explaining your reason for hope. (Beth P)

How do you explain to someone what it is like to "walk with Jesus" everyday? How do you communicate the passion He brings to your heart and overwhelming sense of assurance He gives? How do you tell the people you love what they are missing when they don't know that they are missing something critical?
I have friends who think it is great I have this "relationship with Jesus" but don't think they need that for themselves.

Why can't I just leave it at that?

Love, that's why.
Two kinds.
When I look at that cross and what Jesus did for me. How He loved me.  I want to love Him back.  And He even tells me how to do that.
By loving you. Loving you enough to tell you that He wants you. He still wants you. 100%.  He wants you to have the same passionate, intimate relationship with Him that I have.  He wants to walk through life with you, He wants to use you.  He wants to know you.
You don't know what you are missing. And I love you too much not to bug you about it. *wink*

Most of all, He wants to save you. We all need Him to save us.  Unless you are perfect, (am I am NOT) you don't deserve heaven with Him.  So Jesus came and paid for your lack of perfection by being the sacrifice FOR YOU! He made those who believe in Him, perfectly clean before God.  Not perfect, but perfectly pure before God.  He made it right, for someone so wrong to be forever in His presence.
When you stand before God one day, and you will, there is only one reason He can let your imperfect self into His glory.... not because you are a really nice person, not because of the people you helped and loved..... He sets the bar high..... He has to because He is God....but He has not left you without a means to reach that bar... He made a way for ANYONE to stand before Him pure.  And it is simple and pure. It is by faith in what Jesus Christ did. AND ONLY in what Jesus Christ did. That is the ONLY reason I will spend eternity with God, because Jesus paid the ticket price for me.  There was never enough good things I could do to buy that ticket.

Sure you can trust in Him to save you and then go about life living how you want. Lots of people do.  Lots of people are just comfortable with trusting Him with only THAT.

But why would you?  If you REALLY believe that God Almighty sent Jesus the Son of God to earth as a baby and ultimately to the cross to be a sacrifice for all the sin you ever committed, don't you want the REST of what He has for you? There's more! And it's incredible! There's a life time of amazing things He is waiting to do in you and through you, that just won't happen without a close relationship with Him.

Don't really believe me?

Ask Him,  I dare you to ask Him!!!

Ask Him to show you TRUTH.

All I can do is tell you over and over that the passion and joy he brings to life is beyond your wildest dreams.  Don't miss out.  Here or in eternity.  There IS a HELL.  It is real.  And life is so very short. You may have gotten sidetracked by the cruelty of things that happen in this world, but it is not too late.

He is forgiving and loving and waiting.