““Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to Me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and cast out demons in Your name, and do many mighty works in Your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness.’”” Matthew 7:21-23 ESV
Many say, “I believe in Jesus”, yet they lack any evidential fruit within their life.
There is a dangerous doctrine that has spread across the world that is leading many down a deceptive path of darkness. People are being told that by a simple prayer they will be forever saved; and that simply saying “Jesus is Lord” and believing it is enough. The danger, however, is for those who believe that Jesus Christ was God in the flesh and came to die for the sins of mankind; but, they neglect what Jesus taught in regards to the realm of obedience. Many say, “I believe in Jesus”, yet they lack any evidential fruit within their life.
If you believe in Christ, then you will believe and strive to follow His teachings.
If you believe in Christ, then you will believe and strive to follow His teachings. John gives a critical warning to those who live the life of simple profession, but lack any desire of obedience: "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him" (John 3:36 ESV). God’s wrath remains on those who disregard His teachings towards a call of obedience. When this is evident in a self-proclaimed Christian; when there is no wanting to turn from sin; when there is no conviction when one sins, it is doubtful to conclude that one has truly believed.
True belief is found in obedience; not perfectly, but progressively.
True belief is found in obedience; not perfectly, but progressively. God is not calling us to be perfect overnight; for “None is righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10 ESV). None of us will be perfect until us born-again believers are ascended into Heaven to live with the Father, and dwell in the place where “‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes.” Where “death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4 ESV). This is the home of those who believe in Christ and strive to obey Him. God's call for our life is to love Him; and loving Him, is walking obediently in the way of the Word; and to know the way of the Word, you must read the Word of God. These all correlate with one another and are imperative components of the true, Christian faith.
Satan has entered the pulpits of many churches today.
I firmly believe that Satan has entered the pulpits of many churches today. He has used pastors to preach an acceptable Gospel of no sacrifice and all reward. It is a false gospel that preaches “Christ loves you” but neglects the second most crucial component: “Christ hates sin.” I commend the majority of local churches who are not afraid to preach against sin! When was the last time you heard a mega church even utter the word, “sin”? Though there are few that do, the majority on mainstream T.V. neglect it. Young mainstream pastors fear man more than they fear God; and the consequences that are to come will be shocking on Judgment Day if they continue to neglect to preach the Word of God, from Genesis to Revelation.
I love this quote from A.W. Tozer:
“What the Church needs to fear is becoming accepted in the community. Any church that the unsaved worldly community accepts is never a church full of the Holy Spirit. Any church that is full of the Holy Spirit, separated from the world and walking with God, will never be accepted by any worldly community.”
How true is this statement! The majority of those churches that are filled with the Holy Ghost are usually those with lower attendees. O how splendid and wonderful is a church of just a few hundred people with the fire of the Holy Ghost in their bellies; as opposed to a church of 10,000 attendees with little to no passion to know the One, True God.
True body of Christ, let us empty ourselves in order to be full of the Holy Spirit. Let us set aside self, in order to receive all God has for us. May the Lord use us to show others that He is a God of love, grace and mercy; but to not forget that there is a call to obedience. This obedience should not be a hassle, but should be an excitement that electrifies our bones. For when we obey the Lord, we receive His blessings. Let us remember that “if anyone obeys His Word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in Him” (1 John 2:5 NIV).
Lance VanTine
CITATIONS
(A.W. Tozer, “The Crucified Life”, pg. 96)