Do you have an intimate relationship with the Lord? Do you regularly fellowship with Jesus? Is Jesus your friend? Do you love Him? If you can answer a heartfelt "yes" to those questions, then you are no doubt a true Christian.
But what if you cannot answer yes to those questions above? Maybe you regularly attend church and you may even serve in the church, but you have no intimate, personal, love relationship with the Lord. Maybe, if that is true of you, then you never were truly saved or born again. You have a form of religion, you practice religion, but you do not actually know the Lord. Then you are in danger of hell fire. Because, if you do not communicate with and have a personal relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ, then Jesus does not know you !
Jesus warns us at Matthew 7:21-23, "(21) Not everyone that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven. (22) Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? and in Thy name done many wonderful works? (23) And then I will profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity."
The above refers to those who are not truly converted, who do not actually know Jesus. There are many false prophets and teachers today who can preach up a storm, but they themselves are not true believers. Many only "tickle people's ears", telling those in the pews what they want to hear; they do not tell the true Gospel of Jesus Christ.
"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." - 2 Timothy 4:3-4
Many of these false teachers want fame, or security, or money, or all three. So they avoid "offending" by not teaching on hell, (when Jesus taught on hell more than He did on heaven), or they do not teach that there is only one way to heaven. (John 14:6). They want to keep the pews filled and keep everyone happy with sermonettes that have no depth. At times they just preach on "how to have your best life now", instead of how to obtain life in heaven with the Lord. Jesus is not in such churches. If you find yourself in such a house of worship, run to a church that preaches all the Gospel: Christ at Calvary and His resurrection and how His shed blood redeems us. Find a church where the Holy Spirit is present.
Back again to whether or not Jesus knows you...... remember in Matthew 7:23 Jesus told those who did many works that "he never knew them." Many churches today are filled with so-called "carnal Christians"; who live like the world, talk like the world, think like the world, and act like the world. There is no such thing as a "carnal Christian." If they are of the world, they are not true believers at all; they were never truly converted. They need to wake up before it is too late and repent, confess their sins, and pray for forgiveness and turn to the Lord in faith and with love and zeal and do works that befit repentance. You are not saved by works, but if you are truly born again good works will follow. You are saved by faith in Jesus and belief in His resurrection. (Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 10:9-10,13).
Are you following the narrow way?
"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." - Jesus at Matthew 7:13,14
Jesus has been called the "strait gate." And after that gate there is a "narrow way." The narrow way is to follow Jesus and live a godly, holy life as much as is possible. The narrow way is to obey the Lord and endeavor to keep His commandments. The narrow way is to share the Gospel with lost souls as we travel on the highway to heaven. Trust and obey !!
If you are truly born again, your life will change to conform to God's will, because you have been transformed by the renewing of your mind. (Romans 12:1-2). You will want to obey and do the Heavenly Father's will, because the Holy Spirit empowers true believers. You will focus on the Lord first, spiritual matters will be of main concern, and you will think less of yourself and more of Jesus. You will not be so self-absorbed and self-centered and selfish. If you occasionally have a battle with sin and are broken up about it, and realize you need the Lord and His Word and time in prayer, that is a sign you are born again.....God is doing a work of sanctification in your life.
If you stay on the "narrow way" and focus on Jesus, you will not be in danger of ending up on "the broad way" which leads to destruction. Our job is to warn others so that they do not end up on the road to destruction.
The evidence that you have truly been saved is the fact that you continue to walk with Jesus and grow in the faith; becoming spiritually mature. You put Jesus first and foremost. Jesus is everything !
The evidence that you have truly been saved is the fact that you continue to walk with Jesus and grow in the faith; becoming spiritually mature. You put Jesus first and foremost. Jesus is everything !
Repentance and faith in Christ has never been "fashionable". We should not be discouraged if the religion we profess is not popular and few agree with us. It is definitely better to enter life eternal with a few, than to go to destruction with a great company.
Stay strong in the Lord.
Read your Bible daily in order to build your faith and to know the Lord's will......to know Him.
Pray without ceasing. That will help you build a close relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ.
Have a Christ centered weekend !
"And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent." - John 17:3
