A daily devotional proclaimed, “All you have to do to receive eternal life is to repent of your sins and believe in Jesus.” Is this all you have to do? This is a sales pitch like, ‘All’ you have to do to receive a free coke is to buy a Big Mac and Fry. ‘All’ denotes an arrangement that is the whole amount, quantity, or extent of the agreement. This means there is nothing after “all you have to do.”
Today in the Christian world many churches have dumbed down being a disciple of Christ. They are telling people half-truths like if everybody repents and just believes, they will go to heaven. However, the brother of Jesus said, “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!” (James 2:19)!
Why are some Churches marketing “all you have to do?” Could they want to make salvation fast and easy to entice more people to come into their churches and tithe? Could their motives be pure but they are biblically challenged and do not understand salvation and its rewards are a lifelong purpose unless they are on their death bed? Could this type of teaching be directly related to today’s inactive, sedentary, and silent body of Christ?
Yes, if mere belief is “all you have to do” you have no Godly purpose, determination, resolve, or duty.
Therefore, when we read John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.” “Loved the world” means God loves everything He created, all of His creation. However, in John 14:21, Jesus said; He who has My commandments (These include Christ’s Commandments) and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and reveal Myself to him.” Jesus added some conditional insight at John 15:10, “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” Therefore, to actively love God, Christ, and know God loves us, we must keep Christ’s commandments.
“Believes in Him” then must be something greater and more expansive than mere belief. The meaning of the words “Believes in Him” has no internal or external limitations. When Jesus said, “Believes in Him” this is the start of an eternal relationship with the Son of man caused by the Holy Spirit of God that greatly surpasses belief alone! It is like stepping off of a cliff with a parachute, having faith that the parachute will save you. Everything happens after the step, but the parachute is what saves your life, not the step.
Many Christians today do not know there is much more to salvation, than the façade of fast and easy. Jesus set some examples when He said, “…whoever confesses me before men, him I will also confess before my father who is in heaven. But whoever denies me before men, him I will also deny before my father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32-34). Confessing Christ before men is a demonstration of our salvation which is our lifelong purpose. Jesus also said, “And he who does not take his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:38). Taking our own cross is another step in following Jesus the Christ and is our never-ending purpose. Jesus then defined the way when He said we must, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:13-14). The narrow gate can only be entered if you accept Christ as your personal savior, confess Christ before men, take your cross and follow Him, and enter through the narrow gate. Sadly, the gate these fast-food salvation churches are selling is the wide gate! But the wide gate is the broad way that leads to destruction.
“So, Jesus said it again, “With all the earnestness I possess I tell you this: Unless you eat the flesh of the Messiah and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you” (John 6:53). The flesh and blood is the Son of man and denotes the Redeemer in the nature of man, with all the precious benefits of redemption through faith in Christ; pardon of sin, acceptance by God, the way to the throne of grace, the promises of the covenant, our commission, and eternal life.
Now, our faith in Christ lays hold of salvation. We will then activity demonstrate our faith through confession showing we are totally committed to Christ as our personal savior. Standing before the Body of Christ we may give our confession with undeniable commitment.
Saying something like this: “The decision has been made, the die has been cast, and I have stepped over the line. I have given my life to Christ. I am now Christs Disciple, and will no longer look back, let up, slow down, back away, nor will I ever be silent. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure. I am finished with low living, slight walking, worldly talking, cheap giving, and tamed visions.”
“I now live by faith, walk in victory as I fight the good fight of faith with Godly action. I will not compromise nor fail to expose the darkness around me. I will not give up, let up, until I have prayed up, praised up, paid up, and stood up for my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. For I am a Disciple for Christ!” Amen!
We are now commissioned by Christ to “…go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20).
David Howard, Foxhole Ministry