Reference: St. Luke 16:13
Are you a true believer of God's word? Didyou know that you can be deceived and misled concerning God's word? Can you saydefinitely, without a shadow of a doubt, that you're following Christ and Hisword, and not man's word? You're either following the footsteps of Jesus, orthe footsteps of Satan. Multitudes of people today are professing that they arefollowing the footsteps of Jesus, but are they?
To follow Jesus and His way, comes onlythrough and by the word of God. If you be a hearer of the word and not a doer,this doesn't justify you in the least little bit, that you are following Jesus.If profession only, makes an individual holy and righteous, I would have to saythat just about everybody is going to heaven. Read Matthew 7:14. Jesusspeaking: "Becausestrait is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few therebe that find it."
Reading in St.Luke's gospel 13:24, Jesus speakingagain, here He tells us: "Strive toenter in at the strait gate, for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in,and shall not be able." Areyou one of the few that Jesus is referring to in Matthew 7:14, or are you ofthe many who are seeking to enter in and shall not be able? Not every one thatsaith, "Lord,Lord," shall enterinto the kingdom of heaven. Are you one of the many that will say, "Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? And inThy name have cast out devils? And in Thy name done many wonderfulworks?" What did Jesussay? "Depart from me, ye workers ofiniquity, I never knew you." Areyou one of the many that's going to be turned down by our loving Saviour,thinking that you were doing God's service, concerning the truths in God'sword? Are you one of the many thousands and thousands of people that's beingdeceived and misled by the devil and his evil devices? Did you know that yourconfession and profession of being a Christian could all be in vain, orlabouring in vain? (Read Philippians 2:16.) Paul tells us in IICorinthians to examine ourselves,whether we be in the faith. And to prove ourselves, that Jesus lives within us,except we be reprobates. What Paul's trying to say is that, God will turnanyone over to a reprobate mind that will reject and not receive the truthconcerning God's word. Paul also states in IThessalonians 2:3: "For this cause also, thank we God without ceasing,because when ye received the word of God, which ye heard of us, ye received it notas the word of
man, but as it is in truth, the word of God, whicheffectually worketh also in you that believe." Many today are saying they are walking the path ofsalvation, and following the footsteps of Jesus, but they don't realize andunderstand that they could fall in the category of following the footsteps ofSatan, for Paul tell us, the mystery of iniquity doth already work. Even him,whose coming is after the working of Satan, with all power and signs, and lyingwonders. And with all deceiveableness of unrighteousness in them that perish,because they received not the love of the truth that they might besaved. And for this cause, God shall send them strong delusion that they shouldbelieve a lie, that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, buthad pleasure in unrighteousness. Are youin this small group and few numbered people that is going to be taken in therapture? Did you know God's word says there would be many called, but fewchosen? Also, there will be few saved. How then are we saved? Reading in James 1:21, "Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluetyof naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word which is able tosave your souls." Notice what theapostle James was saying. Receive with meekness, the engrafted word. Also read I Peter 2:1-2, "Wherefore, lay aside all malice, and allguile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speaking. As newborn babes,desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby." Peter tells us to be born again, not of corruptable seed,but of incorruptable, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever. Soyou see friend, being saved is more than just saying, "I believe upon thename of Jesus." The devils also believe, and tremble. Satan wants you tothink that all you have to do is to believe upon the name of Jesus. This goesto show me that Satan's on the warpath, seeking whom he may devour. He's alsorunning around like a roaring lion, deceiving mutitudes and mutitudes ofpeople. Are you being deceived? If you are, whose fault is it? My Bible tellsme, "Be not deceived, God is not mocked."Are you going to let Satan blind youreyes, and haul you down to a burning hell, where the fire is never quenched?Are you letting Satan tell you and whisper in your ear that God's word is notimportant to the saving of the soul? Are you listening to his lying tongue,when he tells you not to be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ forthe remission of sin? Are you letting Satan darken your understandingconcerning the word of God? Have you ever read Paul's writings in Ephesians 4th chapter, 18th verse, where he says their understanding would be darkened,being alienated from the life of God, through the ignorance that is in them,because of the blindness of their hearts? Paul also states: Ye have not solearned Christ, if so be that ye have heard Him, and have been taught by Him.As the truth is in Jesus, that ye put off concerning the former conversation,the old man, sin, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts. Paul tellsus to be renewed in the spirit of our mind, and that we put on the new man,which is Jesus the word, which after God, is created in righteousness and trueholiness. Have you taken on the new man, Christ Jesus the Word, or are youstill hanging around the neck of the old man, sin, not realizing and knowingthat he has you in his net? Have you heard the safety rules of today, Stop!Look! and Listen!? The world in which we live today had better take heed towhat saith the Lord, and Stop for a little bit, and see where we reallystand with God, and to Look, and to Listen, to His word. Paulsays to let no man deceive you with vain words. Do you know God is coming aftera church not having spot, wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should beholy and without blemish? Do you have any spots or wrinkles? Are you without blemish?Can you say, Christ really dwells within me? Christ can only dwell within anindividual that's keeping, and obeying, and relying upon His word. This is theonly way we can be saved. Acts 2:38 tells us: "Repent andbe baptized every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission ofsin, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." Without the Spirit of God, we're none of His. To follow thefootsteps of Jesus, we have to be holy and without blame, as He was, beingobedient to His word.