Do You Know if You Are Saved?

 Romans 8:4 - For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees?

‭‭

Where is your hope? Do you have hope? Hope cannot be in the things around us. Hope can only be found by looking to the One who gives us that hope...Jesus Christ.

Do you know if you are saved?? Some don’t know what it is. Some believe there are many ways to be saved, that all religions somehow, in their own ways, can save us. What does it mean? What happens? How does it happen?

Often it happens when we come to our wits end, the end of the rope, the end of ourselves, the bottom of the barrel, we hit a wall. And yet for others it can just happen without a specific incident. The heart just knows.

All of this is nothing new to this blog! 

God saves everyone uniquely in His way to suit any particular person. It’s personal. I think that’s why a prayer prayed with head bowed corporately does nothing. It’s about the heart that is ready to change. It’s unexplainable how it happens. It just does...and one will know when it does.

I can repeat a prayer all I want but it doesn’t mean a thing without an immediate heart change toward God.

God loves us all but He will not allow all to receive eternal life without first receiving His Son. And receiving is the key word. Our works or our perceived goodness cannot give us eternal life. That would mean Jesus’ death on the cross was meaningless. Why, then, did He have to suffer the anguish and humiliation if we could get to heaven on our own merit? The Bible tells us it is a free gift from God. We don’t deserve it either. He offers it...and we must make a conscious effort to receive it.

There are so many lost “Christians” who will be sadly disappointed some day when they realize they heard the truth (or even those who were fed lies from their church) and did nothing (could do nothing) about it. Maybe they figured they had plenty of time left or just thought the truth was THE lie that true believers believed.

There is not one true church. Jesus wasn’t about denominations. They are all man made, according to certain men’s ideas, sometimes for power over people. But there is THE Church of Jesus Christ. It is made up of people of all tribes, tongues and nations who believe that only Jesus Christ can save. No other man or woman. He is a jealous God, so He will not allow our devotion to anyone else. No one.

After writing this this popped up on Facebook (love when this happens): The Church, the house of God, is simply Christ Himself in undivided oneness found in all those in whom He really dwells. (T.A. Sparks) Really dwells...by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

It’s Jesus Christ alone. Government won’t save, idols won’t save, no man or man made thing will save. When we come to that realization some day that we can’t do this “thing” whatever it is on our own or we can’t fix it, we’ve come to the end of ourselves. That’s a very good time to seek the One who saves. He will save us from ourselves, our enemies, our death and the coming earthly judgment. Only Jesus saves.

Our hope, trust and faith must be in that which we cannot see. While we cannot see Jesus, He is alive spiritually. And He will save until God the Father says, “Enough, it’s time to return to earth and wage war on the enemy.” No one knows the day or hour but earth looks pretty far from the Garden of Eden these days. Best to be prepared.

2Corinthians 4:18- ...while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Isaiah‬ ‭45:22 - Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.

‭‭

What Does it Mean to be In Christ?

2Corinthians 5:17- Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

In Christ. These two words appear about 75 times in the New Testament. 

Being in Christ means having the Spirit of God within you. Just because someone calls themself a Christian does not mean His Spirit lives within. 

The Spirit comes in at the time you know you have been touched by this very Holy Spirit...when you have given yourself to Christ. At that moment when God knows you have done this you receive the Spirit of God. A change takes place. Your heart changes. Your thoughts change. Same with your desires. It’s an amazing thing! 

Being in Christ is not having attended church all your life, being infant baptized, or being a certain denomination, singing in the choir, even, I might add, being a clergyman! It is something that occurs between you and God alone. In fact, it isn’t even anything you can do on your own. God does the work in you. He calls, He urges...you respond to that. You might have a desire, previous to this, to have a closer relationship with God, but it might just be His urging you to do so and He is still the one who makes it happen. 

John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.” (John 3:27)

It’s being born again...in the Spirit. Jesus told us we could not get to God apart from this rebirth...

Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3) There it is! In Jesus’ own words. Born again! Read all of John 3. 

This rebirth only comes through Jesus Christ and His work on the cross...because not one of us is perfect. As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one...” (Romans 3:10)

Only Jesus was the perfect spotless Lamb of God. He must and will get the glory for changing one’s heart, making them whole, redeeming and saving a lost soul, which we all are until being born again, born in the Spirit...becoming in Christ. 

So many believe that we are children of God because we believe in Him. We become children of God when we come to Christ to be in Christ. Christ in us. If one doesn’t feel qualified to be born again, no one is, but God...gave His only Son that whosoever will call on His name will be saved. 

