Friday, January 1, 2010
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When you stand at the edge of the overlook, gazing across at the mighty Niagara Falls, listening to its liquid thunder, you can't help but be impressed with its majestic beauty and its tremendous power. But that's as close as I want to get. A person who somehow fell into those churning waters would have little chance of survival; maybe no chance. That didn't seem to bother the famous tightrope walker known as the Great Blondin. No, back in 1859, he made history. He crossed the gorge of the Niagara River on a tightrope. At one point, he executed a back somersault. His next tightrope trip across the Falls, Blondin crossed on a bicycle, he walked across blindfolded, then pushed in a wheelbarrow, he cooked an omelet in the center, and he made the trip with his hands and feet manacled at one point. Then came his ultimate performance. He announced he would carry a man across the Falls on his back. Most folks believed he could do it. No one wanted to be the one who went on his back, though, except his manager who climbed on the back of the Great Blondin, and to the amazement of all who watched, arrived safely on the other side.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The 'Do You Really Believe?' Test."
So many people said they believed that the Great Blondin could carry a man on a tightrope across Niagara Falls. But none of them was willing to trust his life to Blondin, except that one man - his manager. In reality, he was the only one who really believed in the Great Blondin, because he staked everything on his trust in that man.
So many people say they believe in Jesus Christ. They say they believe that He died on the cross to rescue us from the death penalty of our sins. That He didn't stay dead; He rose from the dead. That's believing with your head, which the Bible does not accept as the kind of faith that will get you to heaven someday. No, Romans 10:10 insists that "it is with your heart that you believe and are justified (that means made right with God). And believing with your heart is more than agreeing with all the facts about Jesus or saying you believe that He can save us. It's climbing on his back and saying, "Jesus, I'm putting my total trust in You and in nothing else. Only You can erase my sins from God's book, and only You can carry me across to heaven."
The issue in whether or not you have a relationship with God isn't what beliefs you agree with or what meetings you go to, or what religion you're a part of. The whole issue is, "Where are you placing your trust to get you to heaven?" In your Christianity? In your Christian religion or rituals? In your Christian upbringing or your Christian knowledge? Or even trying to live like a Christian? None of those can save you from the awful death penalty for our sinful rebellion against God. It's got to be Jesus...all Jesus...only Jesus.
So our word for today from the Word of God is the familiar words of John 3:16. Listen this time as if your life depends on it. It does. "God so loved the world (you can put your name there...God so loved ______) that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever (Put your name there) believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."
Has there ever been a time when you clearly, consciously told Jesus that you were abandoning all other hopes and putting yourself completely in His hands to forgive your sin and to carry you across to heaven? It's that moment when you make everything He died on the cross for personally yours. Have you ever done that? If you don't know you have, you probably haven't. But today, as you feel His Spirit drawing you to Him, you need to get this settled. Just tell Him right now, "Jesus, I am yours from this day on."
A lot of people have been helped in beginning their relationship with Jesus just by going to our website. I've tried to lay out there as simply as I could how you can be sure you belong to Him. Let me encourage you to check it out. It's YoursForLife.net.
You've been so close. Your head does believe, but you've got to move Him those 18 inches from your head to your heart.