Posts Tagged ‘Christian’
Do You Have The Right To Call God “Father”?
I do believe that most people would acknowledge that God, specifically Jesus who is God in human form, is the Creator of us all.
Joh_1:3 (KJV) All things were made by him (Jesus); and without him was not any thing made that was made.
Now there came a time in a certain place when Jesus was heard praying by his disciples. They must have marveled at His praying because when he was finished one of them asked Him, “Lord, teach us to pray”.
Jesus said to them, “When you pray say, Our Father.” By this Jesus told them that the first thing you should do when praying is to acknowledge to whom it is that you are praying. Not only is that person God but He also is your Father. However, who has the right to call God “Father” and why?
Throughout the New Testament, whether talking to groups of Christians or to individual Christian, the Apostle Paul would address them in this manor:
Eph_1:2 (KJV) Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul specifically states that God is “our Father”, and he says that only when he was communicating with Christians. So, how do we become a child of God?
Now everyone knows about John 1:12 that says:
John 1:12 But as many as received him (Jesus), to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
It is by receiving Jesus, who is God, that people are given the right to become sons (children) of God.
However, very few people, even Christians themselves know about the next verse that speaks of the “sons of God” and reads:
John 1:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
People are not born into the family of God because they might belong to a religious family, nor are they born into God’s family because they earn their way into His family, or even will themselves to be born into God’s family.
In John 3: 3 Jesus says the following:
Joh 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
One must be “born again” before they not only can see the kingdom of God but also be able to enter into the kingdom of God, and it takes God to decide who will be “born again” and become His children.
In short, when a person is born of God (born again), as God chooses, does one receive the right to call God “our Father”. That is why Paul told the Christians, as he wrote to them, that God is our Father because they have been born into the family of God.
Therefore, only they who are true disciples of Jesus, who have been born again by the power of God, are the only ones who are given the right to call God “Father”. No one else has that right. God has no obligation to listen, or even to respond, to anyone who is not a member of His family. They have no assurance that their prayer will be answered.
How about you? Have you been born again? If so, then you have the right to do as Jesus says to do. When you pray, you can start by saying to God, “Our Father”.
Simplistic Christianity
What does it mean to become a Christian? Simply put, it means to become a disciple of Jesus. So, how does one become a Christian?
That is a good question. Let us see what the Bible says about becoming a Christian in a very simplistic way.
In the Gospel of Mark 1: 14, 15 we read the following quote by Jesus:
Mar 1:14 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,
Mar 1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
Here Jesus simply says, “You repent and believe the gospel.” The word repent means “to think differently, that is, reconsider morally to feel compunction.” We are to admit our sinfulness, have a desire to change morally, and to ask for forgiveness for having lived our lives as we want instead of what God wants; to want to live for God and not for ourselves.
The second thing that Jesus said was to believe the gospel. What is the gospel? In First Corinthians chapter one and beginning with the first verse, the Apostle Paul states very clearly what is the gospel:
1Co 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
1Co 15:2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
1Co 15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
1Co 15:4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
Now we have the simple basics of how to become a Christian; repent and believe the gospel. You have seen what it means to repent and you now know what the gospel is in a very simplistic way. So, how does this all work together?
When God draws someone to Jesus, in doing so, He also gives them the power to repent and to believe the gospel, giving them the ability to do the following as we read in Romans 10: 8 – 10:
8. The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
9. That if thou you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
10. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
So now, you know what it means to “repent and believe the gospel”. In doing so you will receive forgiveness for your sins, have everlasting life with Jesus in Heaven, and you will know what it is truly like to feel the love of God.
The alternative? Read this from the Gospel of John 3: 36:
Joh 3:36 He that believeth on the Son has everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abides on him.
When you compare the two choices, and you have “only two” from which to choose, Simplistic Christianity does not seem like a bad choice after all.
The Verse That Brought Repentance
When I was just a young boy, I attended an Anglican church faithfully. I was an acolyte, president of the church youth program and a lay reader. I was a Christian; or so I thought. It seemed, as it turned out, that I was only a Christian in name only (a CINO).
You see, in being a Christian in name only can be very deceiving, and so many people today are doing the same as I, and are only CINO’s, and do not realize that they are “not” heading for Heaven. I hope you are not one of them.
