If you died today, where you going?

How Can I Know?

I just returned from taking our youth group to Winterfest.  We had an awesome time jamming with Skillet, Disciple, Jeremy Camp and others.  But we also go to hear messages presented by Clayton King and David Nasser.  Clayton’s message was Gospel centric.  You’ve got to be saved type of message.  David’s message was directed more to those of us who are already Christians and are still carrying around a lot of baggage that is keeping us from a much better relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

From all this preaching and teaching, the struggle our students seemed to come away with is the struggle all Christians have dealt with as they mature – AM I SAVED???  HOW CAN I KNOW???

So, how can we know we are saved?  The best way I know to answer this question is with Scripture.

1 John 5:13 (NIV)
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

Whenever I speak to anyone about assurance of salvation, this is always my first stop.  1 John 5:13 CLEARLY tells us that we can KNOW that we have eternal life.  We can KNOW it!!!  That’s exciting to me.  But that’s not enough for a lot of people.  So there’s a verse that says I can know … but HOW can I know?

ANSWER: Read 1 John 1:1 – 5:12 for starters.  John says I write these things to you … so that … Therefore, we can know by what he wrote before hand.

1 John 1:1 – 4 – John reminds us that he is an EYE WITNESS to Jesus.  He saw the man, touched the man, at with the man and spoke with the man.  John received direct teaching from Jesus himself.

1 John 1:5 – 10 – This section explains that we will at least have a desire to be living as a Christian should – “walking in the light”.  This section also tells us that as Christians, we will recognize the sin in our lives.  Not because we are good enough to know, but because the Holy Spirit within us is convicting us of sin.  ONLY the Holy Spirit can convict us of sin.  Do you desire to “walk in the light”?  Do you recognize the sin in your life?  Maybe you can know now.

1 John 2:1 – 14 – Here we discover that our love for Christ is demonstrated by our willingness to obey His commands.  We also read that our love for our brothers shows that God’s love lives within us.  Are you obeying the commands of Christ?  Do you love your fellow Christians?  Or at least … are you trying?  Our desire to obey and to love can only come from the Holy Spirit living within us.  Maybe you can know now.

1 John 2:15 – 17 – By the “world”, John is basically talking about the average non-Christian person.  This person doesn’t know what peer pressure is because they say yes to everything.  This person thinks mostly about their own desires and their own self rather than thinking about others.  This person may support abortion or homosexuality as a life style.  Are you trying to be different than this person?  Do you desire to follow Jesus even if it means you won’t “fit in” with the people you work with or go to school with?  Maybe you can know now.

1 John 2:18 – 27 – Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God?  Have you ever had an “aha” moment when reading the Bible where you learned something new?  You can only learn if the Holy Spirit is teaching.  Maybe you can know now.

I could continue with the rest of the book, but this blog is already long enough.  Here’s an idea – read it for yourself.  Try to determine if you see yourself in those scriptures.  Remember though – we will never be perfect.  So, don’t say “that’s not me because I got mad at so and so yesterday.”

And then, read 1 John 5:13 again and believe what it is telling you.

Go with God,
Donald B

Reaching others for Christ

1 Corinthians 9:19 – 23 (NIV)
Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.  To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law.  To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law.  To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.  I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

How do you attract the non-believing individual to yourself for the purpose of sharing Christ with them???

This is the question I want to answer today.  This is the question we should all be asking ourselves on a daily basis in order to ensure we are properly reflecting the light of Christ!

Paul sums up what he is trying to say by stating “I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.”  What does it mean to be “all thing to all men”?

I believe what Paul is trying to help us understand is that we need to find common ground with our non-believing friends and co-workers.  Sometimes … we may even need to CREATE that common ground.

What Paul does not directly state … but it is implied … is that becoming all things to all men takes effort on our part.  Paul “became” things in order to reach the non-believers.

So … answering the question above with 2 answers …

1 – Let my hobbies, interests, and other outside the office stuff be known somehow; through conversation, memorabilia displayed at your desk or on your vehicle, t-shirts and such.  This will give your non-believing acquaintances conversation openers into your life.

2 – Watch and listen to the non-believers Christ has placed you around.  What are they interested in?  What is it that gets them excited?  Do they like NASCAR?  Maybe you should start watching some races and learn NASCAR.  Are they in a bowling league?  Maybe you could join the league as well.

What I have found to NOT be very effective are things like Christian t-shirts and such.  Those things are good about hooking me up with other believers, but not at attracting the non-believer.  If I wear them occasionally, it does allow the non-believer to know that I believe something like that … but I avoid wearing them all the time.  How about a t-shirt with a Dale Earnhardt, Jr. #8 on it?  Just made a NASCAR connection …

Go with God,
Donald B

Faith???

