Sep 3, 2018
3 min read
Believe
“It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.” John 6:45 (NKJV).
The teachings of Jesus were insightful and revealed the heart of the law. He came with miracles and truth and compassion and mercy. He came with clarity and sadness for the people. It is sad to see people refuse to get right with God, to see people rebel in their hearts and choose their own will over God’s will.
It is sad to watch people choose to be sinners and choose to harm others to lift themselves up. Believe me, there is still plenty today for Jesus to weep over.
Our world is filled with people choosing to self-govern and claim rational thought for themselves and believing that there is no God, that their own moral code will sustain them and see them through this life and that there is no cause to concern themselves with an eternal life. There are people on the pulpits sharing the good news without teaching the requirements of being a follower of Christ. There are stubborn people who choose to believe that there is not a right or a wrong way to worship God and that we get to self-determine our God and how we navigate our faith in our life and have concluded that by doing so we will enjoy the outcome that we have decided upon. It doesn’t work that way! God came and gave instructions on how to worship Him. Jesus came and gave insight into the law and gave instructions on how to worship Him.
Nothing has changed.
Grace is given and faith is free but obedience is required to claim them. You cannot claim to be a person of faith and have fellowship with God when you are living a life of selfishness and unfaithfulness. If you are a greedy, lying, cheating, vain, malicious, gossiper and drunk then you are not obeying God. If you are full of bitterness and resentment and refuse to forgive those who you believe have done you wrong then you are not in obedience with God. If you are consumed with materialism and are obsessed with your looks and your appearance then you are not in obedience with God. If you are abusing drugs and your body and are not a believer then you are not in obedience with God. If you are not in obedience with God then you will not see the kingdom of heaven when you die. It really is that simple.
You must obey God to claim the gifts of God. Salvation is claimed by those who believe because those who believe will submit to the will of God and will obey God. I am not talking about casual belief but the belief that produces results in a life, belief that produces change and purity in a life and belief that transforms a life of darkness into one of light. There is always an opportunity to truly claim Jesus as your savior, not in word only but in truth. You know whether your life is truly a life that would have God’s stamp of approval and there is just no reason to live in denial. There is not any time to waste on self-indulgence and sin. It is time to examine your existence and if you are not right with God then it is time to get right with Him.
Believe in the Son and claim salvation.
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.” John 15:5-6 (NKJV).
PASTOR JOHN