How To Find God
By William Booth (1829 – 1912)
[very slightly edited]
These seven steps are for the use of those who have a serious desire to receive the mercy of God, which alone can deliver them from their bad habits, from the powers of darkness, and from the wrath to come. To those who read this, I give the following instructions:
1. Set apart a special time to read and consider these things - going away, if possible, into some quiet place where you can be alone with God.
2. Earnestly pray and ask God for the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit which He has promised to all who seek Him. God will give you the Holy Spirit if you ask.
3. With all your heart, on your knees before God, take one step at a time. Be careful not to leave the first step for the second until it is clearly understood, fully accepted as true, and solemnly decided upon. Do the same with the second and third steps, until the last step is reached.
4. After reading this carefully and thoughtfully from beginning to end, go through it again, following the same instructions.
5. If this course is followed, I feel quite sure that no sincere person will fail to reach not only the mercy seat of God, but the loving arms of the Savior and the knowledge of the forgiveness of their sins.
First Step — Discovery of Sin
(Romans 14:23, James 4:17, I John1:8)
Sin is anything I do that displeases God - and a sinner is anyone who practices those things. Any time I consider myself, my ambitions, or my feelings as more important than God, or do something that I know is wrong, I am practicing sin.
I know I am a sinner. I have sinned against my God, against my neighbor, and against my own soul. I have sinned in my thoughts, in my feelings, in my conversation, and in my actions. I have sinned in the world, in my business, and in my pleasure. I have done many things I should not have done, and I have left undone many things that I should have done. I freely admit it. I will not cover up or make excuses for my sins. My sins are more than I can count, and they have caused pain to God and man far beyond possible estimation. They have dishonored my Heavenly Father, treated the sacrifice of Jesus my Savior as worthless, and have had a bad influence not only upon the members of my own family, but upon my friends and acquaintances as well.
I now realize that I fully deserve the everlasting displeasure of God, and I see that if I should die in my sins I would be eternity separated from God, falling into the damnation of hell!!!
(Mat 25:41) "Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:"
Second Step — Sorrow for Sin
(II Corinthians 7:9-10)
Not only do I see that I have sinned against God, causing Him great pain - but I am truly sorry that I have done so. I hate my evil ways, and I hate myself for having followed them. I am grieved on account of my sins - not only because they have exposed me to punishment, but because they have been committed against my Heavenly Father, Who has continually loved and cared for me. If I could undo the past I would gladly do so, but I can't!
The sins I have committed are written down against me in God's book, and He knows and remembers all of them. No prayers that I can offer - no tears that I can shed - no expression of sorrow or mourning that I can make - no good works that I can perform - will remove that terrible record. My only hope is in the forgiving mercy of Jesus Christ, Who has said, "The one who comes to Me, I will not cast out." (John 6:37).
Third Step — Confession of Sin
(Proverbs 28:13, James 5:16, I John1:8-9)
Not only am I sorry for the wrong things that I have done, but I freely acknowledge and confess my sins before God. I have no excuse to make for them. It may be true that much of the evil I have been guilty of has been done in ignorance. I did not know God or my duty to Him or the greatness of the love of my Savior dying for me. I was ignorant of the evil influence which my conduct and example were often having on others.
Third Step — Confession of Sin
(Proverbs 28:13, James 5:16, I John1:8-9)
Not only am I sorry for the wrong things that I have done, but I freely acknowledge and confess my sins before God. I have no excuse to make for them. It may be true that much of the evil I have been guilty of has been done in ignorance. I did not know God or my duty to Him or the greatness of the love of my Savior dying for me. I was ignorant of the evil influence which my conduct and example were often having on others.
Fourth Step — Putting Away Sin
(Luke 13:3, Acts 3:18; 26:20)
Not only do I see myself to be a sinner and hate my sins and confess them before God and man, but I do now, by God's help, renounce and give up every one of them. Whatever pleasure they may have brought me in the past, and whatever earthly gain they may promise me in the future, I do here and now, in the strength of God, put them away and promise that I will never take them back again.
Fifth Step — Asking Forgiveness for Sin
(II Chronicles 7:14, James 4:10, I John 1:9)
Feeling ashamed for having turned away from my Heavenly Father by despising and rejecting His love, breaking His commandments, and influencing others to do the same, I do here and now on my knees humbly submit myself to Him. I pray that He will have mercy upon me, a miserable sinner, and I beg Him for Christ's sake to forgive all my sins, to receive me into His favor, and to make me, unworthy as I am, a member of His family.
Sixth Step — Consecration
(Romans 6:13; 12:1)
I promise God, here and now, in His strength, and with all my heart, that if He will forgive me and receive me into His favor, I will from this day forward be His faithful servant, promising to spend the rest of my days doing what I can for His glory, for the advancement of His Kingdom, and taking the love of Jesus to those who do not know Him.
Seventh Step — Faith
(John 6:28-29, Galatians 2:16, Heb. 11:6).
I believe that Jesus Christ, God's Son, in His great mercy and love, died for me and in my place, bearing my sins in His own body on the cross. And believing this, I do here and now welcome Him into my heart as my Savior from sin, from selfishness, from the power of the devil, and from hell itself. Jesus Christ said in the Bible that if I will go to Him, He will not cast me out. (John 6:37) And I do come to Him with all my heart just now, as a poor, helpless, guilty sinner, seeking salvation. I know that He will not reject me.
As well as I can, I believe that He does at this very moment take me in. He forgives me now. His blood that was shed at the cross washes all my sins away. He was wounded for my sin; He was bruised for the wrong that I did against Him and others; ..and with His suffering I am healed and brought into a right relationship with the one true living God. I am forgiven at last. Praise to God - Jesus saves me now!
(Rom 10:9-10) "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. {10} For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
This decision is shown by being baptized under water in identification with your LORD, and following Him as part of a evangelical, Bible believing church. You will face persecution for the faith, but keep looking unto Jesus who overcame the world and promised, “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee (Heb. 13:5)
Key Scriptures
(Rom 3:10, 23) "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:" "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"
(Isa 59:2) "But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear."
(Psa 9:17) "The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God."
(Lev. 17:11b) “it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.
(Isa 53:5-6) "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. {6} All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all."
(1 Pet 3:18) "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:"
(Acts 10:43) "To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins."
(Acts 2:41-42) "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. {42} And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers."
(John 16:33) "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."
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