In my latest blog I asked the question, “Which road are you on?” While the answer to the question might seem obvious to most Christians, I had a personal conviction in my own heart to challenge the warm and cozy feeling that most of us have today in the modern church. Let’s face it, most of us don’t feel persecution much at all, let alone on a daily basis like the early church did. Most of us have not been on death’s doorstep because of our beliefs. Lack of persecution or lack of your faith being challenged can lead to stagnation or worse yet, straying from the faith all together.
Right after writing WHICH ROAD ARE YOU ON, God began speaking to me. After randomly opening my Bible and turning directly to some of what I studied to write the blog, I realized there was so much more to say. Various verses throughout the Bible began flooding into my heart that I knew must be written about. If that were not enough to convince me to write a second part, the very next time I randomly opened my Bible I turned to yet another part of scripture that had not come to me, and I knew it must be included.
There is a popular belief among many Christians today that going to Heaven is a pretty simple process. You ask Jesus into your heart, get dipped into some water and you are golden. But are you? There are certainly some verses that we could turn to, to say that it’s that easy but we must always look at God’s word as a whole. Satan has been taking bits and pieces of God’s word from the beginning and creating bad theology; the kind of theology that I am afraid leads many ‘believers’ to their death. Acts 20:30 “Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.”
Right after writing WHICH ROAD ARE YOU ON, God began speaking to me. After randomly opening my Bible and turning directly to some of what I studied to write the blog, I realized there was so much more to say. Various verses throughout the Bible began flooding into my heart that I knew must be written about. If that were not enough to convince me to write a second part, the very next time I randomly opened my Bible I turned to yet another part of scripture that had not come to me, and I knew it must be included.
There is a popular belief among many Christians today that going to Heaven is a pretty simple process. You ask Jesus into your heart, get dipped into some water and you are golden. But are you? There are certainly some verses that we could turn to, to say that it’s that easy but we must always look at God’s word as a whole. Satan has been taking bits and pieces of God’s word from the beginning and creating bad theology; the kind of theology that I am afraid leads many ‘believers’ to their death. Acts 20:30 “Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.”
SAYING I LOVE YOU IS WORTHLESS WITHOUT ACTION.
So what does it take to be saved? Jesus tells us in the Gospel of John when He is praying to the Father. 17:3 “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” So Jesus says that if we know God and Jesus we have eternal life. Perhaps John 17:6-8 gives us the clearest picture of what it means to know God. “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me.”
To know Jesus is to accept His words and to obey them. If we know Jesus, His blood covers over all our sins and makes us perfect in God’s sight. To obey God does not mean we will be perfect but we must have a hunger to be obedient and a grief for our failures. We must continually work toward perfection.
Paul points out in 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 that there is no protection from God’s wrath for those that don’t know Him. Paul also describes what it means to know God. “He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might.” Clearly if we know God, we follow His teaching. If we don’t follow His teaching, we don’t know Him and there is no protection for us.
I grieve for those in the church that think they are ok because they believe and because they attend. I fear many will be disappointed and shocked when the doors are slammed shut in their face because of the bad theology they have been taught. Matthew 7:21-23 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'
The Gospel of Jesus is simple but is not easy. At times that road that leads to heaven can be downright difficult and tiresome. But that is why we don’t look at where we are now but we look ahead at where we are going. Our hope comes from our faith. Our faith comes from knowing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. When we know Jesus we are changed. When we know Jesus our greatest desire is to love. When we love others we can’t help but tell them about Him.
Galatians 6:9 “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
To know Jesus is to accept His words and to obey them. If we know Jesus, His blood covers over all our sins and makes us perfect in God’s sight. To obey God does not mean we will be perfect but we must have a hunger to be obedient and a grief for our failures. We must continually work toward perfection.
Paul points out in 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 that there is no protection from God’s wrath for those that don’t know Him. Paul also describes what it means to know God. “He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might.” Clearly if we know God, we follow His teaching. If we don’t follow His teaching, we don’t know Him and there is no protection for us.
I grieve for those in the church that think they are ok because they believe and because they attend. I fear many will be disappointed and shocked when the doors are slammed shut in their face because of the bad theology they have been taught. Matthew 7:21-23 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'
The Gospel of Jesus is simple but is not easy. At times that road that leads to heaven can be downright difficult and tiresome. But that is why we don’t look at where we are now but we look ahead at where we are going. Our hope comes from our faith. Our faith comes from knowing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. When we know Jesus we are changed. When we know Jesus our greatest desire is to love. When we love others we can’t help but tell them about Him.
Galatians 6:9 “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
Philippians 3:18 “For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.”
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