So exactly how can a person truly know if they have indeed, given their ‘whole heart’ to the Lord? (Yesterday’s post)

Many new and sincere ‘believers’ are quick to profess they have done just that – ‘given their heart to Jesus’, but how can one really know if they did? We can easily develop our own sets of criteria to attempt to assess that; certainly you have used them yourself in times past. Maybe it’s been the ‘tears and goosebump gauge’ where you experience tender emotions when you hear certain hymns or are visibly stirred in your emotions during a moving sermon at church.

Others would point to the ‘speaking in tongues-ometer’ which in their eyes is a clear indicator.

Let’s not forget the ‘seniority status factor’ where one cites how long they’ve been a deacon or a church member or how they are a ‘multi-generation-member’ of such and such church. Of course they gave their whole heart to Jesus...how dare anyone question that. Yet, Paul would. (2 Cor. 13:5)

Not surprisingly at all, scripture seems to suggest multiple ways of knowing, or what it might look like for a person who has truly surrendered to Jesus. We know that in order for one to receive eternal life, one must ‘keep the commandments’. (Matt. 19:17; Luke 10:25-28). And before any of you have a coronary attack, please be reminded that ‘keeping the commandments’ is summed up by Jesus as ‘loving God with all your heart, mind and soul and loving others as ourselves (or as Christ loved us). (Matt. 22:37-40; John 13:34-35)

And if you really do ‘love Jesus’, you will do what He says. (John 14:15,21,23)

IF He is Lord of your life, you will do what He says. (Luke 6:46) 

If you are expecting for there to be genuine transformation in your life, you will do whatever He says. (John 2:5)

Should you expect to be a recipient of this eternal life He is the source of, you will do what He says. (Heb. 5:9)

If you expect to stand in the time of testing as the ‘floods’ of darkness are unleashed on this earth and men’s’ hearts are...’tested’...You will do what He says. (Matt. 7:24-25).

IF you plan on entering the kingdom of heaven, you won’t just ‘say Lord, Lord’, you will do the will of God (as in do what He says – Matt. 7:21)

Do you need some more verses or can we move on? ;-)

Now if for whatever reason you have been taught or thought that all you had to do was ‘believe’ and this ‘obedience thing’ is just some fancy option, then you were presented with another gospel presenting ‘another Jesus’. And if that presentation came with ‘good feelings, tears, and goosebumps’ without this message of the cross and total surrender to Jesus, then you also probably received ‘another spirit’. (2 Cor. 11:3-4).

Now don’t beat yourself up if God is trying to open your eyes and show you this has indeed happened to you. You certainly are not in the minority as it is widespread and God is trying to wake up a sleeping, deceived church. Just thank Him for doing so and get up, trim your lamp and get about the business of ‘preparing your heart in anticipation of the return of The Bridegroom. (Matt. 25:1-13)

Why is this so important? Well, for starters, if you want to avoid being ‘utterly destroyed’, then you best make sure you are doing whatever He says. (Acts 3:22-23; Luke 13:3,5).

Need I remind us all again: This is not a threat; it’s a warning...given in nothing short but His love for us. (2 Pet. 3:9)

Oh, that line about God trying to ‘open our eyes’... let me address something in regards to that. If one’s eyes have been closed, or asleep, chances are - all they see is darkness. What did Jesus say about people who walk in darkness? They ‘don’t know where they’re going’. (John 12:35-36). You might even suggest they are ‘blind’, perhaps? That does make for a great line at the end of that age old hymn, ‘Amazing Grace’, does it not?

What kind of cad, or indecent human...would make fun of a blind person? Who finds delight in taunting or berating a person incapable of seeing? If you saw an apparent blind person walking down a crowded street with a white cane, and they ran into a building or stumbled off a curb, would you laugh a them? If a blind child somehow wandered in your path and made you stumble, would you want them disciplined and yelled at for causing you to stumble? Again, I ask...what kind of a person behaves that way around a person...who cannot see?

‘Professing Christians’ do. All the time. I’ll give you a moment with that one.

We know the ‘god of this age’ has ‘blinded the minds of those who are perishing’. (2 Cor. 4:3-4).

When Jesus was being nailed to a cross, He prayed: “Father, forgive them, they don’t know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34). Care to guess why?

Do you recall Paul’s counsel to Timothy when dealing with those who opposed him or were not on board with the gospel message he was teaching? He advised him to ‘be gentle, don’t quarrel, be patient and humble’. The hope here was that God might open their eyes, and repent, and escape the snare of the devil who had taken them captive to do his will’. (2 Tim. 2:24-26; Acts 26:18)

Friends, IF...we have given our hearts to Jesus, we will be doing what He told us to do. You know, those things like “loving your enemies, blessing those who curse you, do good to those who hate you and pray for those who spitefully sue you and persecute you.” (Matt. 5:44). That is how we might be known as ‘children of God’ as we are ‘perfected’ in His love. (45,48)

Did Paul not remind us to not be ‘overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good’? (Rom. 12:21).

“But what about what they did to you?” Paul addressed that as well: “Make room for God’s wrath...do not avenge yourself!” (19). God will take care of it....IF...you will back off and allow Him to. He does not need your help. In fact, truth be told, we often delay God getting involved because we prefer to do it our way and take matters in to our own hands.

Why do you think those ‘tests’ have come your way to begin with? God wanted to see if you were really going to follow Him with ‘all your heart’ and do what He said to do. Peter even reminds us to not ‘think it strange’. (1 Pet. 4:12). James says we are to ‘count it all joy’ as we are being made...(are you ready for it?)...made ‘perfect and complete’. (James 1:2-4)

Now during these tests, which God does allow to test our hearts ... to see...if we will do what He says...(Deut. 8:2; 1 Thess. 2:4) they will not be pleasing to our ‘old man’, or that sinful, flesh nature. But that’s ok...’he’ needs to be put to death anyhow. (Col. 3:5-10; Rom.6:6). And there will be some ‘suffering’ during that process. This is the ‘suffering’ we’ve been called to endure as we take up our cross and follow...follow...follow Jesus. That’s what children of God do, they are led by His Spirit as they put to death all the deeds of that flesh nature. (Rom. 8:13-14) And those who 'belong to Christ' have done this very thing. (Gal. 5:24)

But please note, according to Peter, ‘he who has suffered in the flesh...has ceased from sin. (1 Pet. 4:1-2) This is what enables you to ‘live the rest of your time here in doing the will of God’. And that is kind of important given Jesus taught those were the ones who were going to heaven, as opposed to those who just said ‘Lord, Lord’. (Matt. 7:21)

Once again, it goes back to abiding in Jesus. Abiding in Him is the only way you can bear the kind of fruit that He is looking for and helps you to avoid being ‘chopped down’. (John 15:1-8; Matt. 3:10; 7:19). Oh, I hate to bring this up again, but IF...you are truly born again and abiding in Him, ...you won’t continue to practice sin. (1 John 3:6,9; 5:18)

It’s pretty amazing to have all this word laid out here for us to plainly see...and then respond to. But if you have been reluctant to give Him your whole heart, well, you’ll probably shun it and that might suggest you love darkness more. (John 3:19). But who am I to make fun or berate you for that? When you see other ‘professing believers’ berating and ridiculing and not loving others as Christ loved them...well...the fruit coming out of them might suggest they are just as blind as those folks are.

And yet...Jesus still opens the eyes of the blind today. He did mine. Quit worrying about all those other blind folks and let Him open yours first that you might really see...some of you...for the first time. Sure makes walking in this dark world more manageable.

See you next year? (Lord willing, of course)