Do you believe in GOD? A very fundamental question, but with varying levels of answers.

Before definitively answering that question, you need the facts. Just like you can't really claim that you do (or don't) believe in, let's say "global warming", without knowing those related facts first; you shouldn't just say 'yes' or 'no' to believing in something without understanding it first.

I had a personal crisis that became a matter of life and death (and brought me to my knees). Always thought that I believed in a god; although never really too concerned until that day.

In desperation, while still on my knees, I cried out to a God (whom I didn't really know). Without knowing why, I felt an overwhelming desire to seek the truth of GOD that day. I had to be humbled by life circumstances before asking GOD for his guidance in my life.

The result: GOD is very real; answering me in bigger ways than I could have ever imagined. It didn't happen completely overnight, but my belief in GOD has become more real each day.

I have seen the light of GOD's truth and want to share it with you, so please hear me out here:

You and I are very alike. I'm not better than you. You're not better than me. We're like all other people in this world too, whether we want to believe that or not. As part of a personal faith journey, GOD has opened my spiritual eyes to the realities of this world and beyond. I've also documented my own learning path in a letter written to you.

Since we're alike, this story applies to you too. Please at least read this overview first; maybe allow 20 minutes. You can read the full version for much better clarity of this message.

Well, that's enough about me (I'm certainly not the focus of this letter). Let's get started.

You may not understand this part until you read the actual letter, but just some preliminary info here. If needed, you can revisit this text with better understanding later:

We must fully acknowledge the finished work of Jesus Christ. We can only be saved because of his love and sacrifice for us. There is nothing we can do to save ourselves; we only need to believe in the truth of Jesus Christ, who is Savior for all generations of mankind.

The point is that our belief is what gets us in good graces with GOD, not our actions. True belief results in actions that can serve as evidence of said belief. True belief in GOD is not only knowing that HE exists, but it also means becoming a child of GOD; which includes a quality relationship with HIM. Just like humans, the child is expected to remain obedient to the parent.

With that being said, nobody is perfect. As you know, there is nothing we do in this life that we are perfect with; mistakes will happen. The same applies to belief in GOD. Jesus already paid the price for your sins by being the perfect life/death. True believers will not be perfect by any means, but will always have the desire for obedience to GOD (in their heart).

The focus of the 7 steps detailed in this letter is not a series of things that you 'do', but a series of things you 'become' . The quality of a person's true belief in GOD is witnessed by the person we are (not the things that we do). True faith in GOD is more than just superficial believing.

7 Steps to FOREVER [Overview]

1) BELIEVE

John 3:16 - For GOD so loved the world that HE gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have Eternal Life.

The most important building block of true faith is absolute belief. You must absolutely believe in a real God; you must believe that God created you; you must believe that God controls your eternal destiny... and you must believe that God provides a way for you to live forever.

Why should you believe there is a God?

The answer is right in front of you (and everywhere around you). Everything from the physical creation of earth (and the universe in general)... to all the nature you see... to natural cycles such as the perfect revolution of earth around the sun or the moon around the earth... to your perfectly engineered physical body, adapted to live in our environment... to that person inside of you (your spirit) --> absolute proof that a much higher level, super-intelligent creator designed and created all of it. Everything you can see, hear, touch, taste, or think had to be created.

The only other possibility is that everything was magically created on its own. Which of these arguments is more believable: everything we know was carefully created or just some random event caused everything (including you) to come into existence? The answer is obvious.

Why did GOD create everything, including you?

Because GOD is spiritual and we are also spiritual (the person inside our physical body), we can understand spiritual qualities such as love and joy and having a strong passion for something we create; the feeling of accomplishment that we experience when creating something new. We love our creation and get much joy when it 'works' as planned. We don't like it when our creation is broken. That is the relationship of GOD to each of us. GOD is the CREATOR of all mankind.

What does GOD expect from you?

Since we are like GOD (spiritually), GOD can communicate to us. HE worked through absolute believers in our past to write down his expectations for us; that book is known as our Bible. Since GOD created everything, HE ensures his absolute truth is available to all, no errors.

GOD loves you. GOD loves me. GOD loves everybody. GOD requires that we love each other too. GOD is also very fair and just; demanding justice for all of us. GOD has provided us with a heart for knowing HIM too, as we are here to serve and praise GOD. If we commit any immoral or harmful act against GOD, other people, or ourselves: it is called sin and justice must be served. There must be payment for our sins; no exceptions.

Unfortunately, anybody who is reading these words has committed sin, including you.

Fortunately, as referenced in John 3:16, GOD has provided a way to be totally forgiven!

2) RECEIVE

Romans 6:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of GOD is Eternal Life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1 Peter 3:18

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to GOD. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.

John 14:6

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the FATHER except through Me."

Jesus Christ is the only Son of GOD (referenced in John 3:16). Jesus Christ is the model for all of us. If you 'believe in' Jesus, then you can be granted the most awesome gift of Eternal Life: you can live forever in absolute peace, happiness, and joy! GOD is the FATHER of all believers.