Not by anything we think we can do! All because of Jesus’ obedience to the will of His Father. No one else! 

Ephesians 2:8-9- For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

A Heart Issue

Ezekiel‬ ‭36:26-27‬ ‭- I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.

I say this a lot! Coming to Christ is not about anything we can do. Our works, the Bible says, are as filthy rags. Our church or denomination can do no more than point us in the right direction. It is purely something that takes place between you and God by the absolute power of God. He initiates it.
You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. (John‬ ‭15:16‬)

It’s a heart issue He deals with. He changes them to turn to Him and receive Him. He then is able to  teach the truth.His power to do this is amazing. Thinking about Jesus’ ministry, His preaching touched some people’s hearts. Then again those religious leaders who knew the laws of the Old Testament would not be changed. They could not humble their hearts to the truth that Jesus preached. So stubbornness can linger in some and prevent God from doing a better thing in those lives.

I was doing a Bible study recently and two things I was reading and something posted on Facebook that morning were all on the same subject...the change of heart by God. It has little to do with us but a lot to do with God.

• ...His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue... (2Peter‬ ‭1:3‬)  
• This power is not given us apart from Christ, but it is in the knowledge of Christ, in our union with Christ, in our communion with him…that we have these privileges and blessings secured to us. - Hudson Taylor
• On Facebook:  https://youtu.be/38yMUYoX38w    (an excellent video)

The Lord your God will change your heart and the hearts of all your descendants, so that you will love Him with all your heart and soul and so you may live! (Deuteronomy‬ ‭30:6‬)

If this all sounds uncomfortable, giving your heart over to Him to change that you would follow Him, know this: sometimes we can fight against this all we want, but sometimes He can break through even a stubborn heart. He did that with me in a split second and I knew without a doubt it was Him because I was resisting terribly until that moment. He did that with the Apostle Paul on the road to Damascus.

Many suggest that leniency for illegals or stricter gun control or a pro-choice option will help change situations. Some causes definitely are good but the root of evil will always be a heart issue and is one which we all have to start out with in life. But Jesus came to change all that. He came to allow us to be born again...it starts with a change of heart to receive Him in the most intimate (not sexual but spiritual) way. We might think we know Him but many really do not because their heart has not changed. Some don’t want to change. I get it. But I’m certainly glad mine was because I can be assured of a life after this physical life is over.

Let me ask this question: Are you absolutely sure you will go to heaven? Remember, you have to remove those works that are as filthy rags from the equation. And if what Romans 3:23 says is true, that all have sinned and fallen short of God's glory, what is left? Think about it.

Psalm‬ ‭51:16-17‬ ‭- For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—these, O God, You will not despise.

Have You?

Colossians 1:19-22 - For it pleased the Father that IN HIM all the fullness should dwell, and BY HIM to reconcile all things to Himself, BY HIM, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of HIS cross. And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now HE has reconciled in the body of HIS flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in HIS sight—

Alienated and enemies. That’s what we are before entering into a relationship with Christ. 

Churches don’t determine who we are in Christ. Having gone to church since childhood doesn’t do it. Being infant baptized doesn’t do it either. Our denomination...nope.  It’s all about a changed heart, a conversion in spirit. In Christ alone.  

I heard our pastor tell a story about a person he once knew. When pastor got saved, he was on fire for God and he began to “preach” even before the call of God in his life to become a pastor. Quite often his friends got mad at him. 

Well, this friend didn’t like what he had to say and asked why his pastor never said those things. Because the truth was not preached. Pastor said, could be that’s why he’s a drunk today. 

A lot of churches fail to take it one step further and preach the truth. They don’t want to offend. Or some hold people captive with rules and regulations, works that do not save a person’s soul. What a shame that some people will be on their deathbed wondering if they have been good enough to go to heaven. But we can have that assurance, if we seek and hear the truth. Through Christ alone. Has He entered your heart? Have you allowed Him in? Have you been transformed by His truth? Have you been set free? 

-----------------------------                                 

Wow, after I wrote all this and was determined not to get lengthy, a day at church added to all this. 

In Bible study the point was made: many churches don’t preach anything but the goodness of God; sin is not brought up. Many believe that if He’s a good God and loves us why does He allow suffering? He allows suffering because He loves us (like a father disciplines his son for running out into a busy street without looking...). It doesn’t seem logical to our human minds but if you look closely in the Bible you’ll see He was always causing trials to bring people back from trusting themselves or kings or others to trusting Him. 