Then, as an adult, one day came when I heard about two verses in Proverbs 3 that for the life of me I could not get them out of my mind. They bothered me to no end and I just had to find out how to do what they were saying, because I could not do so of my own will; and therein lay the answer.
The two verses to which I refer are these:
Proverbs 3: 5, 6
5. Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding.
6. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths.
I tried and I tried and I just could not get myself to trust in the way that these verses wanted for me to do. No matter what I did I just could not trust in the Lord. Sounds terrible, does it not?
Then it hit me. How could I trust in someone who I do not know? Who was this Lord in whom I am to trust? Could it be this Jesus I kept hearing about? Oh, yeah, I heard about Jesus, and how they would call Him Lord every time I had gone to church, but I really did not know Him. I had to find out – who was this Jesus.
I knew that my bible was my only true source for learning about Jesus. I had some knowledge of the gospel of John, so I started my reading about Jesus with that book.
Admittedly, the first time through it I really did not get much understanding from it. So I began to read it again and each time I would read a chapter or two I would ask Jesus to give me understanding in these words that I might learn more about Him.
Little by little a verse or two would stand out and they would be quite interesting in little ways, and I realized that I began to trust more and more this Jesus about whom I was studying and to whom I was praying. Then one day it hit me about whom Jesus was – or is. Jesus is God!
By now, not only had I become more dependent on Jesus in giving me understanding in the bible but more importantly, unwittingly, I also became to trust in Him in helping me in my daily life.
I would ask Jesus with help at work, when I was driving and in just making daily decision. I was always, and still do, asking Jesus for guidance in making all kinds of decisions, and trusting in Him for the outcome, as well as trusting in Him to change my direction on anything, if I was going the wrong way.
Through hard times and good times I was looking to the Lord for guidance, even when I did not or could not understand why sometime was happening. Even when my wife was diagnosed with cancer, she is now cancer free. I found myself asking for stronger faith so that I would have deeper trust in the Lord for whatever would happen or in what would be His will.
That is when I realized that in turning from myself, from my self-will, and trusting in the will of the Lord, what I had done was to repent of my own sin of self-will.
This was something I had done all my life. I would look to myself to trust in my own understanding, in any situation for the answer, and to have the self-serving nerve to direct my own life.
It was these two verses from Proverbs 3: 5, 6 that led me to repent of the sin of trusting in myself and to turn to the Lord Jesus for forgiveness, and to come to an understanding of whom is Jesus.
It is in Him that we are to trust for the outcome for all circumstances and situations, and to submit to His Lordship over us in directing our life as He wills.
You see, we are to trust in the Lord Jesus on a daily basis, and to keep trusting in Him even when we do not understand what is happening or why.
In addition, when we acknowledge Him as being Lord of our lives, as God, Jesus has the right to take us down the path that He knows is best for us, and one that will glorify Him.
All it takes is an understanding of who is Jesus, and repentance on your part. That is to turn from your own selfish ways of trusting in yourself, to submitting to the Lordship of Jesus over you.
Only then will you ever find true Godly direction for your life.
Your Faith Did Not Save You
You’ve heard it and you’ve seen it in print. If you just accept Jesus by faith you will be saved. The plain teaching today is that you can be saved from your sins if you will just have a little faith in Jesus. The problem with all of this is that in your sinful state you are dead in sins and are unable to respond to any calling to having any faith of any kind in Jesus for salvation.
In the following passages we read:
And you hath he quickened, that were dead in trespasses and sins… Ephesians 2: 1
even when we were dead in trespasses… Ephesians 2: 5
And you, being dead in your trespasses… Colossians 2: 13
As you can see, before you are “born again” you are dead, spiritually dead, and are unable to do respond to anything pertaining to Jesus. Just as Lazarus was physically dead in a physical grave, you are spiritually dead in a spiritual grave. When the call comes to “come forth” you must be given to ability to do so, just like Lazarus was given the ability to respond to Jesus’s command to come out of the grave. Before you can come out of the grave you, too, need to be given the ability to do so before you can answer the call to come forth.
Now we know this verse well:
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast… Ephesians 2: 8, 9
Here we are told that it is by “grace” that we are saved through faith that is given to us with which we can believe on Jesus. That is very clear in this verse. Any faith that we have is given to us as a gift from God so that we cannot boast about how “our” faith saved us. So, if it isn’t by “our” faith that we are saved, then by whose faith are we saved?
