What do I have to do to live forever?

Accept Jesus as your forgiver and your God.

See John chapter 6, verse 40: "For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise Him up at the last day."

How can I experience meaning and purpose in life?

By following Jesus and by cultivating your relationships with God and with other people.

Matthew chapter 22, verses 37-40 say: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

According to the Bible, until a seeker comes to terms with Jesus, he or she hasn't dealt with the issue that's most important in starting a relationship with God.

Consider this reality: Jesus is the most influential person in history. A poor itinerant preacher, the son of a carpenter but also the Son of God, changed the entire course of world history.

How can any serious spiritual search overlook Him? For example, today's date is based on a reckoning that hinges on Jesus' life. Because of Him, people were moved to split world history into two eras —"before Him" and "after Him" (B.C. and A.D.).

How will you respond to Jesus?

It's not enough to intellectually agree with Jesus' claims. If you read the Bible and recognize Jesus as the true Son of God, a man who walked the earth, lived a perfect life, died, and rose again from the dead, you must choose to cross the line of faith and receive Him. This is a once-for-all decision. A "process" follows, but you have to start by inviting Him into your life and accepting that He paid the debt you owe for your sin but could never pay yourself.

Salvation in Jesus is a totally free gift, and receiving it is as easy as saying, "Jesus, I acknowledge my sin and Your payment for it on the cross. I now ask You to be my forgiver and my God." But you must respond personally and deliberately, or the gift will remain unopened and not enjoyed.

Ten Practical Tips

Keeping in mind the above questions, here are some practical ideas to guide you in your spiritual search:

1. Ask God to reveal Himself if you're not sure He's there.

2. Spend time in nature, observing and experiencing God's creation.

3. Question things everybody seems to take for granted — be a lover of truth.

4. Ask Christian friends why they believe what they believe and how they know their beliefs are true.

5. Recognize that following God must make sense: truth may go beyond reason, but never against it.

6. Write down your questions, especially about what you read in the Bible, and take them to a knowledgeable Christian who respects your seeking process.

7. Stay open to actually finding what you're looking for: Fear of commitment and change can keep you from finding the truth.

8. Know your personal issues: your past will profoundly influence your present ability to be objective.

9. Determine to seek for a specific period of time, and continually evaluate your progress. Then try to reach an appropriate conclusion.

10. Act on what you decide.