So, the most important thing for you (and all of us) to understand is what it means to believe in Jesus, the only Son of GOD. You must truly receive the Word of GOD into your heart. Jesus teaches us all we need to know, but you must read the Bible to understand what it means to believe in Jesus. This foundation is based on GOD's absolute love, which directs all of us:

Matthew 22:36-40

"Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" Jesus said to him, "'Love the LORD your GOD with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the law and the prophets depend on these two commandments."

Jesus shows us that believing in Him results in the desire to remain obedient to his teachings. Thus, we can 'take up our cross' too, by sacrificing the things of this world for Him instead:

Matthew 16:24

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me."

You must read the Bible to understand the fullness of GOD: the FATHER, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Bible is the full story of GOD's relationship to mankind (Old and New Testaments).

When truly receiving GOD, your faith matures into deeper understandings of GOD's love.

Galatians 5:22-23

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Matthew 7:12

"In everything, treat others as you would want them to treat you, for this fulfills the law and the prophets."

Salvation - deliverance from sin and its consequences -->

3) SUBMIT

James 4:7

Submit yourselves therefore to GOD. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

As a continuation of receiving GOD's message, the next step is to truly submit yourself to it. When you submit full authority of your life to Jesus Christ, a transformation will occur. This is an important step to becoming born again of the spirit:

John 3:3

Jesus replied, "Very truly I tell you, no one can see the Kingdom of GOD unless they are born again."

Submitting to Jesus Christ is giving yourself to Him. Absolute faith is required for full submission (and salvation). There isn't anything you can do to get saved... just submit your life to Jesus, and you will be saved. For we are not saved because of our actions, but faith in Jesus alone.

Only GOD's will matters, not your will. GOD's will is law. The goal of submitting to GOD's authority, through Jesus Christ, is to align your personal will with GOD's will!

The one biggest obstacle that can stop you here:

Satan the devil.

Lucifer was a powerful angel, created by GOD who rebelled against GOD. Sinful pride caused him to get ejected from Heaven. Along with other angels who rebelled, Lucifer was thrown down to earth, where he is known as Satan the devil (and other fallen angels are now called demons).

Satan leads an army of demons in a spiritual war being fought here on earth. These evil spirits attack each of us (spiritually) by disguising themselves as our own inner voice. If we are unaware of these demonic attacks, our heart is vulnerable to their lies. Demons want to own us by taking up full residence in our heart. Without submitting to the power of Jesus Christ, we cannot defeat these demons ourselves. They use a variety of weapons to bring us down.

Evil devices: addictions, pride, anger, greed, immorality, vengeance, envy, idolatry, prejudice, narcissism, self-hate, bitterness, gossip, lying, manipulation, disrespect, unforgiveness, etc.

Galatians 5:19-21 (NLT)

When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of GOD.

Don't be blind to evil spirits. Understand spiritual warfare and know that Satan and his demon army are committed to destroying you and denying you an Eternal Life with GOD.

Ephesians 6:11

Put on the full armor of GOD, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.

4) REPENT

Matthew 3:2

"Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near."

After truly submitting yourself to Jesus Christ, you can be confident that He will drive out any demons who have taken residence in your heart. You are saved! With added guidance from the Holy Spirit in your life, you can be assured that when a demon comes knocking again, you will have strength to resist the lies and temptations. Repentance is directly related to our salvation.

Salvation is confessing your sins to GOD and others (1 John 1:9, Acts 19:18, James 5:16).

A truly saved person desires to be righteous before GOD; this causes a change of old thought patterns, words, and behaviors. This full repentance is not the requirement to be saved, it is a result of being saved; therefore, without repentance (proof of salvation), there is no salvation.

Basic repentance is the initial 'change of mind'; turning to GOD... changing your perspective from being self-centered to Jesus-centered (submitting to Jesus as more important than you).

Remaining in sin (not repenting from it) will cause us to consistently fall away from GOD. The true believers in Jesus Christ desire to remain in close relationship with Him, so cannot live in sin. Therefore, full repentance is an obligation for true believers in Christ.

Acts 3:19 (NLT)

Now repent of your sins and turn to GOD, so that your sins may be wiped away.

Luke 13:5

"I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish."

Matthew 3:8 (NLT)

Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to GOD.

While each of us is different in many ways, all of us have sinned. All need to seek GOD and humbly ask for his forgiveness, then turn away from our sins. Jesus Christ has already suffered and sacrificed his life, which paid the price for our sins; we just need to repent from our past.

Many people have the incorrect assumption that GOD will somehow overlook our sinful lives and grant us entry into his Kingdom anyway, even if we didn't truly believe the teachings of Jesus Christ. If that were the case, then the sacrifices of Jesus would not have been necessary.

The place that we refer to as 'hell' is real. Think of hell as a place of eternal spiritual torment for those who are rejected by GOD. It's never too late to turn to GOD; the only requirement is true repentance (from the heart). The Kingdom of GOD awaits true believers in Christ!

Hebrews 9:27-28

Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him.

5) GUARD

Proverbs 4:23

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

It's all about perspective and how you view this world we live in. Many of us get caught up in worldly life events. Too many are focusing on the 'here and now' without much concern of life beyond this world. Guarding your heart against the devil and this world is essential too.