Now here is where the problem arises with today’s modern language translation bibles. Look first at the following verses; you will recognize them all.
1. Romans 3:22
This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.
2. Romans 3:26
he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
3. Galatians 2:16
know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.
4. Galatians 3:22
But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.
These all came from the New International Version (NIV) translation of the bible, and many of today’s modern translations say the same thing, in one way or another. The question is this. If we are dead in trespasses, as we have read, how then can we generate any kind of faith in order to believe? The answer is… we can’t. However, the answer to this problem is easy. It is not by “our” faith with which we believe!
Now, read this verses. They are the same four as above, but they are from the 1599 Geneva Bible. All but forgotten in our day, the Geneva Bible was the most widely read and influential English Bible of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. A superb translation, it was the product of the best Protestant scholars of the day and became the Bible of choice for many of the greatest writers and thinkers of that time. (from Bible Gateway.com)
1. Romans 3:22
To wit, the righteousness of God by the faith of Jesus Christ, unto all, and upon all that believe.
2. Romans 3:26
Through the patience of God, to show at this time his righteousness, that he might be just, and a justifier of him which is of the faith of Jesus.
Know that a man is not justified by the works of the Law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we, I say, have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the Law, because that by the works of the Law, no flesh shall be justified.
But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by the faith of Jesus Christ should be given to them that believe.
Do you see the difference? Today’s translations state that we are saved by “faith in Jesus”. However, as we have seen we are spiritually dead in trespasses and are unable to respond with any faith at all, and what faith it is that we use is given to us by God that we may believe.
You see, the little word “in” is from the Greek word “apo'” which should be translated “of” and not “in”, basically meaning “taken from or off of”. As in “off of” or “from” Jesus, i.e. “faith of Jesus”.
This is where the 1599 Geneva translations comes into its own. The Geneva Bible states clearly that it is by the “FAITH OF JESUS” that we are saved. This is the faith that is given to us as a gift by God so that we can believe. This way we cannot boast about “our” faith, because we have none, and it is by the “FAITH OF JESUS” given to us that we believe.
This may help you to understand this:
For I say through the grace that is given unto me, to everyone that is among you, that no man presume to understand above that which is meet to understand, but that he understand according to sobriety, as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith… Romans 12:3
When we are called to come to Jesus we cannot do so unless God gives us the ability to do so (see John 6: 44 and John 6: 65), and He gives us a measure of faith with which to believe, and the faith that is given to us is the faith of Jesus that He had with the Father when He was here on earth. We have no faith of our own and, even if we did, it would be an imperfect faith that we would have to rely upon for our salvation, However, the faith of Jesus is a perfect faith. A faith which gives us the ability to come to Jesus and to believe on Him.
So you can see that, if you are saved, if you are born again by the Spirit of God that is was not by the result of any faith of your own, but by the “FAITH OF JESUS” that you are saved. This way you cannot boast of anything as it is a gift of God, given to you so that you could believe with a perfect faith. A faith that would be offered, accepted and held by God for eternity. For it is by the “FAITH OF JESUS” that you are justified and saved.
Think of this. By whose faith would you like to base your eternal salvation upon? Your faith or the “FAITH OF JESUS” given to you with which to believe? To me the answer is clear and I hope you will agree, for only by the “FAITH OF JESUS” are we justified and saved…..
Did Jesus Condemn Homosexuality?
Everywhere you turn you will read or hear someone say that “Jesus never condemned homosexuality.” Is that really true?
If you have ever read the Gospel’s you will know that Jesus never mentioned bestiality, polygamy and pedophilia. However, do you believe that He would not condemn these activities? Then why do you believe that since He never mentioned homosexuality that He would not condemn it as well?
Just because Jesus never specifically mentioned homosexuality does not mean that He didn’t speak on topics that dealt with homosexuality.
If you have read the Gospels you will know that Jesus condemned the sins of adultery, sexual immorality (fornication) and any kind of sexual activity that is not within the scope of what He described as a marriage ordained by God.
In Matthew 19: 4 – 6 Jesus said,
“Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”
In this one statement, Jesus specifically said that, according to God, a marriage is a “covenant”. It is a “covenant” between one male and one female. In doing so, Jesus condemned all other forms of marriage; especially those created by man.