Then pastor mentioned this in the sermon: Rejecting the Word of God (The Bible or Christ, who is the Word of God) in heart and spirit is rejecting Christ. If Christ is planted in us, like a seed is planted in the ground, He grows within! 

Me again: it must be a heart change. It can’t be just an acknowledgment with our mind to something a pastor has said and we agreed to. It must be something that has changed our hearts. Again, have you experienced a time when your heart was truly changed? 

Then coming home from church I was listening to my worship music. One song was Garments of Praise by Robin Mark. It was a reminder to me that in the midst of trials it is strongly suggested we lift up praise to God to relieve any spirit of heaviness. Trust Him always! If we know and have this relationship with Jesus, we know He can lift our spirits! It’s why He was sent to this earth, to reconcile all things to Himself. In Him we have joy and peace. Here’s the prophetic word of the Old Testament that the song is based on (for both the Jews and the Gentiles). I will praise my God!! Let His name be glorified.

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me [the yet to come Savior] because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.” (Isaiah 61:1-3)

https://youtu.be/T6cNIHUhTqY

A Change of Heart

Deuteronomy 32:18 - Of the Rock who begot you, you are unmindful, and have forgotten the God who fathered you.

Wondering what's happening in the world? I'm sure more people than we know are wondering. Many think it's just a glitch in "something." Maybe we need a change in the county's leadership, more tolerance, gun control. Maybe it's the climate! Something. How about a very special change of heart? The only change that would be beneficial would be returning back to God.

I had two occurrences this week that I were closely related. I received an email from a friend wondering:

*Why God doesn't do something about all the evil happening in the world.

*Why He won't do something NOW, instead of waiting.

And then...I was amazed the other morning when a physical therapist at the hospital where I volunteer sat down with a patient in a small waiting room I was in. He picked up the Bible on the table next to him, opened it randomly and read aloud Deuteronomy 32:18 above. I had to comment: Sounds like what's happening in the world today. Even the patient commented on its content. This IS what is happening...and God sees. 

If you read that verse in context there's more. It tells a truth. It should open our eyes. Just a few points from this song of Moses as he proclaimed the name of the LORD. Moses wanted God's people to hear him: Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. (Deuteronomy 32:1) These words. How important. We have done the same thing. Hear these words. They bit then and they bite now.

God is: great, our Rock, perfect, just, truthful, without injustice, righteous, upright, our Father

But the people (us included) have become:

Corrupt - perverse - crooked - foolish - unwise - have no faith.

Here's what He says He will do and who those are who reject Him:

And He said: ‘I will hide My face from them, I will see what their end will be, for they are a perverse generation, children in whom is no faith. They have provoked Me to jealousy by what is not God; they have moved Me to anger by their foolish idols. But I will provoke them to jealousy by those who are not a nation; I will move them to anger by a foolish nation. For a fire is kindled in My anger, and shall burn to the lowest hell; it shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains. I will heap disasters on them; I will spend My arrows on them. 

They shall be wasted with hunger, devoured by pestilence and bitter 

destruction; I will also send against them the teeth of beasts, with the poison of serpents of the dust. The sword shall destroy outside; there shall be terror within for the young man and virgin, the nursing child with the man of gray hairs. 

For they are a nation void of counsel, nor is there any understanding in them. Oh, that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!

Vengeance is Mine, and recompense; their foot shall slip in due time; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things to come hasten upon them. 

Now see that I, even I, am He, and there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; nor is there any who can deliver from My hand. For I raise My hand to heaven, and say, “As I live forever, ...I will render vengeance to My enemies, and repay those who hate Me." (Deuteronomy 32)

But praise God for what He promises those who take Him seriously, who reverently fear Him, who rejoice in His return:

Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people; for He will avenge the blood of His servants, and render vengeance to His adversaries; He will provide atonement for His land and His people. (Deuteronomy 32:41,43)

As for the email I received. It took days to write a response. Days of praying the words weren't too much and right. 

What is happening in the world and why hasn't God done anything; why is He waiting? While my answer was much longer, the first answer is sin! We have, like Israel thousands of years ago, removed God from our lives. And that isn't just ignoring Him. It's believing the lie that some churches promote that God is good but nothing about repentance or His anger and His being just, not liking our sin. Yes, God loves us. He loved us so much He sent His Son to die for us.

So here comes the hard part.

We think because we have grown up in a church, attended classes and Sunday school, sing in the choir, are "basically good people," that we don't need to receive Christ with all our hearts. We don't need to get baptized again because we were as children. If we are not born again as Jesus tells us we must be, we have not received Him. If we have not sometime in our lives 

believed we are filled with sin, confessed Christ, repented of our sins, 

believed He has removed those sins and begun to live for Him, we have not really received Him. 

