Got Christ?

When someone asked me this question, I replied, “I am happy now and I don’t need Jesus.”

I found out that faith is not just believing facts about Jesus.  For example, that He is God’s Son and died on a cross.  Every American knows who the president is and some facts about him, yet he would not recognize them or invite them to ride on Air Force One.  Faith is not only asking for temporary help through a difficult time either.

Saving faith is repenting of your sins and trusting Christ alone to rescue you from your sin.  Repentance is not just feeling sorry, but a change of mind and heart.  It is an acceptance of Christ as owner and boss of your life.  It is complete trust in Him for every circumstance of your life, whether good or bad.

Here is a great story that illustrates what it’s like to believe in Jesus.  There was once a circus performer named Blondin.  One day he stretched a tightrope across Niagara Falls.  Without a safety net he walked, danced, cooked, and carried a man on his back across the falls.  He even pushed a wheelbarrow filled with bricks across and back again.  Amazing!  The crowd went wild.  “Do you think I can push a person across the falls and back”, he taunted?  “Oh yeah!”  “You can do it the people shouted as they raised their hands in excitement! 

Okay then, who will volunteer, he said.  As quick as the hands went up they went down.  No one volunteered to ride that day.

Many shout and cheer about what Jesus did, but do not volunteer for him to push them through life safely to the other side.  God’s grace really is better than what we think it is because we are really worse off than we think we are.  The Bible says…

            For the wages of sin is death,

            but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

                                                                                                Romans 6:23

            Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life,

            but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." 

                                                                                                John 3:36