According to the teachings of Jesus, sexual relations is allowed only in the confines of a marriage ordained by God (one man and one woman). In His teachings on the “covenant” of marriage, and sexual activity outside of marriage, Jesus effectively placed homosexuality in the category of sin; an act that is not accepted nor condoned by God.
So, even though Jesus never specifically mentioned homosexuality by name, from His teachings on the “covenant” of marriage, we can easily see what He did believe, what He – as God – has ordained, and what He – as God – is telling us about what is right and what is wrong when it comes to marriage and sex. Marriage is a “covenant” to be between one man and one woman. Not between two men nor between two women.
In short, according to the teachings of Jesus on the “covenant” of marriage, and what is a sexual sin outside of marriage, Jesus did condemn homosexuality.
What Defines A Christian?
From an early age, I was a very religious person. I attended Church twice on Sunday. I went to Sunday School and in the Summer I was a teacher in Vacation Bible School. I was the President of our Church’s youth group. At one time I was the youngest Acolyte in the diocese of Maryland. All of this, and more, while still a child.
However, I was not a Christian.
Like so many people today, who call themselves Christians, I was involved in all kinds of church activities and enjoyed them all. Yet, when away from church I was a completely different person. I definitely was not “Christ” like.
What is a Christian? What is the difference in being a religious person and in being a Christian? What is it that defines a Christian?
If you ask the average Christian today to describe what makes one a Christian, you would almost always hear, “someone who has accepted Jesus as Savior”. However, that does not make one a Christian. You want to know how I know this to be true? Just look at them when they are not in church. How do they act?
Accepting Jesus as Savior does not make one a Christian. Nor does going to church or being baptized make one a Christian. So, if none of these actions makes one a Christian, what does?
In the Epistle to the Philippians, chapter 3, verse 3, we find an excellent and short verse describing a Christian.
“For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh…”
First, in referencing “circumcision”. Now circumcision represents a covenant. In regards to God and man, a covenant is an agreement that God states that He will do such and such and that this agreement is based solely on God and not on man. So here, in stating that “we are the circumcision”, Paul is saying that a Christian is one chosen by God for salvation, and this covenant is based solely on what Jesus has done and not on man’s will or ability. (See John 1:13 & Romans 9:16)
Second, we see that a Christian is one who worships God in the Spirit. Only a person who has been born again, that is made alive in the spirit, by the Spirit of God, has the ability to worship God in the Spirit. Only when one is led by the Spirit of God, do we have the ability to approach the throne of God in a manner worthy of God.
Third, since a Christian belongs to the true covenant of God and has the ability to worship God in the Spirit, we can rejoice in Christ Jesus, Who has given us the ability to do so. Only by the person and work of Christ are we given the faith with which we believe in Him, and because of His resurrection from the dead are we promised eternal life in Heaven with God.
Fourth, becoming a Christian is a work that can only be done by God and not in any way accomplished through the work of man. That is why there is “no confidence in the flesh.”
Therefore, we can then say that “what defines a Christian” is what we see in the life of a person after having become “born again” by the Spirit of God.
As I said in beginning of this essay, I was a religious person but not a Christian. Only years later, when I had an exciting experience in being shown by the Holy Spirit that I had been chosen by God unto salvation that I realized that my only hope of being forgiven for my sins and for spending eternity in Heaven had been based solely on what Christ had done for me.
I saw how sinful my religiosity was and that all I had done was to show how good I was, and it was all based on what I was doing and not on what God had done. I was looking to myself for being “good” enough to be worthy to go to Heaven. I was rejoicing in myself and trusting in my works to save me. Just like so many people, today, who call themselves a Christian.
In short, the life of a person who calls themself a Christian, defines what a Christian is.
Look at your life. Do you worship God by the Spirit of God? Do you rejoice in Christ for what He has done? Do you trust in yourself, as I had done, for being “good” enough to get to Heaven, or do you place your trust in Christ with the faith of Christ given to you to do so?
If you call yourself a Christian then you are the best definition of what a Christian is. I pray that it Is a definition with which Christ would agree. For you see, you are what defines a Christian…
Is It Really Judging?
Why is it that whenever one points out the sin that another is doing that someone always brings up the thing about “judging others”.
Here’s an example.
