How Does One Enter into That Relationship with God?
Jesus clearly lays out the way we must accept the message of salvation offered in the gospel in these words:
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28–30).
We must come to Him.
Conversion is not some long, drawn-out process. It is immediate and instantaneous. You don’t need to clean up your life before you come to Christ. You simply come with all of your problems, sins, and shortcomings and He will accept you as you are (see John 6:37).
We must take up His yoke.
When Jesus spoke these words, people readily understood, that animals (such as oxen) were often placed under yokes to work in the fields. In essence, Jesus is asking us to come under His direction for our lives. Many have their own plans for their lives, and they just ask the Lord to come along for the ride. But Jesus has no interest in this kind of arrangement. You either come on His terms or you don’t come at all.
What are Jesus’ terms?
- First, we must believe.
To believe means “to take hold of something.” We must admit that we are helpless sinners in desperate need of a Savior. - Second, we must repent.
To repent means “to let go of something.” We do this when we put our trust and faith in Jesus and turn the direction of our lives over to Him. That means turning away from our old, sinful lifestyles and being willing to change and become a different person. - Third, we must learn of Him.
As we walk and talk with Jesus Christ in our heart and lives, and as we begin to read His Word, we begin to see things the way Jesus does. We have new eyes because we have become a new creation.
Perhaps you already know everything we have covered here. If you do know it and you believe it, when is the last time you declared it? God wants to use you to spread the gospel (see Romans 10:14–15).
