Do you have any desire at all to love Jesus? Someone asks, “What do you mean, love Jesus? I love Jesus with all my heart.” Do you really love Jesus? What is it about Jesus you love? His sacrifice? His mercy? His grace? Or what He can give you?
I have a question I was asked, and I like to ask it to all those who love Jesus. The question goes like this: If you could go to heaven, and have no pain, no suffering, never thirst or be tired, live a life of complete joy but Jesus wasn’t there, would you still want to go?
When I ask this question, most people immediately say, “Well, no, I want to go where Jesus is,” which of course is the appropriate Christian answer. But seriously, upon pondering all this, would you still want heaven if Jesus wasn’t there? Makes you think, doesn’t it? We all think of heaven as perfection – streets of gold, no clouds, the only light being produced by God Himself, no pain, no fear, no worry. It’s a perfect place. But without Jesus?
See, the answer we come up with, if we dig down in our hearts, indicates why we serve God. It shows us why we do what we do. Are you serving Christ because you love Him, or because He can keep you from going to hell?
Is Jesus your Savior, or is He your Lord? You say, “It’s the same thing.” No. But He cannot be one without the other. If He is not your Lord, then He is not your Savior. You cannot expect Jesus to save you from your sins and then live your life how you want to. Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but ONLY he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I tell them plainly, I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!”
Think about that for just a second. Jesus, the Son of God and Savior of mankind, tells people who called Him Lord, “away from me you evildoers.” What? I thought if I made an altar call or said a little prayer to ask Jesus into my heart, that I’m in heaven with Him. Not if the prayer wasn’t sincere. Not if the walk up to the altar was to get fire insurance, to not go to hell.
If you said that prayer because you realized that you are a wretched sinner, that you are doomed to hell because of this sin, that it offends God and you want to establish right relationship with Him, then you just may be saved. How do we know if we’re truly saved? Simple.
Jesus said, “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you wilt recognize them. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them” (Matt. 7:15, 16, 18-20).
Christ also said, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit – fruit that will last.”
If you belong to Christ, and are truly saved, then your fruit will be evident to all. Your behavior will be more Christ-like than fleshly, your conversation will encourage and uplift, not tear down and destroy. You will have joy in circumstances that will cause people to say, as Paul said, “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality” (Romans 12:9-13).
That is fruit, beloved. Is your life bearing fruit? Are you pursuing Christ or your own gain? Again, I ask you this question: If you could go to heaven and Jesus wouldn’t be there, would you still want to go?
Joe Marzano is pastor of Grace In The Wilderness Fellowship, Shenango Township.
Religion
Why do you want to go to heaven? To avoid hell? Or is there more to it?
From the Pulpit
- Religion
-
-
Whatever happened to America’s moral fiber?
I don't know. Maybe it’s just me. Something has gone terribly wrong in the world and the world doesn’t notice. Or maybe they just don’t care.
-
St. John’s Orthodox marks 75 years, new site
St. John’s Orthodox Church will celebrate its 75th anniversary and the consecration of its new church building at a service at 9 a.m. Saturday.
-
Runner’s mission: Money for Haiti
Chase Whelan can’t make a mission trip to Haiti with his Hermitage church this summer, but he still wants to do his part to help out the people there.
-
Hopelessness can result if we look more at problem and less at Jesus
Webster defines hopeless as “having no expectation of good or success; despairing, not susceptible to remedy or cure; desperate; impossible.” What causes us to get into this type of condition? We lose our focus.
-
Valley Church to install pastor
An ordination and installation service for Pastor Michele Askerneese as senior pastor of The Valley Church will be held at 4 p.m. May 19 in Cedar Avenue Church of God, 1045 Cedar Ave., Sharon.
-
Ruth Church marking 125 years
Ruth A.M.E. Zion Church, at the corner of Connelly Boulevard and Sterling Avenue in Sharon, will have served the community for 125 years come May 25.
-
Is our discourse healthy when we don’t see eye to eye in church?
“Animal House,” the old John Belushi film made famous for its adolescent debauchery and extraordinarily bad taste, is hardly a place I would expect to find pastoral insight. Recently, while channel surfing, I landed for a few moments on a scene that caught my attention one more time. Perhaps you know about it. (It’s not necessary for you to admit you do in order to keep reading.)
-
Day of Prayer services slated
The National Day of Prayer on Thursday will be observed in community services in Hermitage and Greenville.
-
Nursing home residents often know the joy Bible describes
All jobs require duties easier and more enjoyable than others. This applies to the clergy as well. Among the duties which are more difficult, not because they are tedious, but because they can be demanding even for some family members, is visiting nursing homes.
-
Parents who lose a child need to cry the tears, release the pain
“He is despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; ...” – Isaiah 53:3,4a NKJV
- More Religion Headlines
-
Whatever happened to America’s moral fiber?