Recently, I made a comment that pointing out to someone about a sin they are doing is a good thing, I used this verse to support it:
“Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.” James 5: 19, 20
Right after that another responded with the comment of “who are you to judge another” and quoted from James 4: 12:
“There is one Lawgiver….. Who are you to judge another?”
Now I have to admit that this got me to thinking. How can these two verses be reconciled? Then it came to me and it was quite easy.
You see, all laws are based on a morality standard, but whose standards of morality do we use? Actually there are only two from which to choose; mans or Gods.
Mans standard of morality is always changing, and it does so based on what man is doing at the time. In other words, at one point something may be declared to be wrong only to be changed somewhere down the line and made to be good. There’s never a true standard of what’s right and wrong because someone will always state that for them it is not wrong. This basically is called “situation ethics”.
Situation ethics states that if it is wrong for you then it is wrong, but only for you. I may not think it is wrong and for me, since I enjoy it and want to do it, then it isn’t wrong for me to do so. In that case, then, it would be correct to say, “who are you to judge another?”
Or as Jesus said in Luke 6: 42:
“Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother’s eye.”
In this case you have one person pointing out the wrong doing of another when they have something in their own life that is just as wrong as the wrong they are condemning.
However, it is just the same as “situation ethics” in which one is pointing out the wrong that someone else is doing when to them is isn’t wrong or the wrong they may be doing is OK to do by someone else.
Man just cannot come up with a “black & white” way of stating what is right and what is wrong. Maybe that is why in the Bible it is written:
“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” Proverbs 14: 12
Man will always choose a way that pleases him and not look to what God wants and this will always lead to death; spiritual and physical. For it is not always God’s way.
Now with God. His standard of morality is always “black & white”. There are no questions and God does not say, “OK it’s alright to do this now, but don’t do it again.” God is not wishy-washy and His ways do not change.
With that in mind, then, as a Christian, and only as a Christian, when one sees a brother or sister doing what God has called wrong – a sin – and lovingly brings that to their attention, they are doing good in helping that person get back onto the road to life.
This can also come into play when talking to a non-Christina about their eternal destiny and the salvation they can achieve from being forgiven for their sins, they must have pointed out to them the sin they are doing. For it is in seeing the Law of God that they will see their sinfulness and come to the realization that they are destined for Hell and they can do nothing about it.
Once they see this they will know that their only hope is in submitting to Jesus as Lord and believing that He has done for them what they cannot do for them self and that is being obedient to the Law of God. They will see that Jesus suffered the punishment they deserve and, because of that, they will be forgiven for the sins they have committed.
It is hypocritical for a non-Christian to point out the wrongs of another non-Christian because they are guilty of doing wrong themselves, even if it isn’t for the same wrong they are bringing to light.
Only a true Christian can bring to light the sins of another because it is not their standard of morality they are basing this on. They are basing it on the standard of morality set by God. God the Father speaks through His children and it is through them that He brings to light the sins of the world.
A Christian can say that “this is wrong”, and do so knowing that what they are saying are not their words. They are doing so because they can say, “In the Bible, it is written”. As Jesus says in Luke 10: 16:
“He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.”
When a non-Christian, and so-called Christians, reject what a true Christian says is written in the Bible, they are not rejecting them. In reality they are rejecting Jesus and, in doing so, they are rejecting God the Father.
It is not OK for non-Christians to judge another, as the Bible so correctly points out, but it is OK for a Christian to point out the sins of another. It is NOT really judging, as long as it is done with the notice that this is what God says, and as long as they say, “For in the Bible it is written”.
Does God Know You?
As we begin a new year the number one question that should be on your mind is this:
Does God Know You?
Silly question, you think, of course God knows me, He know’s everybody. That depends…
So, what am I getting at? In 2 Timothy 2:19 we read:
Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”
Another question is this. Do you name the name of Christ? Depending on how you answer this question will give an indication as to what your answer is to our main question. To help you out, let’s look at another scripture verse.
In John 14: 21 & 23 we read:
He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”
“If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.”
Here we see that if you love Jesus and are obedient to Him, then the Father will love you and He and Jesus will come and live with you. However, if you don’t believe in Jesus how can you say that you love Him? You can’t.
In fact, if you don’t love Jesus because you don’t believe in Him then God says this about you. In John 3: 36 we read:
He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
You see, if you do not love Jesus it is because you do not believe in Him, and if you do not believe in Jesus you already stand condemned and you have the wrath of God abiding on you. So, how can you say that God knows you?
