Daily Encounter: A Week-day Devotional by a staff of ACTS International.

Wednesday, February 13, 2019

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word [Jesus Christ] was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. . . . The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us." ⁴

Besides revealing himself through creation, God has also shown himself through the human soul. As well as being a physical, rational, and emotional being, man is a spiritual being with a living soul in which is implanted a consciousness of God. This consciousness is made up of a "religious and moral instinct" which acknowledges a supreme being upon whom man is dependent and to whom he is responsible.⁵

Anselm, the famous Italian theologian who lived in the eleventh century, stated that the idea of God in the mind is proof that God exists. Pascal, the French physicist and philosopher who lived in the seventeenth century, spoke about the "God-shaped vacuum in every life that only God can fill."

Furthermore, if God didn't exist in the mind of the atheist, why would he feel compelled to disprove God's existence?

God has also revealed himself to us through his Word, the Bible. The Bible doesn't seek to prove God's existence. It accepts it as fact and simply says, "In the beginning God. . . ."⁶

In the Bible God speaks with authority, stating that it is his Word and that he is the one and only God.⁷ It is God's written message to mankind. Fulfillment of scores of prophecies in accurate detail, some of which were written hundreds of years ahead of their fulfillment, is sufficient evidence to confirm the validity of the Bible.

God can be seen in creation, in the human soul, and in the Bible, but his final and clearest revelation of himself to us is in his Son, Jesus Christ.⁸ Not only is Jesus the Son of God, but also God the Son. Referring to Jesus, John the disciple wrote, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God . . . . The Word became flesh and lived among us."⁹

When Philip, a disciple of Jesus, asked to see God, Jesus said, "He who has seen me has seen the Father [God]."¹⁰

In life we all see and believe basically what we want to see and believe. If we want to see and believe in God, we can. If we don't want to see him, we won't. Most people do believe in God but it is an entirely different experience to find and relate to him personally. The only way to do this is through Jesus Christ.

As Jesus himself said, "I am the way, the truth, and life; no man comes to the Father [God] except through me."¹¹

It is our sin that has separated us from God and prevented us from finding him. But because God loved us, he gave his Son, Jesus, to die for us and thereby pay the penalty for our sins, which is death.

To find and know God is very simple. You can do this right where you are. Simply pray and confess your sinfulness to God, tell him that you believe Jesus died on the cross to pay the just penalty for all your sins, ask God to forgive you for all your sins, and invite Jesus to come into your heart and life as your personal Lord and Savior. When you do this, God forgives you for all your sins, cancels your guilt and gives you the gift of eternal life. His invitation is to all who will come.¹²

For help to find and know God, read, "How to Be Sure You're a Real Christian . . . without having to be religious" at: www.actsweb.org/christian.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you for all the revelations of yourself given to mankind, but most of all I thank you for revealing yourself through Jesus, the Christ, and how he gave his life on the cross as a ransom to pay the penalty for all my sins. Please forgive me for all my sins. I do believe and accept you, Jesus, as my Savior and my Lord. Please help me to live for you always in all ways. Thank you for your forgiveness and the gift of eternal life, and for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

If you prayed this prayer and truly meant it, please let us know at www.actsweb.org/decision.php and we will send you practical articles to help you in your Christian lifeâ€"all without charge.

4. John 1:1-3, 14 (NIV).
5. See Genesis 2:7; Acts 17:22-28 and Romans 2:14-15.
6. Genesis 1:1.
7. See 2 Timothy 3:16 and Mark 12:29.
8. Hebrews 1:1-2.
9. John 1:1,14.
10. John 14:9.
11. John 14:6.
12. Revelation 22:17.

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