Guarding your heart requires understanding the spiritual perspective of GOD. It requires daily renewal of your own spirit, as the burdens of this world can be overwhelming.

Find a good church, led by a good Pastor. Support the church, giving your time and money. Cheerfully participate however possible. This can help you stay on the righteous path.

1 Peter 5:8-9

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

It's best to defeat the enemy spirits by guarding your heart against their evil attacks. The shield of your faith is the best defense against such attacks. Knowing the Word of GOD and having assurance in the sacrifices of Jesus Christ is all you need to defend against the enemy.

1 John 2:15-17

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the FATHER is not in them. For everything in the world - the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life - comes not from the FATHER but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of GOD lives forever.

Most people put our personal desires as higher priority than those of GOD; demons attack that warped perspective relentlessly. Worldly cultures are severely impacted. The result is an erosion of morals and values; not so much hardened criminal behaviors, but the more subtle types of behaviors which are against GOD's law. Don't follow belief systems of this world; seek GOD.

Romans 16:17-18 (NLT)

And now I make one more appeal, my dear brothers and sisters. Watch out for people who cause divisions and upset people's faith by teaching things contrary to what you have been taught. Stay away from them. Such people are not serving Christ our Lord; they are serving their personal interests. By smooth talk and glowing words, they deceive innocent people.

Watch out for false truths being promoted in this world, usually serving a political agenda or some other worldly message. Beware of false prophets, teaching GOD's message incorrectly.

GOD never changes, so we must remain committed to practicing faithful discipline and self-control, as well as endurance and perseverance through tough times... and always praying!

6) CRUCIFY

He died for you. Will you die for Him?

Matthew 10:38

"Whoever does not take up their cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me."

Luke 14:27

"And whoever does not carry their cross and follow Me cannot be my disciple."

We wrestle with our own flesh. Our fleshly desires are against GOD's desires. The natural sin that all of us are born with is the desire to please ourselves first. We must overcome our natural selfish desires to serve Jesus properly. The true believer in Christ must 'crucify' the flesh!

The person within you is greater than the person in this world. Your spirit is more powerful than your fleshly body. With that being said, your flesh will not give over control of you easily. Like repenting, the strength required to overcome your own selfishness is a result of being saved.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NLT)

Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by GOD? You do not belong to yourself; for GOD bought you with a high price. So you must honor GOD with your body.

You do not own yourself. GOD owns you. If you believe in Jesus Christ, then you were redeemed by the blood of Jesus. We are reserved for the work of GOD. This is the call for sacrificing the harmful pleasures of the flesh, in favor of serving GOD instead.

Romans 13:13-14

Let us live decently as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in discord and jealousy. Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to arouse its desires.

Our physical flesh has its own natural instincts such as eating food for survival, having sex for reproduction, or resting the body for restoration; but our sinful nature will cause us to warp those same behaviors for better pleasure or comfort. Be advised that if you allow your flesh to live for you (in everything you say or do), you are a slave to your flesh and it's easy to fall prey to sin.

Galatians 5:24-25

Now those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also behave in accordance with the Spirit.

Jesus Christ presented his body as the sacrificial lamb to GOD, so we must present our living bodies as a sacrifice to GOD as well... by crucifying our flesh (living by spirit instead).

In my situation, after working through this sixth step, I was free from slavery to the devil, free from slavery to the world, and free from slavery to my flesh.

HALLELUJAH! It's true freedom that you can only experience if you've lived it.

7) SHARE

Romans 10:9

If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord", and believe in your heart that GOD raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

The true believers in Jesus Christ are born again. It's an awesome, refreshing change from the worldly beliefs of the past. It allows us to continue serving GOD with all our heart, as well as personal freedom from the bondage of sin or the burdens of past events.

I believe that being born again means washing away your past. It means that you're starting a new life now. Proceeding with your life, committed to living from a spiritual perspective; not just living for this world. You ask forgiveness of your sins and offer forgiveness to others.

Instead of harboring any sadness or resentment from your past, you can now rejoice. Be joyous in your daily life and spread that joy to others around you. Being saved eternally for the Kingdom of Heaven is the absolute greatest reason for joy today... and every day.

All the Glory to GOD!

Matthew 28:19-20

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the NAME of the FATHER and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Jesus Christ has directly commanded us to learn his Word, live his Word and share his Word.

1 Peter 4:10

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of GOD's grace in its various forms.

To best serve others and promote the Kingdom of Heaven (while on this earth), you should use whatever blessings GOD has provisioned for you. Be ready to endure persecution and ridicule for sharing GOD's message in this hostile world. You can take comfort that Jesus Christ is your personal fan. We need to bring this world to GOD, by bringing GOD to this world; promoting the Word of GOD to all. Share the Good News in a world so full of bad news.

If you fully surrender your life to Jesus Christ, you will be on the guaranteed path to inheriting an Eternal Life of absolute peace, happiness, and joy... starting today.

John 8:32

"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

John 3:17

For GOD did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.

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