How can I know God?
1. Realize that all have sinned & are guilty before God.
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
John 16:8,9 And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgement; concerning sin, because they do not believe in him.
2. Understand that sin brings death and hell.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
John 8:24 Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe in that I am He, you will die in your sins.
3. Know that God loves us.
Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
4. Realize that Jesus (God's son) died for our sins.
Romans 5:6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
John 10:15-18 Even as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay my life down for the sheep. I have other sheep, who are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear my voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd. For this reason the father loves me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from me, but I lay it down on my own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I have received from my Father.
5. Believe the Jesus rose from the dead, and gained victory over sin & death.
Romans 5:10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
John 20:8-9 So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed. For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.
6. Understand that Jesus offers us eternal life.
Romans 6:23b ... but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
7. Know that we accept God's gift by faith alone.
Romans 10:9,10 That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
John 3:36 He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.
8. Assurance of salvation can be found in...
Romans 8:35-39 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, For your sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered. But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
John 10:28,29 And I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.