It’s a lesson most of us learn at some point in time, and usually sooner than later. It’s the one where it’s easier to say words with your mouth, that you will commit to doing something…than it is to actually ‘do it’. Taking part in wedding vows comes to my mind first, and I’ve witnessed many weddings over the years, both as a wedding photographer and as a pastor who officiated them. In fact I took part in one myself 45 years ago, coming up this Saturday. And those are some pretty remarkable vows two young people who are ‘in love’ will make to each other surrounded by family and friends.

You know which vows I’m talking about…where you promise to ‘love each other…for better or worse, in sickness and in health...for richer or poorer’…unto the end before ‘death separates’ you. Who in their right mind and at that young age can clearly know what they are signing on for, making such promises? No wonder many people today have taken to writing and sharing their own vows that seem less imposing.

The other example that comes to mind is when people ‘walk an aisle’ or ‘raise a hand’ as they make a ‘profession of faith’ to ‘commit their lives’ to God. We have all kinds of phrases to suggest where one ‘accepts Christ as personal Savior’ or ‘gives their heart to Jesus’. I remember over the years, after witnessing 'successful altar calls’…hearing the people break out in a resounding chorus of “I have decided to follow Jesus…no turning back….no turning back”.

I have also seen my fair share of those who ‘start out strong’ in their new faith, full of zeal and good intentions as they are ‘on fire for the Lord’, but a funny thing happens over time. That parable of the sower describes it well where Jesus shared how after people hear and receive the word…’stuff happens’. All of a sudden, they might experience a little ‘testing’ or persecution and the next thing you know, because they have no ‘depth’ or strong roots, the new ‘plant’ withers up, and never bears any fruit. (Matt. 13:5-6,20-21). The same can be said about those who get entangled with the cares and riches and love of this world, and they too never reach maturity by bringing forth lasting fruit. (Matt. 13:7,22)

And friends- fruit matters. I cannot stress this enough how much it matters, given what we are warned over and over in scripture (Matt. 3:10; 7:17-20; Luke 13:6-9). You have probably read here before where I keep pointing out how Jesus made it clear that unless we are abiding in Him, there will be no lasting fruit, because apart from Him, we can produce nothing (John 15:1-8). And even Jesus reminds us there in that passage what happens to people who don’t abide in Him: “They are cast out a branch and are withered (no fruit) and are then gathered up and burned” (6). Jesus reminds us there how the Father is truly glorified- when we ’bear much fruit’ {8}.

You remember that first generation of Israelites who came out of Egypt under the leadership of Moses, whom God delivered from slavery? Yeah…I want to draw your attention once again to that verse I shared yesterday from Leviticus 26:13-14. I think it is more impactful if you take the time to look up and read yourself, maybe even highlighting it. This was the same generation that Paul called out, admonishing us: ‘Don’t be like them!’ (1 Cor. 10:1-12; Heb. 3) They were guilty of doing the very thing that has always tripped us up as humans, where we ‘say’ we’re going to do something, but then fail to follow through.

After God had delivered the 10 Commandments to the people, via Moses, and was reaffirming His covenant with His people, we are told that “all the people answered with one voice and said, ‘All the words which the Lord has said we will do….and we will do and be obedient” (Ex. 24:3,7)

I suppose that is why Jesus wanted to make it clear early on when He declared: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” (Matt. 7:21).

Jesus would later point out how “these people draw near to Me with their mouth and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts is far from Me….and in vain they worship Me teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.” (Matt. 15:8-9)

Paul would later write to Titus describing a people who ‘profess to know God but by their actions they deny Him’ (Titus 1:16); and then there is his warning to Timothy about the perilous times that would come in the last days where apparent carnality would prevail among a people who had a ‘form of godliness’…and were ‘always learning but never coming to the knowledge of the truth’ (2 Tim. 3:1-7)

Care to guess what ‘knowledge of truth’ that he is speaking of there? It’s the same ‘knowledge of truth’ that he mentions in 1 Tim. 2:4, which is the truth Jesus came to deliver so that we might be ‘free indeed’ (John 8:32-36). It’s the truth that we can be totally set free from sin, so that we can ‘go and sin no more’ and therefore overcome the enemy in every area of our lives because ‘sin’ is what ‘gives him place’ (Eph. 4:27). This shines a whole lot of new light then on Heb. 10:26 where we are told “IF…we sin willfully after we have received the ‘knowledge of the truth’…there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins…”.

This…is why I continue to teach and share that we’ve not understood what it means to ‘abide in Jesus’…which is the ONLY WAY…we can ‘go and sin no more’ and actually ‘walk as He walked’ (1 John 3:6; 2:6). And yes…it does begin with a step forward, maybe a raised hand, kneeling at an altar while shedding a few tears of ‘surrender’. We all have to start somewhere. But just like when the honeymoon is over for those newlyweds…life begins to ‘get real’ and quickly. And it sure did for those Israelites who came out of Egypt in dramatic fashion, crossing the Red Sea and all. But then came the ‘wilderness’. You do recall after Jesus had His water baptism and was anointed and filled with the Holy Spirit…even He…was led immediately into the ‘wilderness’ (Matt. 3:16-17 & 4:1)

Do you know what the purpose of the ‘wilderness’ is? Why not finish up reading Deuteronomy 8:2, Judges 3:1-4, and 1 Thess. 2:4 for some insight, then meet me back here tomorrow. I hope to expound on what this 'abiding in Jesus' stuff looks like in 'real time'; and no...I've not forgotten about the promise we have in 1 John 2:1 for those times 'IF'...we sin.