What makes a true Christian or genuine salvation? Whether people believe in God or not, when the time comes, they hope to go to heaven because they were a "good person." But even Christians, especially in western countries, become comfortable after accepting Jesus as savior that they don't recognize him as LORD.
Psalm 1
Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.
2But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
3He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.
4Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.
5Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
I have purged myself from various shows for this reason. I think the only show I enjoy watching that isn't filled with sexual innuendos, God mocking and violence is "The Office." However, I sojourn my time with a holy fear, the spirit tells me to work and serve the poor and needy. What will happen to my roommate when she meets Yeshua face to face when she has not let go of her worldly ways?
Jesus clearly sets the stage for who is and who isn't a real follower in John Chapter 13: "You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them."I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill the scripture: 'He who shares my bread has lifted up his heel against me.'
Another important aspect in being a disciple is love. In John 13:34-35 Jesus says, "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
Paul understood this importance when he wrote the 13th Chapter of 1 Corinthians: "If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud...And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." This is tough! Many people are what I call "unloveable." Sometimes I am! I can be irritable from pain and frustration of being in this body. True love, agape love, is a selfless love that comes from the spirit. I'm learning this slowly as I pray more to be filled with the spirit daily. This is necessary to grow in grace and love people the way the Lord loved us:
"But as you abound in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us—see that you abound in this grace also. I speak not by commandment, but I am testing the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich." 2Corinthians 8:7-9
Love is the chief fruit of the spirit in Galatians 5:22 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self‑control. Against such things there is no law."
Back in the Gospel of John, Jesus explains the parable of the true vine: "Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him." Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, "But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?" Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.
That's serious and concerning. There are many "good" people out there that do not believe in God, or that believe they will get favor with him because they are good people. Maybe they go to church once in a while. But believing and obeying God's word are very important to salvation. David says in the Psalms, "I will worship toward Your holy temple, And praise Your name For Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word above all Your name." James also says to be doers of the word, not just hearers (James 1:21-24).
The Lord has set an example for a reason. He came to be a servant because he wants us to serve. It's a hard pill for us to swallow but there's many cases where Christ wants us to turn down the "me" and up somebody else whether that be our neighbors or even our enemies! "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you."Luke 6:27-28
Follow Jesus before Friends, family, possesions, even your own life. No one understands this better than the persecuted church!
Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, "Who then can be saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. Matt 19:23-29
This is what Jesus meant when he said, "I came not to bring peace but a sword." Families are divided for belief in Jesus and you need to be ready to choose. It's not always easy, but in light of eternal life and everlasting peace, the choice is clear. Jesus offers these and more.
Work for the Kingdom of God? Believe it or not, salvation is not just about Believing on the name of Jesus and then going on your merry way. Jesus said "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." Luke 9:62
This is referring to the man who wanted to say goodbye to his house before following Jesus. Following Jesus is so important, you can drop something at any notice if it calls for it. This is the living God in bodily form asking you to follow him! Many people will be like " yeah, yeah I'm all about Jesus," but will be quickly distracted by other things. Jesus being Lord of your life means top priority. You work as if you serve Him, love as if it were Him and constantly strive to be more like Him.
"For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: "Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth"; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness— by whose stripes you were healed." 1 Peter 2:21-24
This is not easy! We are not expected to do things perfect like Jesus, but to strive to conform to his image (2 Peter 1:5-10; Philipians 3:13-16)
Finally, if you do not know by now, we are living in the end times. Unnatural storms, earthquakes undetected and unprecedented wars prophesied from the Bible are right on target. Some to note are Luke 21:25-26; Isaiah 19:2, Matthew 24:5-12, Zechariah 12:2. Prevalent in the Christian church are "lukewarm" people--those who aren't fully committed to Christ (Read Revelations 3). They call themselves Christians, they believe in Jesus, heck, they may even go to church, but they have not let go of world ideas. These include music, movies, politics, lifestyles and relationships that are contrary to the Word of God. Again, this is not easy from experience, but when faced with the Creator of Heaven and Earth, who are you going to follow? All flesh is as grass but the word of the Lord stands forever. (Isaiah 40:8) It is then that our spirit will spend eternity somewhere. Will you be with God? Or will you be condemned in hell forever?
"I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, [that] I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; "that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He [is] your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them." --Deuteronomy 30:19-20
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