What Does It Mean to Seek the Lord?
Two Questions
Many people ask the question: “What is meant by seeking the Lord?” and a natural follow-up question, “How do you seek the Lord?” The answer to these questions may be found in the Scriptures.
Definition of Seeking the Lord
In Matthew 6:33: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Another Scripture related to this is found in Hebrews 11:6: “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” It should be noted that while people are seeking the Lord, or Heaven, God has made ample provision for these people to find Him. “That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us” (Acts 17:27). God has provided Jesus Christ as the Savior for all men. Jesus came here upon the earth to provide Himself a perfect sacrifice for the sins of mankind. The Scripture says that “Jesus came to seek men who were lost in their sin and who were headed for a Christless eternity in Hell: For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).
All people may be assured that God’s great love is directed towards them.
“In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.” 1 John 4:9-11
Salvation is a very personal thing that involves an individual’s relationship with Jesus Christ. This personal relationship comes when we realize that God truly loves us and has a wonderful plan for our life, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
We all need to realize that the Bible tells us that we are all sinners and that sin has separated us from God! “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). “And because of our sin, we are condemned already to death and Hell – spiritual separation from God: For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
Because of our separation from God, we cannot experience a personal fulfillment and peace with God or the peace of God. We originally were created to have fellowship with God, but our self-will and sin have created a vast gulf between us and our Creator. The person of Jesus Christ is the only remedy for sin and the only way to reach God! “Jesus sayeth unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me” (John 14:6). “There is no other way for you to develop a personal relationship with God other than through Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
A Personal Relationship
To establish a personal relationship with Jesus Christ you must invite Him into your heart as your personal Savior. As Christ comes into your life by personal invitation, you must believe that He will come in–that’s faith. You must ask Him to forgive and cleanse you of all your sins–that’s repentance. You must ask Him to take total control of your life–that’s submission.
When Christ lives in our heart, He will expect to control our life and guide our thoughts and actions. He indwells our hearts with the Holy Spirit to lead us in all things we do or say. He demands that we be willing to completely offer ourselves for His loving control. That’s recognizing Jesus Christ as Lord of all.
If you have not already done so, I invite you to receive the Lord Jesus Christ into your life. Let Him be your Savior and cleanse you of your sins. Give Him control of your life.
You can do so by simply praying the following prayer and meaning it with all of your heart: “Dear Lord, I now realize that I am a sinner. I accept the fact that Christ died upon the cross to save me. I now open my heart’s door and receive you as my personal Savior. Please forgive me of all my sin. I also receive you as my Lord. I willingly give you full control of my life. Now help me to be the kind of person you want me to be. Guide and direct me from this day forth that I will serve you faithfully in everything I say or do.”
If you have prayed this prayer in all sincerity, you are now a child of God, for all eternity. You can look forward to Heaven as your eternal home.
The next step is to grow in grace and knowledge through prayer and studying God’s Word.
