Sunday, April 18, 2010

Believe in the Lord by Emily Carter

My daughter, Grace, has begun asking questions about faith in Jesus. This is very exciting for me. Sometimes her inquiries are deep and difficult to answer. For instance, her latest was this, “Why do we need to ask Jesus into our hearts? He already knows we believe in Him.” Some of you may have this same question.

Writing a second letter of encouragement to the Thessalonians, Paul pens these words, “But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.” (2 Thessalonians 2:13, NASB)

God chooses us for salvation. It is completely His work through the conviction of the Holy Spirit, and yet we must choose to believe in Him. That is a deep theological statement to make to a five year old, and yet she grasps it. Her only requirement is to believe in the Lord Jesus. This belief is more than just head knowledge. It is having faith and complete trust in Jesus for every aspect of life.

Paul, Silas, and Timothy were traveling, from one place to another, becoming somewhat frustrated and confused. They were “forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia; and after they came to Mysia they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them; and passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas.” Upon arriving in Troas, Paul had a dream. A Macedonian man was pleading with him to come to Macedonia and help them. Paul determined that this was the Lord calling them to share the good news in Macedonia. After preaching in two cities, they came to Philippi, a “leading city of the district of Macedonia, a Roman colony.”

Paul shares the gospel with Lydia and she believes. The church of Philippi begins meeting in her house. Paul gets in trouble with the law because God sets a young girl free from her demon possession, which upsets the men who are making money off of her fortune-telling. This lands Paul and Silas in prison. Around midnight, they begin singing hymns and praying, and the prisoners are listening to them. The earth begins to shake and the bars of the gates, that once closed them in, are now wide open. The chains are falling off and they are no longer bound. Yet, not one tries to escape. The prisoners are held captive by more than their chains. These men, this Paul and Silas, are singing and speaking Truth. The jailer awakes from his slumber, and seeing the doors open, he draws his sword and prepares to die. Paul cries out “Sir, do not harm yourself, we are all here.” Trembling with fear the guard asks, “What must I do to be saved?”

Paul and Silas respond, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.” Acts 16:1-31.

From the beginning, God chose to save the Macedonian jailer. Unbeknownst to Paul, it was going to require some movement from one place to another, some great times of sharing, and some prison time for God’s plan to come to fruition. I believe that my daughter will come to know Jesus as Savior and Lord, and that she will live out the full life that He offers her. I don’t know how or when it will happen, but it will be incredible to watch and recognize the work that God is doing.

What about you? Is God calling you to believe today? Is He calling you to step out and believe in the Lord for the first time? Let me encourage you to trust Him and know Him as Lord and Savior. Simply pray to God and let Him know that you realize that you are a sinner, someone who chooses to do things that are against Him and wrong. Acknowledge your need for Jesus, the One and Only Son of God. Ask Jesus to be your Savior and Lord and ask the Holy Spirit to take up residence in your heart. If this is a decision that you have made, please contact Josh at Crossroads Church at www.xroadschurch.us or call (704) 795-0423. The church would love to help you grow in your faith.

Do you already know Him? Is He asking you to move to another place in life? Is He asking you to share the gospel with someone? Is He asking you to sing His praises and pray to Him? Whatever God is asking, I pray you will respond as Paul did, with immediate obedience. We serve The Great and Mighty God, won’t you join Him in the work that He has prepared for you to do?

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