For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Ever since Sunday School, I was fed this passage over and over again like it was some sort of magic wand that I could use to get to Heaven. How easy it is! All you gotta do is believe, right? Here's the problem though: Most of the people who say they believe, really don't.
The idea of believing seems to have devolved into just... saying you believe. It's like reciting an oath and just moving on. Okay, so maybe it is an oath. That only make things worse when you live a sinful life. In that case, you are breaking an oath! Who cares if you still think you believe; you broke the damn oath!
There is more to believing than simply saying so. Believing that God and Jesus are who they are means that there is a responsibility to living your life a certain way. You can't just say it and continue acting like a sinner. Sinners are sinners. The wages thereof is death. Believing in Christ means you change your ways there and from then on.
They call it getting reborn. Well, how disappointing is it to be reborn only to do all the stupid stuff all over again? It makes no sense! If you're going to do something, follow through with it! This is mainly why I don't actually think people really believe as they said they did. They may believe in an eternally forgiving God who looks past all their failing after the initial oath, but I really doubt he is that forgiving. He 's probably disgusted by all this behavior. Why not try and be a good person rather than looking for loopholes that don't actually exist?
John 3:16 is true. It is very important. But if you go into it half-assed, then it will ultimately destroy you when your time has come. Take it seriously! Don't try and interpret it. If you are going to be a Christian, than you better go into it 100%. It's an oath. The punishment for breaking that oath is death.
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My mom told people, "Jesus said, GO AND SIN NO MORE." She explained that SIN NO MORE was NOT a suggestion. It was a command. Forgiveness was conditional. You are given a clean slate... but only once. The punishment is death if you turn on the thing you supposedly embraced.
ReplyDeleteBelief has t be backed up by actions or it simply isn't belief. I mean... If you believe God will send you to hell and continue to sin, I would assume that you love the idea of going to hell. In that case, you're weird.
DeleteEven the devils believe and tremble. Belief has no value unless it produces change. Without works, it is dead.
ReplyDeleteExactly. Yep. Belief isn't worth much as far as actual substance is concerned.
DeleteExactly! The idea that you can lead a sinful life and "believe in your heart and be forgiven" is feel good nonsense. Jesus was very clear, in saying "no one comes to The Father except through me"; He is The Way if you do not walk his path then you are lost, you can believe all you want but you have to demonstrate your belief in all your ACTIONS.
ReplyDeleteThere are SO MANY PEOPLE doing this today. It is so pathetic that people think that this verse is a magic wand that will allow them to sin and get away with it scott free.
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