| We've all heard it before. We have a "higher calling."
I think this probably originated from Romans 8:28-30* , which simply states that God works all things for good - but only for those who have been called according to His purpose. It then goes on to say that He glorifies those that He calls. This is our "higher calling," God loves us and wants to glorify us. But He can't glorify a sinner.
Your probably thinkin,
"Daniel's about to tell me I'm going to hell for being a sinner! He's a hypocrite!"
No, I'm just laying the facts on the table. And according to the facts, I deserve to go to hell more than you do.
That said, let's continue...
About 9 of 10 people say they believe in God. Well I'm about to burst your bubble... Just believing in God won't get anyone anywhere - especially heaven. "But Daniel, didn't Jesus say that whoever believes in Him would have eternal life??" Yes, and he also specified what believers have to do, as well as believe (Matthew 7:21**). You'll understand better if we separate "Followers of Christ" and those who call themselves "Christians." We'll do this by drawing the line between "Faith in God" and "Believing God exists."
Faith: Having faith is placing trust. When you have Faith in God, you will trust Him with everything. You will trust Him with your job, your prosperity (food, shelter, finances, etc.), your friendships belong to God, your next breath belongs to God; you will trust Him with every aspect of your life - every second of it. And this enables you to be sensitive to the urging of the Holy Spirit (God speaking to us).
Believing: Just "believing in God," as in, just believing He exists. Isn't what He's looking for at all. Satan and his legions demons don't just "believe" God exists, they all KNOW that God exists... but they doesn't trust God; they're scared of Him...
By now you're probably thinking,
"But Daniel, you just don't know; I have faith!"
Ok, let's try your faith... read on...
According to Romans 10:17, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (which is the Bible). Those who "Live by faith, not by sight" will depend solely on God. But you can't create a dependency on Someone without knowing Them. Communication is vital; you have to talk to God; you have to pray. That means He chooses who you date, where you work, who your friends are, and, the one that really got me, which habits must be broken. That's what being Faithful is about.
Would you still say you have faith?
"I get it Daniel; you want me to be a Jesus-clone, a robot-for-God!"
Not at all. If God wanted people to HAVE to obey Him, He would have made robots. But tell me, do you think you would enjoy being loved if it wasn't an option. That's why God gave man the choice. Because when someone chooses to love you, it's real - it's not like the programming of a robot.
So now what? Do you change from belief to faith? Do you kill your pride, humble yourself before God and repent?
Or do you live the way you want to live, and convince yourself that because you "believe" God exists, He'll invite you into heaven?
Is it worth the risk? Eternity is a long time...
If nothing else, this I know for certain. Fear is NOT Faith. You can't have faith in God if you're afraid of His judgment. When you recognize that you deserved punishment, that you deserved the judgment of God - BUT THEN realize that He loved you enough to come to earth as a man and take the judgment for you (Isaiah 53:4-6***). He gives us a choice: to love Him, have faith in Him and go His way. Or love what we want to love, "believe" what we want to "believe," and go our way.
"But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve... But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." -Joshua 24-15
*Romans 8:28-30 - "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified."
**Matthew 7:21 - "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."
***Isaiah 53:4-6 - "Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all." |
