One of the main purposes for our existence as a church is to let other people know that they can get to know God. God is not someone whom you can just meet one time and you can say you know Him. Getting to know God involves learning what He has revealed about Himself.
According to the Bible, Jesus Christ came to earth to reveal God to men. He was God dwelling among men, as His name Immanuel means. Being the Son of God, He was perfect.
He showed that God is holy. Because humans are not holy, they cannot access God’s presence, much less get to know Him, unless they are made holy too.
Jesus Christ came to make humans acceptable to God. He was punished not for something He did, but for all of your sins. That is the reason He died on the cross. You have to be made acceptable to God first, if you want to get to know Him.
To be made acceptable to God you need to believe that God cares a lot about you. He cared about you even before you were born. He punished Jesus so you could be made acceptable to God when you believed.
When you believe what God said about Jesus, the righteousness of Jesus is transferred to your account and you are made fully and completely acceptable to God.
At the same time when you believe, God also gives you His Spirit, the Holy Spirit. He is the one who gives you the spiritual understanding you need to get to know God. He will guide you in your new spiritual journey as you get to know God. He will use the Bible and other believers to help you grow in the knowledge and enjoyment of God.
