SO YOU'RE GOING TO WAIT?
YOU'VE HEARD ALL THE FACTS ABOUT ETERNAL LIFE
You even accept the reality of a heaven and a hell. You were exposed to the
Christian life through people who appeared to understand and live in accord
with the Bible. Someone may have asked you directly if you would invite Jesus
Christ into your life. The response that you have given to yourself and others
is "I'm going to wait!"
YOU HAVE A DEEP CONCERN FOR INTEGRITY
If someone were to ask you why you have made such a decision, it is quite
likely you would respond in the following manner. "My decision is motivated by
a deep concern that I have for honesty." Too often you have seen people not
following through in their commitments. You've promised yourself not to make
such an important decision without full commitment. When you make your
positive decision it will be one that you will be ready to keep.
You may be interested to know that your concern for integrity is shared by
God. He wants our sincere commitment. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but
within they are full of extortion and excess. Matt. 23:25
GOD DOES NOT WANT EMPTY PROMISES
It is God's desire for us not to say things that would appear to please Him
when we have no real desire to keep the commitment. He would like us to have
sincere hearts. It is clear that the Scribes and Pharisees were less than
sincere. They looked good and pure from the outside because they went to
religious services, but they were not pleasing to God. They sought to hide
their non-religious behavior by putting on a "religious" outside. As you have
well seen, it does not work. Many see through it"
Your understanding in this area is quite vital to a good understanding of the
importance of the Gospel. Perhaps the following will aid you in your decision
making. One of the assumptions that you have made is incorrect.
NO ONE CAN CLEAN-UP HIS/HER OWN ACT
If I may guess at your view of becoming acceptable to God, you may believe
that with enough effort and commitment you can become good and acceptable,
etc. See what Jesus Christ has to say concerning this matter. Abide in me, and
I in you. As the branch can not bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the
vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. John 15:4
Being good and doing good things can only take place if we are connected to
Jesus Christ our Savior. He makes right behavior possible. Apart from Him we
can only do some humanly acceptable deeds, but they will not be acceptable to
God. The very next verse clearly states what happens to those who do not abide
(live) in the Lord.
If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and
men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. John 15:6
THE ORDER IS JESUS FIRST AND THEN ACCEPTABLE DEEDS
Your concerns are correct, but the order is not. Everyone must accept Christ
as Lord and Savior first. The acceptance is an asking of Him into your life
and requesting forgiveness of all past sins. This in the terms of John 15 is
becoming attached to the vine.
The vine is Jesus and those who have asked Him to come into their lives are
the branches which are grafted on. Hebrews also tells us that without belief
and faith (in Jesus) it is impossible to please God. Hebrews 11:6
The next step is to be sincere in Your belief. Now that you are saved by the
Lord you can be controlled by Him also. Now you have the power to overcome
those deeds which need to be overcome. The Spirit of God takes up residence
within you as soon as you receive Christ. He, the Holy Spirit, provides the
guidance to know what is wrong and encourages us to want to overcome.
Your interest in sincerity is very good. But it has no value to God unless you
accept His Son. There remains, however, one more important area to be
considered
NO ONE KNOWS WHEN CHRIST WILL RETURN
If you continue to wait, you may be surprised by Jesus Christ's return. He said
of His return to the earth:
But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in
heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Mark 13:32
The risk is dangerous and the potential is real. By waiting you may run out of
time. It could be tomorrow, in a month or in a year Since we can't know we can
not afford to wait to accept Christ as Lord.
Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. Mark 13:33
Now that you have considered some additional truths, you are armed with
information necessary to make a wise decision. Integrity remains an important
issue. You wanted to be sincere?
Receive Christ as Savior now and begin a sincere walk with Him forever.
Robert Suggs
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