Still are not sure? Well, here are some other verses. In Matthew 7: 21 – 23 we read:
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
And, in Luke 13: 23 – 27 we read:
Then one said to Him, “Lord, are there few who are saved?”
And He said to them, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ and He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are from,’ then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.’ But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.’
The one thing that ties all of this together, for you to be able to say that God knows you, is this. You must believe in Jesus, have submitted to Him as Lord of your life, and love Him enough to be obedient to Him. If you cannot say that you have done so, then the answer to the question “Does God Know You” is this.
No!
If you were to die right now, in this state, God will say to you “I tell you I do not know you. Depart from Me, you worker of iniquity.”
Is that what you want to here? I pray that this is not what you want. Remember what 2 Timothy 2: 19 says:
“The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”
You must bow the knee to Jesus as Lord and proclaim Christ as your Savior. Having done so, God will tell you that He knows you and that you are His child. He will tell you that you have been forgiven for all of your sins and you will be able to live with Him for all eternity.
If you won’t you are doomed, and you will stand condemned to face the wrath of God. You must know that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of an angry God.
It is a new year and I pray that God will draw you to Him, forgive you of your sins and place within you a new heart. Having done so, you will know without a doubt that God does know you and when you are asked, “Does God know you?” You will be able to respond, in full assurance, with a resounding…
YES!
Why A Savior?
Even if you are not a Christian, I’m sure you are familiar with the Christmas story.
The Gospel of Luke has the best account of the birth of Jesus, and in the part which describes the encounter that some shepherds had with an angel we read, in part, the following:
“Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior…..”
Wait a minute. A Savior? Why do we need a Savior? I mean we’re all good, right? So, why do we need a Savior and from what do we need to be saved?
Good questions, all…
In Proverbs 6 beginning at verse 16 we read:
These six things the LORD hates,
Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:
A proud look,
A lying tongue,
Hands that shed innocent blood,
A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that are swift in running to evil,
A false witness who speaks lies,
And one who sows discord among brethren.
For a moment, think of these seven things. Have you ever done any of them? Odds are you have had at one time or another had a proud look about you, lied about something, devised a way to get back a someone, either hit someone or at least thought about hitting someone, told something about another person that wasn’t true, and even spread gossip to get someone in trouble.
Do you realize that just by doing any one of these has caused you to be separated from God. We all know about the Ten Commandments and we always say, “Well, I’ve tried my best to do them, and God knows I’m not perfect, but I am basically good.”
However, when you look, again, at those seven actions I’ve mentioned, just one of them will keep you out of Heaven. In 1 Corinthians 6:9 we read:
“Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?”
Are you “unrighteous?” If you have done just one bad thing, even a simple little white lie, you are an unrighteous person. As it stands now, you are in danger of spending eternity in Hell, not Heaven.
You will have to pay the penalty for having done anything bad. You see God will not allow anyone who is unrighteous into Heaven. That would be like pouring a sewer system into pure drinking water. It has to be purified first, just like you. The problem is, spending eternity in Hell will not purify you.
However, God has provided a way for the unrighteous person to gain forgiveness for the wrongs they have committed and to be granted admittance into Heaven. He has provided a “Savior”.
This is what we read about in the Christmas story in Luke. God has provided a Savior and His name is Jesus, and to all who believe in Him, and who submit to Him as Lord, the bad things they have done will be forgiven and the righteousness of Jesus will be placed upon that person. Because of the righteousness of Jesus they will be granted admittance into Heaven.
The thing is, you must admit that you have done wrong. You must be willing to say that you know you cannot enter into Heaven because of anything you have done. You must realize that you can only be forgiven if someone pays the penalty that you deserve to pay, because of what you have done, and the only Person who can stand in your place, to be found guilty on your behalf, is Jesus. Only because of what Jesus has done in His obedience to the Father, in His dying for sins, and in His resurrection can you have any hope of salvation.
You see, from what you need to be saved, is from yourself, because you are an unrighteous person, and that unrighteousness has caused you to be condemned to spend eternity in Hell paying for the bad things you have done.
That is why you need a Savior and that Savior is Jesus.
