(I have been asked to provide messages for disciples who did not come from a Christian culture. This is one of those messages. It is intended to help provide a solid foundation for faith in Jesus Christ.)
God created Heaven and Earth. God’s throne is in Heaven. Many years ago, God sent His son to the Earth because He loves us and He wants us to have a relationship with Him.
“And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life.”—1 John 5:20 (NLT)
God is only good. There is nothing bad in Him, and he never wishes bad things on you.
“For I know the plans and thoughts that I have for you,’ says the Lord, ‘plans for peace and well-being and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”—Jeremiah 29:11 (AMP)
Where do bad things come from? Jesus told us.
“A thief comes to steal and kill and destroy. But I came to give life—life in all its fullness.”—John 10:10 (ICB)
The thief is Satan. He is the devil.
Jesus said,
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. The worker who is paid to keep the sheep is different from the shepherd who owns them. So when the worker sees a wolf coming, he runs away and leaves the sheep alone. Then the wolf attacks the sheep and scatters them. The man runs away because he is only a paid worker. He does not really care for the sheep.
“I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep, and my sheep know me, just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I give my life for the sheep.”—John 10:11-15 (ICB)
I want to tell you about a man named Job who lived long ago. His story is recorded in the Bible.
“There once was a man named Job who lived in the land of Uz. He was blameless—a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil. He had seven sons and three daughters. He owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 teams of oxen, and 500 female donkeys. He also had many servants. He was, in fact, the richest person in that entire area.
“Job’s sons would take turns preparing feasts in their homes, and they would also invite their three sisters to celebrate with them. When these celebrations ended—sometimes after several days—Job would purify his children. He would get up early in the morning and offer a burnt offering for each of them. For Job said to himself, ‘Perhaps my children have sinned and have cursed God in their hearts.’ This was Job’s regular practice.
*… *
“Then the Lord asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil.”— Job 1:1-8 (NLT)
Here we see that it is God who is good. God blessed Job, and he is proud of Job like a father would be proud of his own son. He only wishes good things for Job.
But the devil only has bad plans for Job. He only wants to do bad things to him.
“Satan replied to the Lord, ‘Yes, but Job has good reason to fear God. You have always put a wall of protection around him and his home and his property. You have made him prosper in everything he does. Look how rich he is! But reach out and take away everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face!’
“’All right, you may test him,’ the Lord said to Satan. ‘Do whatever you want with everything he possesses, but don’t harm him physically.’ So Satan left the Lord’s presence.
“One day when Job’s sons and daughters were feasting at the oldest brother’s house, a messenger arrived at Job’s home with this news: ‘Your oxen were plowing, with the donkeys feeding beside them, when the Sabeans raided us. They stole all the animals and killed all the farmhands. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.’
“While he was still speaking, another messenger arrived with this news: ‘The fire of God has fallen from heaven and burned up your sheep and all the shepherds. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.’
“While he was still speaking, a third messenger arrived with this news: ‘Three bands of Chaldean raiders have stolen your camels and killed your servants. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.’
“While he was still speaking, another messenger arrived with this news: ‘Your sons and daughters were feasting in their oldest brother’s home. Suddenly, a powerful wind swept in from the wilderness and hit the house on all sides. The house collapsed, and all your children are dead. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.’
“Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground to worship. He said,
“’I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord!’
“In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God.”—Job 1:9-22 (NLT)
It is Satan who brings destruction and bad things into our lives. God does not do this. God only wants good things for us.
In the last chapter of the story of Job, we see that God did good things for Job to repay him for all that he had lost.
“When Job prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes. In fact, the Lord gave him twice as much as before! Then all his brothers, sisters, and former friends came and feasted with him in his home. And they consoled him and comforted him because of all the trials the Lord had brought against him. And each of them brought him a gift of money and a gold ring.
“So the Lord blessed Job in the second half of his life even more than in the beginning. For now he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 teams of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. He also gave Job seven more sons and three more daughters. He named his first daughter Jemimah, the second Keziah, and the third Keren-happuch. In all the land no women were as lovely as the daughters of Job. And their father put them into his will along with their brothers.
“Job lived 140 years after that, living to see four generations of his children and grandchildren. Then he died, an old man who had lived a long, full life.”—Job 42:10-17 (NLT)
God is always good. Satan is always bad. Many people blame God for bad things in their lives, but God is only good. He only wants good things for you.
God wants to take even the bad things in your life and use them to bring good results for you.
“We know that in everything God works for the good of those who love him. They are the people God called, because that was his plan.”—Romans 8:28 (ICB)
The devil hates us, but God loves us.
“the Son of God came to destroy the devil’s work.”—1 John 3:8 (NIRV)
Love comes from God because God is love.
“Dear friends, we should love each other, because love comes from God. The person who loves has become God’s child and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”—1 John 4:7-8 (ICB)
“And so we know the love that God has for us, and we trust that love.
God is love.”—1 John 4:16 (ICB)
“But God’s mercy is great, and he loved us very much.”—Ephesians 2:4 (ICB)
The Bible tells us that God proved His great love for us by sending His son, Jesus Christ, to die for us so that we could have everlasting life.
“But Christ died for us while we were still sinners. In this way God shows his great love for us.”—Romans 5:8 (ICB)
The reason that we needed someone to die for us is because we have all done bad things. In the Bible, these bad things are called sins. According to God’s laws, whoever does bad things must die.
“The payment for sin is death. But God gives us the free gift of life forever in Christ Jesus our Lord.”—Romans 6:23 (ICB)
God did not want us to die, so many years ago, He sent his own son, Jesus Christ, to die in our place. Jesus Christ paid the price for you so that you could live forever with God. Three days after Jesus died, He was raised from the dead, and He is alive today with His Father God. If you believe that Jesus Christ died for you, then you can live forever with Him.
“Then everyone who believes in him can have eternal life.
For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son. God gave his Son so that whoever believes in him may not be lost, but have eternal life.”—John 3:15-16 (ICB)
“This is how God showed his love to us: He sent his only Son into the world to give us life through him. True love is God’s love for us, not our love for God. God sent his Son to die in our place to take away our sins.”—1 John 4:9-10 (ICB)
“This is how we know what real love is: Jesus gave his life for us.”—1 John 3:16 (ICB)
“The Father has loved us so much! He loved us so much that we are called children of God. And we really are his children. But the people in the world do not understand that we are God’s children, because they have not known him.”—1 John 3:1 (ICB)
“Christ’s love is greater than any person can ever know. But I pray that you will be able to know that love. Then you can be filled with the fullness of God.”—Ephesians 3:19 (ICB)
God loves you so much that He does not want you to suffer with sickness or diseases. When Jesus was on this Earth He healed people who had sickness or diseases.
“God gave the Holy Spirit and power to Jesus from Nazareth. He was with Jesus, as he went around doing good and healing everyone who was under the power of the devil.”—Acts 10:38 (CEV)
At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry on Earth, he declared what He was here to do. He said,
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; he has anointed me to tell the good news to the poor. He has sent me to announce release to the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to set oppressed people free, and to announce the year of the Lord’s favor.”—Luke 4:18-19 (ISV)
Jesus came to show God’s love and do good things for people, and He only wants good things for you.