What is faith?  How do we “live by faith”?  How does our faith grow?  How much faith do I need?  What puts action to our faith?

First … let’s go to the Word.

Hebrews 11:1 (ESV)
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

Hebrews 11:1 (NLT)
Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.

What these verses do NOT say is faith is believing in something for which I have no proof.  I believe this is KEY to our understanding of faith because this creates a difference between blind faith and biblical faith.

Romans 1:18 – 20 (ESV)
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

God’s creation speaks clearly for the existence of God.  Those who argue that the world as it exists today is all a matter of chance are represented clearly in verse 18 above when it states “who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.“  From these verses alone we can see that “the proof is in the pudding.”  Look around you!  Just study a tree or a flower … consider the make-up of the human body.  All of these things are evidence for the existence of a Creator.  You may say this isn’t good evidence.  My only reply back to you is that if God considers it good enough evidence (as we see He does in the verses above), then, I consider it good enough evidence.

And if you take the time to read Josh McDowell’s Evidence That Demands A Verdict  you will soon discover that there is more credible evidence for the existence of Jesus and for Him rising from the dead than there is for Napoleon or anything that he did.

Faith is not blind, nor is it stupid.  But it is necessary.  Because whether we like it or not, there are just some things that God has not allowed us to know or to prove.

For example – creation!  Do you know any one who was there?  Is there any scientific method that can show us that God said it and it happened.  Answer is no.  But by FAITH, we believe His Word.  And His Word said He spoke it into existence … so, we accept that by faith.

Hebrews 11:3 (ESV)
By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

Faith is also essential in order to become a Christian.  We must believe that we are sinners.  We must believe that Jesus died on the cross to pay for our sins.  We must believe that his rising from the dead after being buried for 3 days was His victory over spiritual death.  We must believe that He is alive at this moment!  All of this takes faith.

Ephesians 2:8 – 9 (ESV)
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

There may be a few answers as to WHY faith is required to be saved … but for me, understanding that God wants us to completely depend upon Him for our salvation “so that no one may boast” is an ample enough answer for me.

Now … how is faith lived out in our lives?  How do we demonstrate faith in God in our daily walk?

We have 2 great examples for what enables faith within our own lives.  There’s a lot of scripture below, but it is well worth the read:

Mark 5:21 – 42 (ESV)
And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea. Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet and implored him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.” And he went with him. And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler’s house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. And when he had entered, he said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was. Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement.

Did you see it?  Both of these people, the woman with the bleeding issues (name not mentioned) – the outcast - and the leader named Jairus – the prominent one … both came to Jesus seeking healing.  They both had much at stake.  They were both suffering personally in their own lives.  They demonstrated faith by coming.  What drew them to want to demonstrate this faith?  This may seem rough … so read this out … but selfishness.  When all options have been exhausted, when there is no other way … we come to Jesus.  Is this bad?  I say DEFINITELY NOT!!!  After all, they both received what they were seeking.  But is it the best?

Let’s look at another scripture before I attempt to answer this one.

Matthew 8:5 – 13 (ESV)
When he entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.” And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.” But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment.

What I see here as opposed to the other stories is a firm belief that Jesus could heal even before the Centurion asked.  Above, we see Jairus hoping that Jesus can heal his daughter.  We see the woman who was bleeding reach for the robe in the hopes that His power could make her well.  It’s also important to notice what they had in common.  They all CAME to Jesus!

Faith is a matter of the heart.  Whether we demonstrate faith daily in our lives before the last result or if we live out our faith as a last result, that faith must be fully realized in our hearts.  We can’t reason our way into faith?  We can’t explain what that faith is?  We must simply believe that God is who He claims to be, that He can accomplish what He claims He can accomplish, and that He is faithful to hear our prayers.

So, although there is actual proof for the man named Jesus and the things that He did in the Bible … although the creation around us is proof for the existence of God … faith is crucial in coming to Christ and in daily walking with Christ.

And the number one reason that we want to live by faith …

Hebrews 11:6 (ESV)
And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

If I’ve left you wondering what faith is or how to grow your faith … that can be a good thing.  Read your Bible and find the answer.  Let me know what you think the answer is.

But I will end with this … I believe faith is grown little by little as we obey Christ in what He has called us to do on a daily basis.

Go with God,
Donald B

Becoming a Christian …

Today, I blog on the most basic … yet most important … aspect of Christianity.  How does a person get “saved”?  This is where it all begins.  This is what it is all about.  In order to be a Christian, we have to have some knowledge of what that is all about.  So … here is my input on this all important subject.

