Forget the Right Answer: Are You Asking the Right Question?

Yesterday I was reading a devotional that quoted minister John Lancaster from Cardiff, South Wales, in his article entitled, “Where on Earth is God?” There he asks the question, “Given a choice between attending a seminar, say, on the 'Glory of God in Isaiah' and one on 'The Christian and Sex,' to which would you go?” Take a moment to be honest with yourself about it and why. Lancaster “'makes the point also that although the church often answers the questions people are asking, the real problem may be that people are not asking the right questions.' In today's church we are far too man-centered and not God-centered.”

What Christian books do you read? Which studies or classes do you take? Have you taken/studied anything that tells you nothing about you but is all about God?

Recently a person I have prayed will find salvation for years has come back to mind and also more into the picture. As I've thought about new ways to approach the subject and dreamed about the responses after they accept, I found that my mind has shifted gears. Before, I had a list of churches they could attend, people who could take them under their wing, studies they could read, and devotionals that I thought would interest them most in mind. But I was wrong. None of those things are bad- they can all be very helpful! Yet, when this person comes to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, there is only one thing I can think to tell them of uttermost importance:

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. (Matthew 22:37

After that everything else will fall in place.

Why do we teach new Christians – and convince ourselves – that we need do the right things and find the most motivational material we can to keep us interested in God. Shouldn't He be enough? What more influential mentor is there than the Holy Spirit? Who can be a better brother than Christ? Which book can be more helpful than the Bible?

Please don't get me wrong. We need all the other stuff too (Hebrews 10:24-25), but we should never place it above God. See, that's the amazing thing about Him. When we seek and desire nothing but Him, all the rest comes as a joy. We then desire to worship together, read in-depth materials, encourage and be encouraged by fellow brothers and sister in Christ. We just need not forget: We are there for Him. Not us.

This Is How We Know

I think all Christians have questioned their salvation at some point. Not as to whether it is all true, but if they had really acctepted Christ as their Savior. If they really meant it, or perhaps took the right steps. It goes back to that saying, “Do you know that you know that you know.” While I agree we need to come to God daily and confess our sins to Him, I also know that Christ only had to die for our sins once. He was the perfect sacrifice which need not be repeated. So why do we think that we can lose the gift of grace given to us? Did that grace not cover us perfectly so that we must crucify Christ again? Certainly not.

With the assurance of that, we need to be reminded that just because we “say the right words and get baptized” doesn't mean we are His. I love my pastor's twist on the old Baptist saying, “Once saved, always saved.” He claims, “IF saved, always saved.” I couldn't agree more. (Read Hebrews 6:1-8 on this matter if you get a chance today.)

So, how do we know for sure?

1 John 2:3-6 “This is how we know for sure that we have come to know Him: by keeping His commands. The one who says, 'I have come to know Him,' without keeping His commands, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly in him the love of God is perfected. This is how we know we are in Him: the one who says he remains in Him should walk just as He walked.”

There are a few things we must understand when reading this passage. The first is we are human and can never be perfect. We will make mistakes, and just because we do sin, or even have a season of sin, does not mean we were never saved. The differnece is repentance. Were we convicted by the Spirit while in the midst of the sinning season? Did you return, or can you feel the overwhelming burden to return to following Him now? That is the work of the Spirt who lives within you; The promised Seal from Christ (Ephesians 1:13).

Second, in order to walk like Him and keep His commands we have to know what they are. That means reading the Bible and spending time with God in prayer- not just prayer requests. Unfortunatley, we tend to think of the Bible as the same old thing and go to books about the Bible instead. While many of these are a wonderful tool in helping us understand principles of the Bible, we can not substitute them completley. Try asking God what His opinion is about a certain matter or subject before you fill your mind with what others think.

How do we know if we are keeping His commands? A lawyer asked Jesus which of the commands was the greatest. Jesus replied in Matthew 22:37-40, “...Love the Lord you God with all you heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important commandment. The second is like it: Love you neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commandments.” If we concern ourself with nothing but these two commands, we can not go astray. God loves us and wants the best for us. We must keep our hearts focused on Him, then He will lead us on the right path (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Take time today to just love the Lord your God with all that is within you.