76. LET US BE HONEST- WHAT DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE?

(The Abundant Life Series – Batch 1)

TO THOSE WHO ARE ALIVE:

While you are here and alive on this earth, the most important questions that apply to you are:

  • 1 -Do you believe that there is a higher entity than mankind called God, that, though invisible to your human eyes is real and exists?
  • 2 – Do you believe that this God is all powerful, all wise and all-knowing and that you and everything that is in this earth and even the universe were created by Him and came from Him?
  • 3 – Do you believe the Bible when it says that there is a Godhead, in that God is comprised of three functions, namely God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost and that these three operate as one and are one?
  • 4 – Do you believe that Jesus is real, that he is God the Son, that he once came down to earth in the form of a human being, lived and then was put to death by unbelieving human beings but then was raised back up to life again by God the Father on the third day?
  • 5 – Do you believe that God has reserved a judgment for the living and the dead at the end of the world, at a time that he alone knows and has appointed?
  • 6 – Do you believe that there is a heaven and a hell and that after God has judged every single person that has ever lived, each person will be going to either heaven or hell?
  • 7 – Do you believe that you and I and your ancestors have messed up so badly and done so much wrong (sin), that if we were to be judged based on the lives that we have lived thus far, we would all be found guilty by God who the Bible describes as “thrice holy?”
  • 8 – Do you believe that by God’s perfect and righteous standards, none of us, not you and not I, could ever be good enough to go to heaven and that our best works and intentions are viewed as filthy rags in God’s holy sight?
  • 9 – Do you believe that Jesus’ dying and his precious blood being shed was part of God’s plan (because he loved the world and did not want to see anyone go to hell), that someone perfect and with absolutely no sin (of which only the Son of God, Jesus qualified), should die a sacrificial and substitutionary death for the sins that you and all of mankind, including me, have committed?
  • 10 – Do you believe that in the shedding of the perfect, righteous blood of Jesus, God made provision through His Son, for you and I and the whole world, to be cleansed of our sins, wrongdoing and filthiness, by Jesus washing us in his blood (which is pure, remains available and will forever be potent), forgiven and for us to then be reconciled with God the Father?
  • 11 – Do you believe God when he says that all human beings that BELIEVE in their heart by faith, that Jesus the Son of God did not stay dead but was raised up again by the power of God and CONFESS with their mouth that Jesus is Lord (meaning he is over all, including themselves), shall be saved from the eternal damnation to come?
  • 12- If you believe all of the above, do you believe that although God’s judgment is sure to come on all of mankind, including you and I, that he still loves us and it hurts him to see the human beings he created, living lives unto themselves as if they are not accountable to Him, their Creator?
  • 13 – Do you believe that it is God’s will that nobody should perish and go to that dreadful place called hell, although that is where he has vowed to send them if they die without obtaining forgiveness for their sins?
  • 14 – Do you believe that Jesus Christ, who is God the Son, has already paid the price for your sin and mine and that (1) if you believe on him and that he is alive although he died, (2) are genuinely sorry for all of your sins and the sinful life you have lived thus far, (3) confess with your mouth to him that he is indeed Lord over all and ask him to forgive you and come into your heart to live forever, that you will escape the terrible fury or wrath of God that is coming?
  • 15 – Do you believe that the blood of Jesus Christ which was shed for your sins and mine is precious, perfect, pure and still has power to cleanse you and I from all sin, unrighteousness, the power of darkness (which comes from the devil) and filthiness?
  • 16 – Do you believe that putting your faith in Jesus as your Lord and your Saviour is THE ONLY WAY as determined by God, to gain acceptance by God, to be adopted into His heavenly family and to be saved from eternal damnation in hell?
  • 17 – Do you believe that Jesus wants to take you to heaven where he is but he cannot if you refuse to believe on him and accept him into your heart as Lord and Saviour because he can only take those who are clothed in God’s righteousness (not their own) and God’s righteousness is imputed or given to only those who are relying on their faith in Jesus Christ alone?
  • 18 – If you believe all of the above and you know that you have not yet surrendered your life to Jesus Christ and have not yet confessed the truth with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and you are therefore still a sinner destined for hell, then will you accept the invitation of the Lord Jesus Christ, to be Lord over you and your entire life? Will you come to him right this moment while you still have breath?

TO THOSE WHO ARE DEAD:

After you have died and no longer live on this earth, there is only one question that will apply to you when you stand before God at the judgment.

That question is: What did you do with the Lord Jesus Christ while you were alive on the earth?

That is:

(a) Did you accept the free gift that was offered to you of forgiveness for your sins through the Lord Jesus Christ or did you ignore it?

(b) Did you live for Jesus Christ and truly make him Lord over your live or did you just live for yourself and as you pleased?

(c) Did you obey the things he said to do and conduct your life the way he wanted or did you do things your way or however you pleased?

(d) Did you live a life after you ‘claimed’ to have come to Jesus, that was God-focused, God-ordered and completely sold out for Jesus Christ or did you continue to focus on earthly things and what you wanted, as more important?

(e) If you confessed with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, did you genuinely believe in your heart on the Lord Jesus or were those just words? And if you say you truly believed, then did you make it your mission to become more like him every day, to deny what you wanted in preference for what He wanted and to put away sin from your life or did you continue to enjoy it?

(f) Did you see Jesus making continual progress in your life spiritually after you gave your heart to him or did you remain the same or even grow worse? That is, as the days, weeks, months and years rolled on, did you see your character changing for the better and your poor habits, ways and attitudes rolling off of your life? Were you truly becoming more and more like Jesus as time went on or did you still generally remain the same?

(g) After you gave your heart to Jesus as you claimed, when you messed up, did wrong and committed sin, did you feel God prompting you to ask forgiveness, to humble yourself, to repent and to change and did you ever experience his chastening hand upon your life?

(h) Did you generally feel that God was in control of your life and engineering things however he wanted, irrespective of how you felt about it or did you generally feel like you were in control of most of your decisions and your life? That is, did you generally feel like if your life no longer belonged to you but that God was leading you wherever He wanted and having you do whatever He wanted and making your decisions for you (at least most of them) even when you felt that it did not benefit your SELF and that you were being used as an instrument to further HIS plans and purposes to the abandonment of your own or do you have no idea of what I am talking about in this point?

(i) Can you say that during your life, you had a relationship with God through Jesus Christ and that you were able to hear his voice (although not audible), whenever he spoke to you?

(j) Did you ever get to the point where you were able to see life through spiritual eyes or did you continue to see it through natural lenses?

(k) If you say you truly believed, did you share the good news of Jesus with anyone as Jesus commanded all those who say they believe in him to do and if not, why not? If you truly believed, then how could you have kept such good news to yourself, when you knew that people were dying every minute of every day without accepting Jesus in their hearts and going to hell?

Having said all of that, I ask you again:

(Written on 24th April, 2016)

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