Fellowshipping With The Father And The Son - Part 9

Today’s Message: Relationship Tested

(1 John 2:3 NKJV) Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.

(1 John 2:4 NKJV) He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

(1 John 2:5 NKJV) But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.

(1 John 2:6 NKJV) He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.

The other day I had a conversation with a woman who thought she was a Christian but by the Bible’s definition, if what she said was what she believed, she wasn’t a Christian.

The foundation of this woman’s “Christianity” was her relationship to her church (she was Catholic). The foundation of this woman’s “Christianity” was not her relationship with Jesus Christ.

I bring this up because many people, like this woman, think they are a Christian, when according to the Bible’s definition of a Christian, they are not.

Some base their “Christianity” on…

Heritage:

* "My mother was a Christian so I must be a Christian."

That's what is called salvation by heritage. That's not very logical. For instance... what if I said, "My mother was married therefore I'm married." I'm not automatically married just because my mother was married. I'm only married if I make the choice to get married, whether my mother ever married or not. So you're not saved by heritage.

Sincerity:

* "It doesn't matter what you believe, just be sincere."

The problem with that is you can be sincerely wrong. I could sincerely think something is water, but if it's arsenic I'd be sincerely dead.

Some of the contestants on American Idol sincerely think that they are good singers…

I read about a guy in an airplane who sincerely flew into a mountain and killed himself. He was sincere. He thought he was higher but he wasn't. You can be sincerely wrong. It takes more than sincerity to get to heaven.

Not sinning:

* "I'll just give up all my bad habits."

That's what is called salvation by subtraction. "I don't do this and I don't do that... I don't drink, I don't smoke, I don't cuss, I don't chew.

Service:

* "I'll work real hard and earn it." That's salvation by service.

Religion:

* "I'll go to church." That’s salvation by religion.

John was writing to people who claimed to be Christians. John wanted his readers to know exactly what a Christian is.

There may be some among us today that believe they are Christians. You believe you are a Christian. But how do you know you are a Christian?

Is it because of your church affiliation?

Is it because your parents were Christians?

Did you expect your baptism or confirmation to make you a Christian?

Do you think you’re a Christian because you try to live a good life?

There is a method of evangelism that involves asking two diagnostic questions in order to determine where a person is spiritually:

If you died today, do you know where you would spend eternity?

If you died and appeared at the gate of heaven; Jesus was on the other side of the gate and asked you, “(Your name), why should I let you into My heaven?” How would you answer Him?

I’ve been using that method for almost 20 years and I have heard answers such as:

“I’ve tried to live a good life.”

“I’ve been baptized.”

“I’m basically a good person.”

“I’ve gone to church most of my life.”

“I’ve never murdered anyone…”

The common thread running through each of these kinds of answers is the word, “I.” This tells me that they are banking on heaven because of what they have done or are presently doing not what Christ has already done on the Cross.

The Bible says in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

Romans 4:4-5 says, “Now when a man works (for his salvation), his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation (which will one day be required of him in full). However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.”

In other words, God offers salvation to a dying world as a free gift. The price of the gift was paid in full when Jesus gave His life by dying on an instrument of capital punishment we know as “The Cross.”

The Bible teaches that man is in bondage to sin. He is on a spiritual death row because of sin.