If you have ever seen Campus Crusade for Christ’s tract call The Four Spiritual Laws this will look very familiar to you.

First, it is important to understand that God loves you.  No matter who you are, what you have done, or where you have been … God loves you.  Read the following verses:

John 3:16 (NLT)
For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

Answer this question after every verse you read –> “What is this saying to me?”

John 10:10 (NLT)
The thief’s [satan] purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My [Jesus] purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

Romans 5:8 (NLT)
But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

My take: God sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to live as a human – perfect … without sin – and to die on a cross as a permanent sacrifice for us.  Jesus’ purpose for coming was to save us from the effects of sin and to give meaning to our lives.  And He did all of this without requiring us to become good or get better or fix the bad things in our lives.  He did this for us BECAUSE we are sinners and have bad things in our lives.

Second, we have to understand WHY we needed Jesus to do this for us.  The quick and easy answer is because we are all sinners.  We have done bad things.  Check out these verses.

Romans 3:23 (NLT)
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.

Romans 6:23a (NLT)
For the wages of sin is death…

My take: If you think you haven’t sinned … you are lying to yourself.  Ever told a lie or disobeyed your parents?  We all have.  We are all sinners.  And because of this sin, we have to pay the “wage”.  And the “wage” for our sin is death.  Death – as in Romans 6:23a – is referring to spiritual death.  While it is true that physical death is the result of sin (Adam & Eve’s original sin) … our sin results in our spiritual death.  Spiritual death is better stated as an eternal separation from God.  After we experiencing physical death, we will either be with God in Heaven forever … or we will not (better known as spending forever in Hell).

Third, we have to ask “So, what can we do about this?  It seems that we are condemned already?  How can we avoid this spiritual death?”  In order to answer this, we have to look at what Jesus had to say … and then, we’ll look at some more verses in Romans.

John 14:6 (NLT)
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

Romans 6:23b (NLT)
but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 10:9 – 10 (NLT)
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.

My take: Jesus is the only answer to our sin problem.  Any thing else that any one offers you is false hope … a lie.  Jesus is the only way to an eternal life with God (in Heaven) rather than without God (in Hell).  While the wages of our sin is death, the alternative is eternal life through Jesus Christ.  And Romans 6:23 tells us that this is a FREE GIFT!!  This is important.  Understanding Romans 5:8 and Romans 6:23 together, we see that we DO NOT DO anything to receive this gift.  We simply just receive it.  Romans 10:9 – 10 tells us HOW to receive it.  Believe and Confess!  Believe it in your heart and say it with your mouth (to God).

To help understand the free gift part a little better … check out these verses:

Ephesians 2:8 – 9 (NLT)
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.  Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

It is an absolutely FREE GIFT.  It’s called grace.  Someone gave us this acrostic for GRACE.  God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.  While simple … it’s true.  We get God and all that He has to offer simply by saying YES to His FREE GIFT!

Now … it’s up to you.  What will you choose?  No one can force you.  You have to choose.

The prayer offered below means nothing if you don’t believe it.  It is also not a magical incantation for how to be saved.  My prayer of salvation was “God … I’m afraid of Hell.  Save me.”  But I believed God was who He claimed to be.  And I confessed I needed Him to save me.  Here’s the prayer (a little more eloquent than the one I prayed).

Prayer
Jesus Christ … I believe You are God and that You became human and that You died on the cross to pay for my sins.  I thank You for Your sacrifice.  I am a sinner.  Forgive my sins.  Save me from myself.  Save me from Hell.  Come into my life and be my Savior.  I willingly accept your FREE GIFT!  Thank You for saving me.  Teach me how to be a Christian and how to let you be LORD of my life.  Amen!

If you prayed this … and you believed it … then, you have received God’s FREE GIFT!  There is nothing you can do to ever lose this gift.  You will still sin.  You will still have bad things happen to you.  But you are still (and will forever be) a child of God.  1 John 5:13 (NLT) says “I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life.”  In the first four chapters, John told us what a Christian should look like.  But then he tells us that we can KNOW that we have eternal life.

So … no matter how bad things become … always hold on to this moment and remember that you ARE a child of God – and forever will be one.

Now, it is important for you to learn what it means to be a Christian.  It is very important for you to find a local church where you can learn about the Bible and grow in your faith by hearing and serving.

If you have questions, I will GLADLY answer them.  I will always be available to any one who desires to grow in their relationship with God.

donald@lifecc.us

Go with God,
Donald B