I’m convinced, because I speak with so many people, that few have genuine faith. Let me define it for you. Real faith is revealed by what we do and not what we say. Pretty simple isn’t it? There will be a great increase in attendance at worship services tomorrow. Easter [Resurrection Sunday] along with Christmas brings out the folks who are “believing in Jesus” but not living in Him. Their condition is critical for many are dying all around us not yet born again of His Spirit. If this is your condition, only you know, “along with God“, read on and find the peace that passes all understanding.
For a moment let’s go back to basics. Jesus is God and He came to be born to Mary to live among us to teach us the Truth about Himself [Life] and death. When He was raised from the dead into life He did it for us. He didn’t need it for He’s God. We can have Him live inside us only when we are willing to give up these temporal lives for His. This is why He preached repentance, or to “turn around” and go the other way. We’re sinners in God’s sight and He hates sin. He says the wages of sin is death.
He allowed all of the sins of the whole world to be heaped upon Jesus as He died on the cross. There is no way we can appreciate how much it hurt Him to see His Only Begotten Son die in such a horrible way covered in filthy sin. The nails, thorns, spit, beating with a scourge by the Romans [who didn’t know what they were doing] was full payment because His Blood dripped down upon the ground from the wounds. There’s nothing more valuable than the Blood of Jesus. Some how God applies it to us when we repent “with remorse” for our wrong doing. I believe it’s impossible to repent with out being able to see Jesus nailed in our place.
Our hearts grow harder and harder as the years go by making it even more difficult to have the Good News [Gospel] inserted into them. We have a terrible enemy whose name is Satan. He is definitely behind all “man made” religion. He’s always trying to distract us from seeing Jesus on the cross. Satan is a deceiver and has deceived whole denominations to believe they’re the only ones going to be saved because of one thing or another. If you’re a member of one, run for your eternal life for their teaching is false.
Read for yourself the Book of First John. These five chapters are dynamite to false religion. In chapter 5 you’ll read, “Those who have Jesus have eternal life and those have not Jesus have not eternal life.“
Do you have Him inside you now? How do you know? He comes when we meet Him at the cross. Now I know a million people will say this is wrong but on Judgment Day they’ll discover the Truth. There was a need for Jesus to be brutalized for us. When we discover it, using the faith [very tiny amount] given to us by God, it will lead us to love Him more than anyone. What’s so wonderful is His love then comes inside us so we can love people just as He loves us.
If there’s a litmus test for Christianity this is it; He told His disciples to love one another the way He loves them so that all who knew them would know that they are His disciples. Do you love, “really love” your brothers and sisters in Christ? Only you and God knows for sure.
Nothing can replace the reading and hearing of the scriptures for God says faith follows. You may be a born again Christian but may be anemic due to a failure to understand, “Without faith man can not please God for we must believe that He Is and He Is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” In other words, God has given us an incredible car to drive but it isn’t going anywhere without His gas [Faith] in it. You can admire it but if it’s going to allow you to do His Will [Ephesians 2:10] you must allow the Holy Spirit to lead you in a disciplined way of reading and digesting God’s Word.
We like to do things our way and the penalty is huge. Throngs of “Christians” are sitting idly by missing out on the Joy of the Lord. Do you have His joy? If don’t, do you want it? Tell Him with a heart filled with love for Jesus. Then ask Jesus to baptize you in His Spirit. Then a very special faith comes allowing you to do the mighty works He did. “He told His disciples [that’s us], “The things I do you’ll do, and even greater things shall you do that the Father may be glorified in the Son [who lives in us].
If you believe Him, you’ll have genuine faith. Simple isn’t it? Loving Jesus is the only way to the Father. Religion can’t help us except, “When you are ministering to widows and orphans in their need and keeping yourself “unstained“ from this world.” Rejoice now, He is Risen!
In His Service,
Capt. Ben Marler
captben61@gmail.com
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