How do you know you are Christian? Is it just as simple anymore to say that you prayed a prayer and invited Jesus into your life? Somehow, I realise my conviction of being Christian cannot be so shallow anymore. Yes, when people ask me if they are really saved, I will ask that question, "Did you ever ask Jesus into your life before? Did you pray a prayer and asked Him to be your Saviour and Lord?"
After listening to Paul Washer's preaching, I realise that its not just enough to say that we've prayed the Sinner's Prayer. Now only I recall doing research online about the Sinner's Prayer, it was only used about hundreds of years ago, it never did exist during the early ages of the Church that was first established. I asked this question to myself before..."then how did other people accept Christ before the Sinner's Prayer was created?"
I realise now that perhaps my answers were somewhat not truthful. How do I know someone is Christian? Is when they are changed in their character, their thoughts, emotions and lifestyle. A Christian is someone who allows the Father, Son and Holy Spirit to change them. If you were run down by a big truck right now and you appear before me without a single scratch, I would never have believed you. Because such a big encounter would have changed you physically, you would be bleeding, and most possibly dying. So to take that analogy, when you believe in Jesus...it is a BIG encounter. It's HUGE!!! How can you not be changed? Paul Washer suddenly opens my eyes to realise with more conviction that if you truly profess to be Christian, your life is changed dramatically.
What does it mean to have a dramatic change? It means to hate the things that God hates - movies that oppose God's nature, music that promotes violence and hatred, sensual clothes, godly speech, etc. It means that when you sin, God isn't going to allow you to rest. He's going to prick your conscience. He's going to "come and get you" and put you back to the right path with discipline and you will respond because you recognise that you obey your Heavenly Father. Your profession of faith verbally doesn't mean you are saved, because alot profess yet some don't even know how to have a relationship with God.
How do I know I'm saved? It's a lifestyle of following God. It's about when you are sinning, the Holy Spirit will come to reprimand you. It is proof you are a child of God. Does Jesus know you? It's not about you knowing Jesus. Alot of people acknowledge Jesus for being a great teacher, alot of us do things in the name of Jesus, but does Jesus know YOU? Does he?
If we really know Jesus, shall we disregard all the teachings of Jesus? When God says no and we continue to live in sin, have we really acknowledged Jesus as our Lord? Satan also recognises Jesus as the Son of God, but Satan aint never going to enter heaven and live in harmony with God. So it's more than just acknowledging Jesus as Lord. It's a LIFESTYLE of doing the will of the Father.
I realise why people walked out on Paul Washer's preaching. Why he never got invited back again. It hit too close to truth. He was addressing American Christianity. I wonder and I am curious just how far Malaysian Christianity is from this situation nowadays.
I deal with youth on an almost daily basis. This is a generation where it has everything. Malaysian Christian youth enjoy visits from teams from Hillsongs and Planetshakers, they go for church camps, they lift their hands in retreats and pray with all their hearts. They do a lot of "Christian" stuff. They want to be "Jesus freaks", "Freaks for Christ".
But they fail to do the basics. Holiness. Godliness. Commitment.
How many Christian youth in our midst still swear? How many Christian youth do not honour God in their relationships? How many Christian youth realise that they should honour God in their daily attitudes concerning money, studies and character?
Does it hurt you when you didn't read the Bible for one night? Does it? When it is clearly harmful to play games like DOTA and Pokemon..do you hate it as much as God hates it or you can't help but still indulge in it? Do you?
When you know you were telling a lie to a parent about where you were last night, when you know you didn't do your part in finishing your work and procrastinated... does it remind you that you should glorify God through your daily responsibilities? Does it at all? When you laugh over sick jokes that are sensual and foolish, do you realise that God isn't laughing?
God desires a relationship with His children that He created. But it is a relationship that speaks of holiness. That speaks of commitment. That speaks of being changed into the likeness of Jesus.
God, I don't want to be another "Christian" who says she is saved because someone taught me how to pray and invite Jesus into my life. I want to profess my salvation through the workings of God in me, how He has changed me. My testimony of the Son of God in my life and how I am constantly changing myself, ridding myself of things opposite to God's nature, is the one thing that speaks for itself.
I cannot tell any person that they are indeed saved. I can only tell them how to be saved.
God saves. Jesus saves.
Not me. Not me.
