Obama has said one thing I strongly agree with. He said “America is no longer a Christian Nation.” He’s right. Many think we are but what has happened is that we’ve fallen from the faith. There’s been a great “falling away” from the true Word of God to a watered down, anything goes, be tolerant of anything gospel. God’s Word has never changed. We as a people, over time, have changed. “For many are called but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14).
You have to give and glorify God so you can grow in the Christian faith. Why would you want to settle for anything else? Why are you happy where you are in your relationship with God? After all He did for you and still you value your life and the things in it more than Him.
You didn’t just evolve from apes and we didn‘t just pop into existence. God who is bigger than the universe made you and the Bible tells you everything you need to know. Please consider this: Your eternity is at stake. Maybe you know this in your heart and something has happened in your life that has gotten you off track .The worries of the world are easy to get caught up in. I’ve been there. I have been to a point where I said I was saved and just didn’t grow. I had no one to help show me what I was supposed to be doing and I was too lazy to read my Bible and feared it. I couldn’t understand a lot of it.
I spent a section of my life saved, but stuck in ignorance not growing in my faith. I had people around me that were professing Christians but to this day I look back and they were preaching to me that watered down, anything goes message. I never learned the seriousness of the truth, although I believed with all my heart that Jesus did die to pay for all of our sins and loved us unconditionally. However, it is time to realize that time is at hand. Every one of us needs to realize that we are not perfect and all guilty of sin. Jesus is the only answer here. We will mess up here and there but that’s no reason to give up or let our guard down.
Jesus does however want your full and undivided attention. That means no more compromising. No more priorities before Him. It’s seek the kingdom first, not seeking your job first or your wife, kids, bills or what you’re going to watch on TV tonight. It’s not that some of these things aren’t important. Jesus is telling us that if you trust in Him to provide all your needs you have no need to worry — therefore you will be at peace in your heart. He stands at the door knocking. Many claim to be saved, but what’s up with those still living life to the “fullest,” living it up, partying down with dreams set on glamorous jobs, houses, cars, living a lifestyle of sin and no concern for what Jesus would do or what he thinks.
Do you just not know these earthly things are not important? Has fear set in? What happens when you die? What on this earth are you going to be able to take with you? God said not to lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, to live in the world but not to take part in of all the lusts and pleasures, but to focus on Jesus and obey. He will renew your heart and mind so you will be blameless and can enter his kingdom with him. We are born as guilty sinners, therefore born to die.
However, when God gave us Jesus that gave us a chance to be reborn spiritually for eternity. He did this so after we die we would be saved and live with him forever. God gave us free will to choose his ways or Satan’s worldly ways. If you choose Jesus then you must take all of Jesus and that includes his teachings. All of them. The Bible is not a salad bar. You cannot be a child of God and still participate in Satan’s evil actions. That’s the role of a Christian when you ask Jesus to save you. You give yourself to Him and honor him with obedience.
A Christian’s main reason for being on the earth is to be willing servants of God. It shouldn’t be a chore. We should want to proclaim to the world Jesus is the only way and that is primarily done by showing what He’s done for us by living his Word and not only professing we know Him . Obey, live out the commands of the Bible. BE A TRUE WITNESS. Do you know you are not considered an effective teacher if you teach or preach about Christianity but do not act on what He commands?
There is no other acceptable way to live other than what the Bible expects from us. You tell yourself, “God doesn’t mind, it’s harmless.” But doesn’t the Bible tell you not to do the things you’re doing? If you only talk the talk but don’t walk the walk then you’re falling short. Same goes for witnessing. You are not an effective witness to God if you claim to know Him but don’t reflect Jesus in your life. You are showing others that it’s ok to know God and still participate in anything you want to do.
This is a terrible doctrine and lie that is leading many people to hell. Are you one of these teachers? There will be a special place in hell for those who corrupt God’s word so let us all consider our actions. Calling yourself a Christian doesn’t mean a thing. Be honest. You should have faith and works as a Christian and your faith is only justified by your works.
