Reference: John 1:11-12
If you were to go to any denominationalchurch today, of which there are many, I can just about guarantee that all ofthem would tell you that to receive Christ as your personal Saviour is donesimply by saying that you receive him with an audible voice or by saying itwithin your own heart to yourself. What this really boils down to is that youreceive Christ into your heart and life by just saying and telling him to comeinto your heart. This belief is believed because of the fact that Christ saidin Revelation 3:20 that if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I willcome into him, and will sup with him, and he with me. From this statement manhas been led to believe that to receive Christ into your heart is done simplyby opening the door of your heart and just allow him to come on in. This is notwhat it means in order to receive Christ into your heart. I want you to noticeclosely that Jesus said in Revelation 3:20 that if any man "hear his voice" and openthe door, then he would come into him. Do you know what the voice of Christ ismy friend? The voice of Christ is the word of truth that is revealed in thegospel. So in order to receive Christ into your heart then you must receive thetruth and obey it. I also want you to notice that Jesus tells us in John 13:20 that if wereceive someone that is sent of God, then we would also receive him. Nowfriend, how can you receive a person sent of God into your heart other than byreceiving what he is saying with his mouth? If God sent a preacher to youwouldn't you receive him by accepting what he said if you thought he wastelling you the truth? You receive a person or reject a person by what theysay. If you do not accept what a certain preacher teaches, then you will rejecthis teaching and therefore fail to receive him.
When Christ came preaching tothe Jews they rejected him by refusing to allow him to teach them the truthsconcerning the kingdom of God. Our text tells us that Christ came to his own,but they did not receive him. He was not received, meaning that the Jewsrefused to accept his teachings. The Bible also tells us that as many as didreceive him they were given the power to become the sons of God. Those that didreceive him received him by accepting what he taught. If you refuse to accept amans teaching then you are actually rejecting him, but if you receive what heteaches then you are actually receiving him. I want you to notice also in ourtext where Jesus tells us that if we receive someone that he sends, then bydoing this we would also receive Christ. We can receive Christ in this manner,because an individual that God sends preaches the truth and according to God'sword, Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. So ifyou receive truth then you are receiving Christ. So in order for you to receiveChrist into your heart and life, then you must receive and walk in the truth ofthe gospel. Just about every preacher that I know or hear on the radio willtell you that to receive Christ as your own personal Lord and Saviour is donesimply by inviting him into your heart. How can this be true seeing that God'sword tells us that Christ is the Truth of God's word? The Bible very plainlypoints out the fact that Christ was the Word that became flesh. When those Jewsreceived Christ, when he was on this earth preaching, they had to receive himby accepting what he told them. The doctrines in today's churches will teachyou that to receive Christ is done by confession on him and accepting the workhe accomplished at Calvary. If you say that you receive Christ in this mannerhow then is it possible for Christ to be truly in your heart seeing that God'sword reveals that Christ is the Word of God and the truth of God? If you justsay that you receive him as your Saviour you are only acknowledging the factthat he is a Saviour. Christ is most certainly the Saviour, because it was hethat died on the cross for our sins. But just to accept the fact that youaccept what the Bible says about him being the Saviour is not how you receivehim into your heart and life. If you believe that he died for you and that hewas raised from the dead, then you can be saved if you will receive what heteaches in his word of the gospel. If you may believe that you are saved becauseof the fact that you say he died for you, then this only proves that you are abeliever and can be saved by walking in the light of the truth of the gospel ofChrist. To follow and obey Christ means that you must walk in the truth andobey it, because Christ is the truth revealed in the gospel. This is why thegospel is called the gospel of Christ. He is revealed in the gospel to themthat receive and obey its contents. Look at all the many thousands of peoplethat follow Billy Graham. He teaches that making a quick decision in your mindto accept Christ as Saviour is all there is to salvation. He calls his ministrythe "Hour of Decision". Thousands of people are led to believe that they are born againchristians because of the fact that they confess to believe on him and accepthim as their personal Saviour. They are not taught the revealed truths of thegospel, because receiving Christ is not done in this manner. Since Christ isnot received into your heart by just saying you welcome him in your heart, thentoday's church converts cannot possibly be saved, because to receive Christ isdone by receiving and walking in the truth of God's word. What truth is beingproclaimed in today's churches other than telling the people that Christ is theSaviour and that he died for the sins of the world? This is all that thechurches are teaching thinking that they are saved. The teachings of the churchtoday is nothing but what Christ did and said as according to what the fourgospels state. To teach the Bible in this manner will only give you a headknowledge of what Christ did. How can you be saved by just knowing what theletter of the word says without knowing the revelation of the truth? Manypeople can read the Bible like any other book, but unless you understand how toreceive Christ into your heart and life then you will never be able to besaved. This is why the churches teach that nobody can understand the mystery ofthe new birth. You cannot understand the new birth if you are not of God,because your mind cannot receive the things of God being in a carnal state. Ifyou have been deceived from the truth then you cannot know the truth norreceive the truth unless God opens your mind of understanding to receive it.You are dead in your sins and trespasses and cannot resurrect yourself fromthis dead state. If you are not willing to receive and walk in truth thenyou'll positively never come to the knowledge of the truth that will set youfree. If you go along with today's teachings of how to receive Christ in yourlife, then all that you have is your belief that you are saved withoutpossessing the transforming power of God in your heart. Take a good close lookat the average convert in today's churches and tell me that this is not true.The churches are void of truth and cannot lead you to Christ. If you wantChrist, then walk in truth......