(I've also made a special page on this issue just for children. If you find the text on this page to be too long and complicated, please don't be too shy to go and check it out!)
Quite possibly, the most frequently asked question I've heard from people is, "What is the purpose of my existence? I'm born, I live, and then I die--but what's the point?" If this is what you're wondering, you've come to exactly the right page.
Even before you were born--in fact, before you were conceived--the Lord God, Maker of everything, had a plan in mind for you. This plan, simply put, is for you to have fellowship with Him and to give Him the glory due to Him for all He is and has done. That is the reason for your existence.
You might ask, "If God made everything, why are there bad things in the world?" My answer to that is simple: It's our own fault. Everything God made was good, but the first man and woman that He made sinned. That is, He told them for their own good not to do something--and they deliberately disobeyed Him. As a result of their sin, the world became cursed; right down to the present age. And we are no better--every single person in history, past and present, has been guilty of disobeying God.
Now you're likely asking, "What's your point?" My point is a very serious one--dead serious. While the Lord is a loving God, He is also a just God. His just and perfect character cannot and will not tolerate sin, that is, disobedience. All sin is equally terrible in His sight. The point of all this is that His justice requires the proper penalty to be paid. What is the penalty, you ask? Death. Yes, you read that right. Death to the one who has sinned is the only just payment that can be made. The kind of death I speak of here is not just physical death, but spiritual death--eternal separation from God. (Not His plan!)
If you've taken to heart everything you've read up to this point, my guess is that you're probably now feeling somewhere between gloomy and outright terrified. No need for that, for I have good news! There is one--and only one--way out of all this! (No, it isn't the "back" button on your browser...)
The way out is through Jesus Christ. Not only is He human, but He is also God! (He is also God's Son, but I won't go into too much detail on that here.) He also has the distinction of being the only One through all history to have never sinned. He was tempted numerous times, but He perfectly executed His Father's will--which was to be executed Himself. Though He did absolutely nothing wrong, He was murdered by those who were jealous of Him. However, three days later, He came back to life!
I'm sure you're now asking, "What does this mean? How is Jesus the way out of death?" Jesus paid the price for our sins, so we don't have to. He opened up the way for us to saved, because He loves us! (Who wouldn't love one's own creation?) However, even though He did the hardest part, it still requires a teeny bit of effort from you.
First you need to recognize yourself as being a sinner, being cut off from God and unable to save yourself from death. Then you need to believe that Jesus has already paid the penalty for your sins. Finally, you need to repent--that is, make an honest commitment to stop sinning--and ask Jesus to forgive you and take control of your life.
Congratulations--you now have eternal life! What exactly does that mean, you ask? Your body doesn't change; it is still vulnerable to the curse of sin. That is, you can still be hurt, and you will still physically die. But unlike someone without Christ, you'll go to Heaven to be with Him! (Although I've never been to Heaven, I can imagine it as being like a pleasant dream that you never wake up from; unlike Hell which is like a nightmare that you never wake up from. This hasn't been verified in Scripture, though.)
Now you might be asking, "If I'm saved, why do I still sin?" Even with Christ Jesus in your life, you don't immediately become perfect. Rather, it is a lifelong process. If you sin, simply repent and ask God to forgive you--and He will, guaranteed. You can also rest assured of the fact that even if you do sin again, you won't lose your salvation (status of being saved). I have a plate on the front of my car which reads: "Christians aren't perfect; just forgiven."
Finally, you may ask: "How do I know if I'm sinning?" Take some time to read in God's spoken Word, the Bible. Look especially in the Gospel accounts which cover Jesus' life here on earth, the first four books of the New Testament. His teachings pretty much cover it all.
By the way--don't keep all this to yourself; tell everyone you know about God's love for them. He wants everyone in the world to be saved!
If through all of this you have consistently said, "I don't believe," then I won't try to convince you to; that's not my job. My job is simply to be a messenger and tell the good news. I'll let the Lord Himself convince you through other means as He deems necessary (like His Word, for instance).
Well, I think that answers the most frequently asked questions. Please feel free to drop me a line if you have more!
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