Call upon God now. Confess that you have done wrong and submit to Jesus as Lord of your life and, if you can do that, Jesus will be your Savior. So that when you read, “For there is born to you this day….. a Savior…..”, you can join all of the others down through the ages who can say:
“It was for me that a Savior was provided, to save me from myself, and His name is Jesus.”
When this happens the Christmas story takes on a whole new meaning. We can see why a Savior was needed and for whom He came to save; to save us from ourselves.
You see, we cannot save ourselves. We cannot be good enough to earn admittance into Heaven. We cannot do anything to be forgiven for any of the bad things we have done. We need a champion, one who will stand in for us, we need a Savior. Only Jesus can be that Savior. If you deny Him you deny yourself the only chance there is to spend eternity in Heaven.
Can you admit your wrongs? Will you submit to Jesus as your Lord, to take over control of your life? Will you bow before Him as the only Savior who can provide you forgiveness for your sins?
If you can say yes to all of these, then this Christmas will be the most wonderful Christmas you will have ever had. You will receive the best and most precious gift ever, the gift of being given a Savior to save you from yourself. His name is Jesus.
May this be a most wonderful time for you, and I pray that you will have a more meaningful, peaceful and life changing time of the year so that it will truly be, for you, a very Merry Christmas…
Hiding Under A Basket
On Being The Light Of The World
In Matthew 5: 14-16 it is written, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Although this is primarily for the one who calls Himself a Pastor, this is also for anyone who calls themself a Christian.
As a Pastor, you are the light of your church. You bring the message of God, the way of Salvation through Jesus and you shepherd the flock that you have. However, is that light being hidden in the basket of your Church?
You stand behind the pulpit and week after week you bring, hopefully, the deep things of God. You bring the Word that opens hearts and causes people to see their sinfulness, to repent and to have a burning desire to come to Christ for forgiveness. You teach the things that are needed in order for your flock to grow as Christians, whether they are new, or the faithful and steadfast, Christians that look to you for direction in the Word.
Outside of the Church… what ARE you doing? Do you speak out in defense of your faith? Do you stand up at community meetings and remind people what the Word says about actions that could and will be taken in your town, neighborhood or street? Do you write Letters to the Editor about topics of interest in which the Church should be providing direction and guidance?
I would venture to say that you stay hidden behind those closed doors, hiding your light under the basket that is your Church. Why, what is it of which you are afraid? Most likely you worry that you don’t want to upset the apple-cart. You don’t want to offend anyone or you might lose parishioners and by doing so loose Church income. You might even be afraid of what others might say about you and you would feel an embarrassment when outsiders look at you in a funny way. So, you preach fuzzy feel good sermons designed to keep your flock happy. How horrible it would be if you were to make anyone squirm in their seats.
I sure am glad that Jesus didn’t feel that way.
You are the light. Each member of the flock in your Church is a light and by staying hidden under your Church basket you are also teaching your flock to do the same. They become Sunday morning Christians and the rest of the week live like the world. Is that what you want?
It is easy to become bold behind those Church doors, but it is something else to do the same outside of your building. When was the last time you stood up in defense of something that is un-biblical and openly said “It Is Written” and then explain what it is that the Word of God says?
It would seem that you are more afraid of being laughed at for your faith, for what it is that you believe, for in Whom you believe than you are in being the light that Lord has caused you to be and to stand up and be bold in the proclamation of what it is that God says.
In Matthew 10: 32, 33 it is written, “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.”
By staying quiet, by staying behind those closed doors and only speaking when you can hide behind your pulpit you are actually hiding your light under a basket, and by doing so you are denying Christ before men; they who are not in your flock who need to hear from you what is written in the Word.
Jesus is the Light of the world, but you the Pastor, and you the flock, are the torch bearers carrying that Light into the world. Bring the Light out from under your basket. Step out where the Light is needed and let it shine in a world that is dark and lost.
You have a choice. You can stay hidden under your basket and keep on denying Christ before men or, you can come out from under that basket and confess Christ before the world. You can throw off the shackles of being hidden under your Church basket and speak out on what is written in the Word and have Jesus confess you before the Father which is in Heaven.
Obey the command of Jesus and do as He says… “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Pastor, Christian, come out from under the basket. The world needs to see the Light of Christ and only you can do that. Only you have the Light of the world. Don’t keep it hidden under your Church basket. Let it shine. Let it shine. Let it shine…
Riff's Christian Journal 