James 2:19-24 (KJV):
“Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe and tremble. But wilt thou know was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Issaac his son upon the altar seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called a friend of God. You see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.”
James 1:21-27 (KJV):
“Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
For if any be a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he behold himself and goeth his way, and straightway forgotteth what manner of man he was.
But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and CONTINUETH therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this mans religion is vain, pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself UNSPOTTED from the world.”
I’m sure some don’t purposely try to impose false doctrine on others but I do believe many of us are ignorant to the truth and ignorance is no excuse. God has given all of us a chance to seek out the truth. Once Jesus returns to earth or once you die you will no longer have an opportunity to plead mercy and say, “Well God, I’m sorry, have mercy, I didn’t know.” He’s given you a lifetime to ask for mercy and to be prepared for his return and it’s not His fault you decided your will was more important than His will.
Yes, you will be presented with truth beforehand whether it be your life on earth being over, or Jesus returning himself, you will have had the opportunity to know, seek Jesus and all his truth and time to act and obey. Just because you put it off because you’re not willing to give up your old sinful life and wait day after day after day isn’t an excuse. It’s selfish and Jesus wasn’t selfish when he died so you could have a change at life. You’re not promised a tomorrow.
Studying the Word is the only way to be sure of the truth. That’s why reading your Bible is important. So you learn the right way and can turn from the old. The Bible is God’s Word. Nothing in the Bible should be overlooked. It was all put there for a reason and a true believer will take it seriously. Don’t let others tell you it’s not relevant,and of no importance and that God is love and wouldn’t send anyone to hell. Yeah, God is love. That’s why He’s been patiently waiting for 2000 years so you would come around to the truth, but he is still going to judge those disobedient, who reject the truth and the outcome is hell.
You can’t do what you want and still think you’re going to heaven. Wake-up. Living a life just like everybody else who rejects Jesus, be it through, sexual immorality, drugs, greed, anger, malice, envy, etc. is against God. If you’re a Christian then you know what things are not acceptable to God or know to read the Bible to find out if you’re not sure. God is not as tolerant as you think he is. He destroyed people on earth before for disobedience and will again. God is love and proves that by giving us that opportunity to have eternal life, but he also seeks judgement on those who do not obey and trust in Jesus.
Disobeying God is obeying Satan. You say, “ I know I’m doing wrong I just can’t stop it.” Ask Jesus for his help. That’s what He’s there for. If you ask Him and sincerely want to turn from sin then he will change you. That’s the Christian faith. You change your lifestyle to reflect Jesus. You shouldn’t just confess your sins ONE time anyway. We should always talk to Jesus and ask Him to help deliver us from sin. When you ask Jesus into your heart at the beginning in the salvation prayer and you say, “Jesus save me, forgive me of my sins,” He will, and yes you still will sin occasionally because we aren’t perfect.
But why do you think it’s ok to go looking to sin and He will still forgive you? You have to be sorry, to be repentant of your sin (turn from, don’t do it anymore) in order to be forgiven and continuing in that sin is not being sorry. You may have fooled yourself but you haven’t fooled God. You need to stop it and ask him to forgive you, help you, guide you through out your walk with Him or this will become a pattern.
Hebrews 10:26:
“For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins.”
1 John 3:9:
“Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.”
I refer to these verses not saying that those saved can fall from grace, however I know it may seem as though I‘m saying that to some. The true believers will not remain in habitual sin. God will forgive sins and you will not fall from grace. However, I believe all should search their hearts who are living a sinful lifestyle. You cannot LIVE in sin. What I’m saying, and this is going to hurt many who believe they are saved just might not be saved like they think they are. They have deceived themselves.
I’m talking about false, professing Christians. No TRUE Christian will fall from grace. They acted on emotions and had no true change of heart or lifestyle. They choose that disobeying God has no real consequences. It’s almost like they think they got a free ticket by accepting the gift of grace to do whatever they want.
I will insert myself here to show what I’m talking about. I’ve had a really rocky walk toward the Lord. I thought I got saved when I was 9 years old because my church told me I should. Although I believed Jesus was real, I didn’t understand what the salvation prayer and being a Christian meant. I had no clue that confessing I know Jesus was supposed to follow with a lifestyle change. No one in my church took the time to show me what to do next. No one bothered to help me through it.
