If you don’t know Jesus as your Lord… what needs to happen for you to believe? What stops you from living a life full of His power and might on your behalf? Could it be pride – that you want to do what you want to do when you want to do it and to do ‘it’ your way? Perhaps you really don’t know what ‘advantages’ there are to being a Christian, especially since you’ve observed some terrible examples? And there are a host of reasons we think block our acceptance… but, are there?
The first thing you must realize is that this is a very personal act – accepting Jesus as Lord. And simply because you’ve witnessed some hypocritical examples doesn’t mean that this is represents who God is and what He does. God has given Himself many names. I believe the reason is so that we can know Him in the fullness of Who He says He is. He has defined, described and demonstrated Himself as: El Shaddai (Lord God Almighty), Jehovah Jireh (Our Provider), Jehovah-Rapha (The Lord My Healer), El Elyon (The Most High God), Adonai (Lord, Master), Yahweh (Lord, Jehovah), plus many other descriptive names. The point is to help us understand the breadth, height, depth of Who He is. Without our willingness to see, we can miss all of Who He is and His involvement.
Jesus came to redeem and reconcile. It’s as simple and as profound as that. Whether or not you believe it, there is only one way for you to walk in the fullness that has been prepared for you – and that is through the Son. You never can earn your redemption and reconciliation. You’ll never be ‘good enough’ to be accepted outside of coming to God by faith in Jesus. Faith is an extremely important concept to God that must be seen and acted on. Why is it this way? Because God ordained this path, this method after His creation sinned against Him. He had to have the perfect sacrifice which was His Son. The only thing you need do is to accept this and Him.
There are many voices in the world contending for our attention. Many of these seductive voices would lead us away from an allegiance to Jesus and tell us there are many ways to God. There aren’t. God has said that there is only one way and since it is He who we want to be reconciled to, then we have to follow His instruction. What stops you? Why do you try and find other paths to Him? If it’s an issue of trust… Who do you trust more that He who won’t leave you, who says if He is for you, what can stand against you? What would make you change your mind???
