Why Doesn't My Receiving Jesus Count?

In many churches, people are invited to come to the front and pray to "receive Jesus" into their hearts. But what exactly does this mean? The answer might surprise you.

Following Christ isn't like following somebody on social media. It means, in the context of discipleship, that we learn Christ's teachings and obey him. We can't say, like one man said, that we'll follow later. As our Lord declared in Matthew 8:22 (KJV) to one man who wanted to attend a funeral, "But Jesus said unto him, 'Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.'"

Furthermore, following Christ can cost you. One disciple was a tax collector who could have been well off all his life. But we read in Matthew 9:9 (KJV) how he gave it all up. "And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, 'Follow me.' And he arose, and followed him."

Being a disciple is a serious business. It could mean persecution or even martyrdom. Look at what Matthew 16:24 (KJV) states. "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, 'If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.'"

When Jesus walked in Israel, he had many followers but they weren't genuine. Those folks just wanted free food and to make him an earthly king. So Jesus used metaphors to show them that they had to give him total allegiance. When the crowd left him, John 6:67 and 68 (BBE) records, "So Jesus said to the twelve, 'Have you a desire to go away?' Then Simon Peter gave this answer: 'Lord, to whom are we to go? you have the words of eternal life;'"

Jesus also warned the crowd in John 6:27 (KJV), "Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed."

As we see in Matthew 6:24 (BBE), Jesus must be exclusively our Lord. "No man is able to be a servant to two masters: for he will have hate for the one and love for the other, or he will keep to one and have no respect for the other. You may not be servants of God and of wealth."

So merely ticking a box on a card or walking to the front of a church doesn't indicate salvation. We must learn his teachings and obey him daily. I'll emphasize this in my You Think You're Going to Heaven? Book. As Romans 10:10 (KJV) explains, "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

On Thursday, I'll point out that repentance is for everybody and in every time throughout history.

How Can We Tell If Somebody Is Saved?

In view of what I've written about devotion to our Master, how can we recognize the true Christians from the phoney's? Fortunately for us, the Bible gives us tests to determine true and lasting belief.

One test is seeing genuine change in a person's life. Zacchaeus is a good example. Luke 19:8 (BBE) says, "And Zacchaeus, waiting before him, said to the Lord, 'See, Lord, half of my goods I give to the poor, and if I have taken anything from anyone wrongly, I give him back four times as much.'" Jesus said that salvation had come to Zacchaeus' house, showing that his desire was genuine.

Though Peter said the following to justify himself, real followers of Christ leave behind their worldly ways. Mark 10:28 (KJV) quotes this foot-in-mouth disciple as saying, "Then Peter began to say unto him, 'Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee.'"

I love Jesus' reply in the next two verses. The Bible in Basic English reads, "Jesus said, 'Truly I say to you, There is no man who has given up house, or brothers, or sisters, or mother, or father, or children, or land, because of me and the good news, Who will not get a hundred times as much now in this time, houses, and brothers, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and land--though with great troubles; and, in the world to come, eternal life.'"

As a side note, Jesus made no secret that suffering would come to true believers in him. That too is another way to tell the real followers from the fakers. In John 6:67 and 68 (BBE), the crowds abandoned Jesus because of his difficult teachings of total commitment to him. "So Jesus said to the twelve, 'Have you a desire to go away?' Then Simon Peter gave this answer: 'Lord, to whom are we to go? you have the words of eternal life;'"

Another indicator of faithfulness is the resultant change in a person's actions. Look at what Jesus said in Matthew 7:16 (KJV). "Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?"

Endurance is another indicator of true conversion. Matthew 10:22 (KJV) tells us, "And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved."

Joy in adversity is also an indicator we can watch for. James 1:2 (KJV) reads, "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;"

I could write so much more on just this topic. Instead, I'll save other examples for my next book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? Far too many sincere people will end up in hell because they never gave their lives to the rule of Christ. May God use my writing to turn them from the gates of hell.

Next month, I'll deal with the question of repentance and why it's crucial for true salvation.