Walking With Christ

Christmas has passed. We just spent the last month discussing the reason why we celebrate this holiday. Jesus came to earth with the singular mission to create a way for mankind to come to the Father. He was born, lived, died, and resurrected for this to happen.

How do you know that you are saved? How do you know that when that day of judgement comes that He will welcome you in to the kingdom?

Are you baptized? Excellent! That isn’t a guarantee. The thief on the cross wasn’t baptized either, yet he still made it to heaven. Do you tithe? Great! God loves a cheerful giver. That isn’t a guarantee either. Do you speak in tongues? Good. Still not a guarantee. Are you Catholic? Congratulations! Also, not a guarantee. Are you a Baptist? Good for you. You guessed it. Not a guarantee. Are you Episcopalian, Pentecostal, Presbyterian, Methodist, Lutheran, or one of the many other denominations? Great! A denomination does not guarantee entry to heaven. Are you a good person? Do you tithe? Are you baptized? Do you speak in tongues? Do you perform miracles in His name?

Doesn’t matter. None of that changes your destination.

Those are all good things and wonderful fruits that come from having roots in faith. The fruit is not what gets us into heaven. It is having the roots of our faith planted firmly, deeply in Jesus Christ. It is having a true and deep relationship with the one who died on the cross for us.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.(ESV)
John 14:6-7 (6)Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (7)If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”(ESV)

The only way to heaven is through faith in Jesus. Ok, we have heard and we believe. Does this mean we suddenly have faith? Is simply acknowledging Him enough? Planting a seed does not guarantee fruit. The seed has to be in good enough soil. It has to be watered. Then the seed has to die for the plant to grow. The plant must grow big enough to support the fruit. The roots of that plant must be big enough and deep enough to support the weight of the plant and the fruit. This process speaks volumes about the transformation process of believing in Jesus. A true belief in Jesus will change you. This belief will change the “soil” of our lives to make the soil richer and more fertile. Future seeds will take root and grow much easier and faster with a cautionary point that fertile soil supports weeds just as well. The fruit is great. It’s a great sign, and it’s very important for the next generation. It’s also an outward sign. The fruit doesn’t speak to the internal nature of the plant. A storm can easily come along and pull the plant from the ground and destroy all of the wonderful fruit if the roots of that plant are not deep enough and strong enough. The roots provide endurance. It is endurance in faith that produces salvation. This isn’t to say that anything we could ever do will be enough to save us, but rather, it means that the roots of our faith went deep enough to withstand the trials of this life. Peter walked on water, yet Jesus said he had little faith. He had plenty of faith to get out of that boat but his faith didn’t last. In Matthew 24:13 we read, “But the one who endures to the end will be saved”(ESV).

Plants do not build the entire network of roots that will be needed to support the final plant before sending up shoots. No, the roots grow as the plant does. The plant is tested by nature daily and the roots grow over time to adapt. Our faith is the same way. We have to exercise our faith to get it to grow. If we are too afraid to go on a mission trip or speak to the waitstaff of our restaurants we eat at or even family and friends, then we have to start smaller. Get out of bed. Did you die? No? Good. First act of faith is done. Come back tomorrow and do it again. Maybe this time push it a little further. Keep exercising until it becomes easier. Then push just a little bit more. Faith that has not been tested is not faith. It is simply belief. Trust that has not been tested is also simply belief. Love that has not been tested is simply belief. It is only through surviving tests that the seeds of love, trust, and even faith can grow into the real thing.

How do you know when you are done? The answer is that you die. Until then, the training continues. That’s why this is called a walk and not a destination. God isn’t done with you until you go home. Until then, we keep walking. What about in the mean time? How can you be as sure as possible that you are on the right track?

Romans 8:16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God(ESV)

In a word, conviction. The holy spirit will speak to and through you. God will show us the places where we still have work to do. If we are willing to listen. Do you have a relationship with Jesus? Do you seek God? Do you truly believe that Jesus is the only Son of God, who was born of a virgin to live a sinless life, die on the cross for crimes He didn’t commit, and be resurrected three days later to pay for the sins of all mankind? Good. That’s a start. That’s the beginning of faith. That decision is the repentance for salvation. Now, we spend the rest of our lives reaffirming that decision every day with the knowledge that we will make mistakes and have setbacks along the way, for which we are given ample grace and mercy.

I’d like to this that this was a pretty good workout for today. Now it’s time to rest in Him. Amen.