This is a great question, and one I have sought to find the most convincing answer that would help lead a person to Jesus. But for as many words I could think of, and as many verses I could use as a persuasive argument, nothing matches the person of Jesus becoming real to a person by the power of the Holy Spirit. I have been reading stories of how fast Christianity is growing in countries where outside religion is prohibited, and in some areas, punishable by death. And the staggering thing about these believers is how real Jesus is to them - they simply cannot waver from that reality.
When we learn what the Bible says, which is the final authority on what God says about Himself, we read that the knowledge of God has been made manifest through creation and the evidence of God is all around us, but the experience of God differs from person to person. We see that in the New Testament when Jesus became real to his followers, and to those who witnessed his signs and wonders. The Holy Spirit imparts truth to individuals at a personal level, making His presence so real it cannot be argued. God encounters us right where we are.
I don't know that I have one short quick answer to your question, but it would be so fascinating and intriguing to ask every believer that has ever lived to share their moment of revelation, when their lives and their hearts changed forever because of the mercy and grace poured out to them through Jesus. The similarities would be the same in all of them - "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life" - John 3:16
Do you have your own story of how became real to you?
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