesday – Mark 11:24
Thursday – Psalm 144:18
Friday – Psalm 18:6
Saturday – Pick a passage from Scripture that teaches you about what it means to pray.
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© 2024 Dr. Robert Pannier, Hope CDA, All Rights Reserved
