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There’s Knowing – There’s Believing

There’s Knowing – There’s Believing
There is a Difference
By Dennis Huebshman

A short time ago, a re-run of “Left Behind” came on, and something in the movie stood out this time that I hadn’t really paid attention to before. The preacher that was in the church after the Rapture was commenting that all the parishioners were gone, and he was still there. His comment after that was, “I said all the right words, gave the right scriptures, and all the catch phrases that were expected. Yet, I’m here, and they’re gone! I knew the truth, but didn’t believe the truth!” My thought on this is how many people will think the same thing one minute after the Rapture takes place?

Knowing Jesus and accepting or believing in Him are two different things. Even satan and his demons “know” Jesus (James 2:19), but don’t accept His sovereignty. Therein lies the problem with many formal religions today. Rituals are done, songs are sung, prayers are said, and all the right religious customs are carried out. Problem is, it’s all for show, and does absolutely no good if there is not a belief that Jesus is our Savior, and there’s no other way to get to Him than to accept the FREE GIFT He has provided. No ritual we can do will change that. Nothing we can do will earn our way to Him. I am not centering on any one religion as all have their issues. Ear-tickling messages that don’t tell of the truth about there being a hell, without telling how to avoid going there, are worthless. Prosperity Preachers are trying to sell the idea God is actually a Santa Claus. There are only two ways we can go after we take our last breath on this earth. Either we will be with the Lord Jesus, or we will be separated from Him forever.

There are numerous passages in the Bible that explain what is needed to get to Heaven, but I’ll only give three for now: John 3:18; John 14:6 and 1 John 5: 10-12 all tell that the only way to the Father (God) is through His Son – Jesus. Also, Paul tells us in Ephesians 2: 8 that we are saved by grace through faith and not of ourselves (works). Too many religions today believe one has to “do” something to earn their way to the Savior. If that is the case, then His sacrifice on the cross was not complete, and not sufficient for our salvation.

However, when the Savior said, “It is finished”, He was declaring that all that had to be done was completed in giving us a once-for-all-time sacrifice for our sins. Anyone who accepts that sacrifice will be with Him forever. Does this mean we are totally sin-free? Nope! But 1 John 1: 8-10 gives us the formula for getting forgiveness from the Father when we do sin. He knows we are not perfect, and cannot live a perfect life as His Son did. Therefore, He has made the way for us to have a direct line to Him.

He died for ALL the sins of the world and only one is unforgivable. That is to take your last breath on this earth without having accepted Jesus as your Lord, Savior, Redeemer and absolute Best Friend. To reject Jesus is to reject God and thereby reject eternal life with Him. It’s totally your choice. God doesn’t send anyone to hell. Everyone that ends up there will have chosen to do so!

For those who say they know Jesus, that’s great, but do you accept Him and believe in Him as your Messiah? Good works, and just being an all-around good person won’t make it. God gave us a love letter with 66 books in it that tells us about His Son. The Old Testament leads up to the coming of the Savior, giving us numerous prophecies from various people that were inspired by the Holy Spirit to reveal to us the truth. The New Testament is the arrival of the Savior, His ministry and His sacrifice for us followed by instructions by several inspired persons to give us what we need for eternal life. The final book tells of what will take place at the end times of this world, and for those who are “Left Behind” to face God’s wrath will see hardships like never has happened before. It stands to reason He will only allow those who accept His Beloved Son’s sacrifice to reap the benefits of that sacrifice.

If you give someone a gift and they don’t open it and use it, you would have to say your gift was rejected. That’s how simple it is with the Father He’s offering – all you have to do is accept His gift. To try to pay for it or earn it is insulting to the Father because it shows you believe the sacrifice of His Son wasn’t enough to save you. It doesn’t have to be a formal prayer or ceremony, and you don’t need a pastor to speak for you. Just talk to Him as you would someone face to face.

Let Him know you realize you aren’t worthy of the gift, yet because of His promise you ask forgiveness of your sins and want His Son Jesus to be your Savior. Afterwards, talk to Him daily. God is not impressed with fancy prayer or rituals. Just let Him know what’s on your mind, ask for His help, thank Him for His mercy and grace. Most of all, don’t try to cover up any sin He already knows what you’ve done, and is ready to forgive you if you will repent and ask. God’s word is true, and His promises will not be broken. Acts 2:21 and Romans 10:13 both say ALL who call on the name of the Lord will be saved. That means you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Romans 8:1 says there is no condemnation for those who belong to Jesus. (paraphrased)

So the question is, do you know Jesus, and more importantly do you believe in Jesus? Knowing alone is not enough – accept Him and believe His gift was meant for you personally, and He will accept you! There is no schedule where you have to wait to do this. God is available 24/7, and is waiting to hear from you!

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