At age 13 I realized I was not living right and said a prayer again. A very special person at the time entered my life who gave the appearance of being a Christian. She was a regular church goer, and pushed me to go every time the church doors opened. She gave me everything I wanted, and seemed to be an excellent advice giver, a person of many flattering words. She was very active in charity work and church activities and church authority.
However, I can look back on this now and see clearly she was so false. She was all about tolerance. She was a Man pleaser to the max. Do what you must to just fit into the world. I was deceived by her and yet followed her. I trusted that she was Christian because she said she was. I don’t see Jesus in her at all, though. She also has told me recently that I shouldn’t take the Bible literally. WHAT! A Christian just said that! Anyway, I got more and more into a sinful lifestyle. This person I trusted had me believing it was ok and never told me truth about my lifestyle.
I did things that would cause my momma to crawl out of her grave and spank my tush. I never felt conviction. I looked for sin to get into. I didn’t even think about Jesus. Surely a Christian is supposed to think about their Savior right? At 19 I said the prayer again. No change in my life whatsoever. Then things got real bad. Drugs, sexual immorality, greed, envy, jealousy, ANGER, and a life of theft ruled me and I enjoyed every minute of it but still convinced myself that I am a Christian because I was a nice person and said a prayer and had some emotions.
Me being “Christian,” I didn’t want to hang out with other Christians. I thought they were boring and goody goody and was more focused on having sinful fun that seemed innocent. Years went by and no change. Then at 28 something clicked when I got pregnant with my little girl. I guess I just started thinking about someone other than myself. I didn’t want her born into my current life and witnessing my actions. I started to really think hard about my salvation. I would no longer be hurting myself but hurting my little girl. I was not a good example.
I began to ask myself questions. What am I doing for God? What proof has my life shown that I am really a Christian? I realized I had lied to myself for years. I was still lost and only fooled myself. From that moment on I had a genuine change of heart and asked Jesus into my heart, to forgive me, to save me and pleaded “ I know I don’t deserve it Lord but please don’t let me go to hell.” I knew I needed him from that point on. I was delivered from many things.
I have a love for Jesus and a desire to not disobey and hurt him and his name. I realized I had been all over the world confessing I know Jesus while living an awful sinful lifestyle and I never was a true witness for Jesus. I was a false witness. I just showed others that believing in Jesus still means that they can do whatever they want to do. This breaks my heart to this day because I wonder how many people might end up in hell because of my witness. I do know I can’t change much of that now. I can however, strive to obey from here on out and pray that God uses me as a true witness.
At some point a true believer, if they are paying attention, will feel guilt over an action, activity or things they say. This is the Holy Spirit trying to tell you that you’re doing wrong and need to stop and back-up. So you really are not only hurting yourselves when you sin but you hurt others as well. People who are lost in the world can only see Jesus in us. It’s up to us to make sure they are seeing the true Jesus. You really don’t want to be responsible for anyone else’s blood on your hands. I love you. I do not tell you these things to pick on you, to purposely make you angry but to show you biblical truth. We have strayed from the truth and many are going to hell that do not realize it.
If I’ve stepped on your toes and this has made you angry maybe that’s because you are one of these people. Please do not give into the anger. Pray. Ask God to help you through it and help you change. This is more important than anything taking place in your life. You can hate me, but I told the truth and I’ve done my job. If you are mad at me for proclaiming biblical truth or feeling guilt and still refuse to except the truth then maybe you weren’t God’s child to begin with. I say this so if this is you, then you can still get right with God. I’m not trying to be mean. Truth hurts, but truth also saves. There is a heaven and there is a hell and few will enter God’s kingdom.
Matthew 7:13-14:
“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat.”
Would you be prepared if Jesus came back today? Are you watching for his return like he instructed? I only care for you. Please get right with God through Jesus before it’s too late. Time is ticking. There may not be a tomorrow.
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