In the days leading up to the arrest of Jesus that would in turn, lead to His death on the cross, His disciples met with Him on the Mount of Olives and inquired of Him asking: ”Lord...tell us what it will be like at the end of the age prior to your coming.” (Matt. 24:3)

And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you, for many...will come in My name...and will deceive many.” (4-5)

Have you ever stopped to consider how often we are warned throughout the NT to ‘be not deceived...brethren’? The answer is probably more than you might guess.

“Many...will come in My name...” Jesus told them.

That warning in itself could be reason enough for many half-hearted skeptics to use as an excuse to not ‘turn to Jesus’, citing there are ‘so many out there today’ who have ‘come in His name’...so how are you supposed to know ‘which one’ to follow? I get it, and I was there one time myself.

It can sure be easy to take that circular path of ‘philosophical debate’, like Pontius Pilate did when he was confronted with ‘The Truth’ and had a choice to make as to ‘what should I do with this Jesus’? ‘Truth’ was standing right in front of Him when he stoically asked: “What is truth?”, but then turned and walked away from it (John 18:36-38). And if we are not careful, each and every one of us can make that same mistake.

If it’s ‘truth’ you yearn for and desire to know, Jesus made this promise: His Spirit would lead you to it. (John 16:13). If it’s genuine ‘righteousness’ that your soul hungers and thirsts for, you can be ‘filled’ (Matt. 5:6). But before you ‘jump in’ when it’s presented to you, take the advice of Jesus and first ...’count the cost’ (Luke 14:25-33). The stakes have never been higher. (Luke 9:62)

So with all the chatter and ominous warnings about false gospels and prophets and ‘wolves in sheep’s clothing’ that would lead many astray...as the ‘blind follow the blind’, let me offer up to you one ‘point of contention’ that many become entangled with, and like to argue about.

Do you really believe that a person can ‘accept Christ as their ‘personal’ Savior’ (non-biblical term), without surrendering to His Lordship?

And if so...If you truly believe that all a person simply needs to do is pray and make some verbal assent that they 'believe Jesus is the Son of God’ and then the issue is settled for eternity...they are ‘guaranteed’ an entrance into God’s eternal kingdom, may I ask: “Who told you that?”...because the Bible does not teach that, at all. Now you might extract one or two verses out of the Bible and make a flimsy ‘doctrine’ that would suggest such a thing, but you are sure laying aside a whole lot of ‘other verses’ that would teach otherwise.

In what world does such an idea even exists, let alone make sense? Certainly not the world we live in. Consider this: When a high school senior receives an acceptance letter to the college of their choice, are they guaranteed with no conditions...that a diploma is signed already and waiting on them?

When a 25-year old signs on to begin his ‘dream job’ with the leading company in the nation, is a retirement package with full pension and retirement benefits presented to him as well, on Day 1?

And for those who make that trip to the altar to marry the love of your life, are you presented with a check after you ‘kiss your bride’... to cover all the costs for your ‘Golden Anniversary’ celebration which you are promised will occur 50 years from then?

Let me clue you in on how this ‘guaranteed mansion’ awaits those who ‘call upon the name of the Lord’. Think in terms of making plans and reservations for a ‘dream vacation’ somewhere across the country, or maybe even the ocean, to some fancy destination city or resort. When you first call and make those hotel reservations, and you give all your CC info to them, you are usually assured without any reasonable doubt...that your room will be ready and waiting for you...when you ‘get there’. They even give you a 'confirmation' number.

But you have to ‘get there’ first. And the only way any of us can ‘get there’...is you have to ‘follow’ the One who even made it possible for you to ‘go’, not to mention ‘paid the full price’ of your admission.

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven; but only those who do the will of My Father in heaven.” (Matt. 7:21) ....”many will come to Him in that day...” totally shocked, dismayed, and disappointed to learn...that He did not even ‘know them’ (22-23).

Care to guess who the ones are that He ‘knows’? “My sheep hear my voice...and I know them...and they follow Me.” (John 10:27). Sounds like knowing His voice and doing what He says might be more important than what many were first taught to believe; what say you?

“Christ became the source of eternal salvation to all who ‘obey’ Him” (Heb. 5:9). “Why call Him, ‘Lord, Lord’...if we’re not going to do the things which He says?” (Luke 6:46). And friends...He is ‘saying a lot’ these days, but are we listening...and even more importantly...are we ‘doing’... what He’s telling us to do?

There is a puzzling phenomenon that I have witnessed taking place over the years in so many of our churches. It seems many ‘sincere sheep’ struggle with the nagging question as to whether they are really ‘saved’ ...or not. It’s as if they need constant reassurance that they are indeed....’saved’. And for some inexplicable reason...many behind the pulpits today are ready and willing to offer up that ‘assurance’...telling countless numbers of those sitting on church pews...”yes...yes...yes, you are ‘saved’; never doubt that! Don’t listen to the devil who is causing you to ‘question that fact’. No...you don’t have to surrender your whole heart to Jesus in order to go to heaven. You’ve accepted Him as Savior and you are just fine! God loves for you and nothing will ever separate you from His love, so stop worrying yourself with that false lie.”  Have you read Jeremiah 23:16-22, lately?

And yet...that nagging question persists. But what if...that ‘nagging prompting’...is actually the Holy Spirit prodding you...trying to tell you (or wake you up) that not all is ‘well with your soul’, and that ‘unless you repent...you will perish’ (Luke 13:3,5)?

As I have continued to make the case for here in recent years, we’ve been asking the wrong question, as to whether one is ‘saved’ or not. The real question each and every one of us must address is this: Are you abiding in Jesus? Because if you are, there will be abundant fruit...as you ‘walk just as Jesus did’. (John 15:4-5,8; 1 John 2:6; 3:6). And one of the first tell- tale signs that maybe something's not ‘right’...is the absence of peace, His peace, that passes all understanding. You’ll find it though...on His path...if you will choose to walk and stay on it (Luke 1:79; Ps. 23:1-3).