Believers and Disciples 8

Jesus said some things that many of us just don't deal with- probably because so much of what he said just turns our thinking on its head. We have all been taught that our salvation is by faith, not by works. Many of us feel that we "prayed the sinners prayer" at some point in the past and therefore we are born again and therefore we are forgiven and are assured of going to heaven.

Some say that they "have turned their lives over to Jesus," some say they "have dedicated their life to Christ," and some others say that they responded to an "altar call" or perhaps had an emotional experience in a church gathering of some kind. Any and all of these things are often taken as confirming our surety of heaven and eternal life.

But is it that simple? Does Jesus simply just allow our thinking to go the way we would have it go? If you've been paying attention to postings 1-7, you know the answer is going to be "No, Jesus does not just leave it there." He wants more from us. One thing he wants is for us to forgive.

Have you said the Lord's Prayer lately? Have you read the sixth chapter of Matthew lately?

For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

"But," someone may say, "I asked God to forgive me! So, I must be forgiven and I know I'm going to heaven. How can Jesus say that if I am unwilling to forgive others then I will not be forgiven? Doesn't he know how hard it is to forgive that person who did something awful to me? Jesus really can't expect me to forgive that person, can he"?

The problem is that some of the people who have decided what the Bible says and what we need to believe have not presented the whole picture. Here's what I mean- if the teaching of a Bible "truth" requires that we ignore something Jesus said, because Jesus' teaching doesn't fit the "truth," then we have a problem.

And Jesus knew we would have problems like this- that's why he said, Why do you call me Lord and not do what I say?