Do you love and serve God because He is worthy to be loved and served - or for the benefits you receive from loving and serving Him? If you were going to go to hell in the end, would you still love Him? Revival Hymn
Do you love and serve God because He is worthy to be loved and served - or for the benefits you receive from loving and serving Him? If you were going to go to hell in the end, would you still love Him? Walking away sad...
Isn't it strange how nobody in the Bible ever prayed to "receive" Jesus as their Savior? Have you ever thought about that? It's true. I challenge you to find one example in God's Word of a person praying to "receive Him".
If you'll notice, people in the Bible, were saved because they BELIEVED... not because they prayed. They first of all, became humble enough to truly look inside themselves and understand that they really were lost and that they needed Him. This brought about repentance. Then, they believed on Him and they were changed. Then normally, they were baptized.
Is there anything wrong with praying to receive Jesus as our Savior? Not if the believing part and the changing part happened like it was supposed to! But what if there was no humble understanding and no repentance, no believing or trusting in Him... then what have we produced when this person finishes his prayer? A person who thinks he's saved who's really not.
Then we wonder why there's so much sin and corruption and worldliness inside the church? It really is sad. The saddest thing is that it hasn't always been this way. 50 years ago, a Baptist preacher would not assure you that you were saved by asking you if you prayed a prayer one time.
If Jesus operated the way most preachers do today, He would be chasing the Rich Young Ruler down the street, begging him to just make that verbal profession - no matter what was in his heart! But Jesus didn't DO that!
Jesus told Him that if he wasn't willing to give up the things that were seperating him from God, then he couldn't be saved. He was looking for that repentance and that change... and He didn't see it.
You know, the Rich Young Ruler walked away "sad." But at least he didn't walk away deceived into thinking he was saved when he really wasn't.
If you'll notice, people in the Bible, were saved because they BELIEVED... not because they prayed. They first of all, became humble enough to truly look inside themselves and understand that they really were lost and that they needed Him. This brought about repentance. Then, they believed on Him and they were changed. Then normally, they were baptized.
Is there anything wrong with praying to receive Jesus as our Savior? Not if the believing part and the changing part happened like it was supposed to! But what if there was no humble understanding and no repentance, no believing or trusting in Him... then what have we produced when this person finishes his prayer? A person who thinks he's saved who's really not.
Then we wonder why there's so much sin and corruption and worldliness inside the church? It really is sad. The saddest thing is that it hasn't always been this way. 50 years ago, a Baptist preacher would not assure you that you were saved by asking you if you prayed a prayer one time.
If Jesus operated the way most preachers do today, He would be chasing the Rich Young Ruler down the street, begging him to just make that verbal profession - no matter what was in his heart! But Jesus didn't DO that!
Jesus told Him that if he wasn't willing to give up the things that were seperating him from God, then he couldn't be saved. He was looking for that repentance and that change... and He didn't see it.
You know, the Rich Young Ruler walked away "sad." But at least he didn't walk away deceived into thinking he was saved when he really wasn't.
Guilt is a gift
Have you ever thought about all the extremes people go to sometimes to alleviate that horrible feeling of GUILT they have over sins they've committed? They distract themselves to keep their minds off of it, they mediate or drink themselves into a state of mind where they can't remember it, they seek counseling to "deal with it" - which usually means deferring the blame for it to parents or siblings from their childhood.Obviously we have lost sight of the fact that guilt is a gift from God and it was given for a reason... because we're GUILTY. It is guilt that drives us to repentance. It is guilt that drives us to take what's wrong and make it right. It is guilt that drives us to seek forgiveness and to forgive. There probably aren't too many people out there in the world telling you the truth these days so what the heck, I'll say it: Embrace your guilt! Stop running from it. Think about it. Meditate on it. Pray about it. Bow before God and beg Him to show you what it is that needs to be done for this burden of guilt to be lifted! Then ask for His help and do it!
Saved from WHAT?
The nature of Christ's salvation is woefully misrepresented by the present-day "evangelist." He announces a Savior from hell rather than a Savior from sin. And that is why so many are fatally deceived, for there are multitudes who wish to escape the Lake of fire who have no desire to be delivered from their carnality and worldliness. The very first thing said of Him in the New Testament is, "Thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people (not "from the wrath to come," but) from their sins." (Matt. 1:21) Christ is a Savior for those realizing something of the exceeding sinfulness of sin, who feel the awful burden of it on their conscience, who loathe themselves for it, who long to be freed from its terrible dominion; and a Savior for no others. Were He to "save from hell" those still in love with sin, He would be a Minister of sin, condoning their wickedness and siding with them against God. What an unspeakably horrible and blasphemous thing with which to charge the Holy One! A.W. Pink
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