How to establish a relationship with God?

"Thank God! It has been done by Jesus Christ our Lord,
He has set me free" (Romans 7:25)

Apostle Paul continues, that this life is through the Spirit:

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.

Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God" (Romans 8:1-8).

Jesus has to come into our lives to help us obey God.

For example: No one can drive a car by standing outside the car. He has to get inside the car and take control of the driver's seat (the control center).

Similarly, we have to receive Jesus into our lives and surrender the control center of our lives to Him so that He can help us live the kind of life that pleases God. We don't earn salvation by doing good works but we do them because we are saved to do good works,

"For by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this not from yourselves, it is a gift of God -- not by works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).

We could add nothing to what Jesus had done on the cross to earn our salvation. Then you may ask, why should we do good deeds? The Bible says, we do them because

"We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (Ephesians 2:10).

So we don't take any credit or boast about the good deeds we do.

Remember it is by faith we receive Jesus Christ, and it is also by faith we walk with Him and allow Him to control and empower our lives.

"So then, just as you received Jesus Christ as Lord (by faith), continue to live in Him (by faith)."

If you sincerely desire to live in peace with one another and with God, here is how you could receive Jesus Christ into your life as your Savior and Lord. Then learn to walk in the Spirit moment by moment, as explained in the message, "How to experience the abundant life Jesus promised?"