So sin abounds and it's not a popular subject because no one wants to admit they are something other than what they think they are. Me included! There are days when I have to remind myself I am no one apart from God. I have to remind myself of what He did for me. I have to take stock of my life today and ask for forgiveness when I feel I have failed Him...again...and again. This is what we (should) do. Am I living for Him?

Why won't God do anything? He did. He sent Christ. It's what we aren't doing. Receiving Him. Instead we are pushing Him further out the door. So He allows these disasters in the world and even in our lives through sickness and strife to draw us to Him. To ask these questions and begin to seek Him. 

He IS going to do something. But it may not be what many would like to see. He will return. But He will return to bring justice. He will return to remove His saints from the mess we've created and the foolish unbelievers and scoffers remain will remain to face the ultimate judgment, the wrath of God. It will not be pretty. He will destroy this earth one more time that He may return and reign for 1000 years with His dedicated followers.  

So it is important, timely, urgent, as we repeatedly say in our class on Revelation, to let people know of the coming judgment and how to avoid it. To, unapologetically, preach Christ. To, if necessary, offend like Jesus did, with His hard words. 

Things have not changed. The Word remains the same. The salvation of Jesus Christ remains the same...You must be born again. God never changes. He remains the same today... For I, the LORD, change not...(Malachi 3:6) Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever. (Hebrews 18:3) 

So, a change of heart is what we need. Only Christ can do this and through the power of the Holy Spirit. We need Christ for that. He must live in our hearts. We must abide in Him and Him in us. He must be our vine that brings life. He must be the living water, the bread of life. His words must be in our hearts and on our minds. We must commune with Him daily and worship Him. We must recognize His greatness in all we see. 

Oh, Lord, great is Your faithfulness. Your mercies are new every morning. Your promises are true and just. They are yes and amen. You are King of kings and Lord of lords. Your Word never fails. You are honest and true...and just. You love unconditionally. You are longsuffering for us. But it can't last forever because You have said You WILL return to bring judgment. Lord, search my heart and see if there be any wickedness in it and then purify my heart and make it whole. Let the meditation of my heart and the words of my mouth be pleasing to You, O my God and my Redeemer. 

Deuteronomy‬ ‭32:4‬ ‭- He is the Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice, a God of truth and without injustice; righteous and upright is He.

Abraham Believed

Genesis 15:5-6 - Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness. 

Abraham. A barren wife, therefore childless. God named him the father of many nations. God told him his descendants would be more than the stars he could try to count. Abraham believed and as history has shown, it has been done. You will find this throughout the pages of the Old Testament. While Abraham saw the beginning of this promise/covenant, he did not see the final outcome, which is still unfolding. But he trusted God. That was the most important choice he made, to just believe. 

There is another account where we are told to believe. Imagine if all would, like Jesus said, Believe in Me. Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (‭John‬ ‭11‬:‭25-26‬)

Because Abraham believed we are here. And to God it was counted as righteousness. What if we believed in Jesus the same way? What if we put our trust and faith in Him the way Abraham did in God? Aren't we told the same thing...it would be counted as righteousness?

This belief, again, is not just knowing who Jesus is. It's a deeper knowing Him. It's putting faith and trust in Him for everything. Illness strikes, death occurs, job is lost...the bottom of life falls out. What do we do? Panic, fret, lose hope? Or do we go to God and ask for His strength and wisdom to get through this? If we know and believe in Jesus, we trust Him for it all. If we do not know Jesus we can't fathom the notion that He can still provide, heal and comfort, miraculously. 

Believing is a heart change. It's a knowing deep inside when God knows your true intent toward Him and at the time of that giving of your heart to Him, He fills you with His Holy Spirit who begins the process of this heart change. For me it started as a sudden strong desire to learn more about God. I got hooked up early in Bible studies. I took classes because I wanted to know more about Him. That alone doesn't make me better but it gave me a foundation that has shown me from Old Testament to New why it is important to know Christ, God's entire plan of salvation...and most important, why. 

This world will end someday soon, I believe. We see the signs that the Bible has pointed out for the last days. It's in the Word of God. He is Alpha and Omega, Beginning and End. All the days are in His hands. Our days are in His hands and He has the final judgment. He is the Judge who doles out our final resting place in the end...heaven or hell. If that is so why wouldn't one want to trust in Him alone? 

Philippians‬ ‭3‬:‭8-11 - Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.