(Editor’s note: The following is a submission to The Recorder’s weekly column titled “Faith Matters.” Each Saturday, a different faith leader in Franklin County offers a personal religious perspective in this space. For information on becoming part of this series, email religion@recorder.com or call 413-772-0261, ext. 265.)
A man whom I recently met told me that he didn’t sense the presence of God in his life. I shared with him the first part of James 4:8 in the Bible which says, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you” and told him that when he gets close to God, God will respond and get close to him.
The first and most important way an individual can get close to God is to accept the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ, as the completely sufficient payment for their sins. The first three chapters of Genesis describe that God made the first man and woman in complete innocence; but the man disobeyed God, and sin and death entered the world. Romans 5:12 says, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” Death and suffering are present in the world because of sin. It was never God’s desire for anyone to sin, but He has created mankind with the capacity to choose to follow His way or their own way. A prophecy about Jesus in the book of Isaiah says, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Sin created a debt that can only be paid by death; however, because of His love for the world, God the Father sent His perfect Son, Jesus Christ, to earth in human flesh to offer His life to pay the debt. Jesus then rose from the dead to give every person the opportunity to live with God forever after their physical death. It’s up to the individual to realize the need for this gift and receive it. The Bible says that when someone believes in the Lord Jesus Christ and receives the gift of eternal life, the Spirit of God comes to reside in that person and he or she spiritually becomes part of God’s family.
After a relationship with God is begun, the next way to get close to God is to get to know Him better through His word, the Bible. The Bible says that “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” In other words, the words of the Holy Bible were literally breathed by God as He led human authors to write it for the purpose of helping us to know what to believe, what we do wrong, how to make right what is wrong, and ultimately how to keep living right. These verses refer to “the man of God” because it was originally written to a young pastor, and they illustrate that no one, including a pastor, can be spiritually complete and mature without believing and following the written word of God.
The third way to get close to God is to regularly pray to Him. Before Jesus died on the cross, it was necessary for the people to go to a priest who would offer a sacrifice to God on their behalf. After Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection, people could gain access to God directly because of Jesus’s sacrifice, which the Bible says was “once for all.” The only way to approach the Father in prayer is though His Son, Jesus Christ. It is important to pray, not with an attitude of selfishness, but instead in submission to the will of God. Jesus Himself set this example by praying “not my will, but thine, be done.”
God’s invitation is open for every person to get close to him. “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” (Isaiah 1:18)
Greenfield Baptist Church is an independent Baptist church that was founded in 2015 and meets at 138 Main St. in Greenfield. The weekly Sunday schedule includes a Bible study at 9:30 a.m., and worship services at 10:30 a.m. And 6 p.m. A prayer meeting is held every Wednesday at 7 p.m. The church’s greatest priorities are to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and provide practical teaching of the Bible that will encourage and strengthen lives and homes. More information about the church can be found by calling 413-356-0150 or by visiting www.greenfieldbaptistchurch.net.