THOUGHTS, WORDS, AND DEEDS

Christianity, according to those who claim to know these things, is the world's largest religion.  Of course, their figures are based upon the responses of individuals to the question, "What is your religion?"  Unfortunately, the vast majority of those professing to be Christians, are deceived.  While some of them attend church, far more claiming to be a Christian do not.  I know, "You don't have to attend a church to become a Christian."  But, I have found that those who are born again, more often than not, do attend.  That is because the Lord wants us to go (Heb. 10:23-25).

As I said, the vast majority of those claiming to be Christian are deceived.  The Scriptures say, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked:  who can know it?  I, the LORD, search the heart..." (Jer. 17:9-10).  God repeatedly warns man to be on guard (Deut. 11:16; Lk. 21:8; 1 Cor. 6:9; 15:33; Gal. 6:7).  So, how does one know if he is deceived?

First, one must be certain that he is born again.  Until God draws a man's attention to Jesus (Jn. 6:44), until the Holy Spirit convinces him that what the Bible says about Jesus is the truth (Jn. 16:7-15), and until that man acknowledges Jesus as his Lord (Rom. 10:9-10; Phil. 2:9-11), he is lost and condemned to an eternity of suffering and torment (Jn. 3:18; Rev. 20:10).  It is not enough to just believe what the Bible teaches about Jesus; Satan and his devils believe, and yet, they refuse to surrender to His authority (Mt. 8:28-29; Jam. 2:19).

The knowledge about Jesus which has the power to save us, is known as the Gospel (Rom. 1:16).  The Apostle Paul wrote:  "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the Gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand.... For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures" (1 Cor. 15:1-4).  To those of us who are born again, Jesus rules in our lives; He is our "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS" (Rev. 19:16).

Do you want to know if your are born again?  Check your "fruit" (Mt. 7:20; Gal. 5:22-23)!  What are your thoughts, words, and deeds?  "But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.  For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:  these are the things which defile a man..." (Mt. 15:18-20).

Be not deceived; God knows your thoughts, your words, and your actions!