Faith | Inner peace and joy is found in a relationship with God

I was given a two-year death sentence from cancer 17 years ago, but God graciously extended my life.

Now, I have much more peace of mind about everything, including death, and the ongoing political chaos in our nation knowing that God has it all under control.

I believe that someday he will bring his perfect kingdom to rule forever in peace, happiness and harmony over myself, and all others who believe in his son, Jesus Christ.

You may feel like an insignificant speck on the map of the universe, but an all-powerful, all knowing, eternal, righteous, and just God loves you.

He values you so much that he wants to have a special relationship with you, so that you can have meaning and purpose along with joy and happiness forever.

God sees us all as sinners in rebellion against him, to some degree, in what we think or say and do.

God, being perfect and holy, has to separate himself from sin by punishing sinners; the punishment after death is not being able to live with him in heaven, and being sent to hell.

But God loved us so much that a part of him became flesh in Jesus Christ who was born, grew up and lived as one of us.

Christ claimed to be both man and God. He performed many miracles, predicted his own death and resurrection, and made some astounding promises about eternal happiness.

He was tempted in all things as we are, yet lived a totally sinless righteous life in order to be the perfect sacrifice for all our sins.

The Bible tells us Christ was tried illegally and brutally executed on a Roman cross as the perfect substitutionary sacrifice for us so that we can be delivered from the penalty of all our sins, and be saved.

He suffered physical excruciating pain the first three hours on the cross. But the worst of it came the second three hours when he was separated from God the Father— which probably felt like an eternity to him.

He then shocked the world by miraculously coming back to life on the third day after his burial.

It was out of his love for us that Jesus sacrificed himself for us and now gives us a free gift—an opportunity to be cleansed from the penalty of all our sins, past, present, and future.

He took the punishment for them on our behalf, and God has declared us totally righteous in his sight.

Salvation is not obtained, or kept, by adding good works or through religious rites.

Jesus Christ gets all the credit, honor, and glory he rightfully deserves, not us in any way, shape, or fashion. We have the choice to receive his free gift of salvation by trusting in him alone as our personal savior and Lord.

What we will find over time is inner peace and joy from this personal relationship with him; eternal happiness guaranteed forever in his kingdom in heaven one day.