We have all heard many sermons in our lifetime which are urging people to “accept the Lord into their hearts” and be saved so that they can be a Christian and go to heaven when they die. There is nothing wrong with a sermon like that, in fact, most sermons are modeled after that very idea: leading people to Christ. At least that should be the ultimate goal of every sermon. The problem is that most sermons preached with the salvation of the sinner in mind leave out some very important information which people should be made aware of. Now, I am going to say a few things that a deeper Christian will hear and understand but someone who is what I call a nominal Christian will become confused if they don’t listen carefully.
Over the last one-hundred and fifty years, many have heard the revival preacher say something like this: “come on down the aisle, give your heart to Jesus and you will be saved.” Many have done this and, I believe, genuinely got saved, but many, many others had no idea of what they were doing and then later in life they have some dire doubts about whether what they did was indeed, a salvation event. Now, let me state something that many will not understand but many others will. One cannot get saved any time they want to. Talking someone down the aisle and then leading them to think that they are saved because they “come forward” is not found in the Bible. The issue is this: One cannot get saved unless the Holy Spirit of God first convicts them of sin and shows them the truth about Jesus, Heaven and hell. He comes convicting, convincing and reproving concerning sin and shows them the necessity of committing their life to Christ so that they can be saved and go to heaven when their earthly life ends. The Holy Spirit will come to everyone at least once to draws them to Christ, but He is not obligated to come back again. If he does, then it is by the sheer grace of God that he visits a person’s spirit again. Jesus said, “No man can come to me unless the Father draw him” and that is what is happening when the Holy Spirit comes convicting, convincing and reproving a person and drawing them to Christ. It is time to surrender to His guidance and commit your life to Christ. Then one is saved.
True faith in Christ will lead to salvation. But, let’s discuss faith. What is it? To many it is like a little cloud that forms and when one reaches out to get it, they can’t grasp it. We know faith is real but what is it? It is more than just believing something will happen. I believe the sun will come up in the morning, but it does not save me. In the Bible, faith means more that just believing something will take place. In the Greek (and the Bible was written in Greek, not King James) it means “to commit to.” When a person says they believe or have faith, it has to mean that I commit my life to Jesus. One can believe something that they are not committed to, but to be committed to something, one has to, by necessity, believe in it. So, a decision to be committed to Jesus is what saves a person, not just that they believe in Him. We have too many people in our churches today who believe but are not committed. Their lives prove the situation. Commitment gets one to worship consistently. Belief will tell them they ought to go to worship but it won’t always get them there as every pastor knows.
One is committed to their spouse. They are committed to their children as well as their job and the responsibilities of life. Marriages with commitment last many years until death parts the man and his wife. Suppose, at the wedding ceremony, when the man is asked by the Minister if he intends to marry his wife and be true to her only for all the days of his life, that he answered somewhat life this: “Well, I guess so” or “I’ll try.” Do you think that the girl he is marrying would accept the vows based on his statement….”Well, I guess so.” I don’t think she would accept that statement and feel good about it. So, does one think that Jesus will commit himself to someone who says: “Yes, I want to be saved but I don’t plan to change my life.” Jesus gives us the answer to that question in Matthew 10:32-33….”Whosoever, therefore, shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father who is in heaven.” “But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father, who is in heaven.” In John 2:23 we see where many in Jerusalem “BELIEVED in his name when they saw the miracles that he did.” Then in v. 24 we find that Jesus did not commit himself unto them because he knew all men.” Then in v. 25 the Bible says that Jesus didn’t need anyone to testify about man for “He knew what was in man.” Jesus wants not only confession in Him from man but he also wants commitment from man. It is necessary and we are finding less and less of it in these days.
So, when the Holy Spirit “draws” you to Christ, he wants you to commit your life to Jesus and when you do God will save you and make you one of His Saints and give you citizenship in Heaven. He makes you part of the Body of Christ and He guarantees you this position forever. All of this depends on a genuine Salvation Event.
