Scripture References: Acts 2:38 and Acts 3:19-20
The common teaching on how to receive Christ, found intoday's many denominational churches, is just to merely believe on him and toaccept him as their Lord and Savior, but this is far from the truth of thematter as revealed in Gods word. In the average church today, after thepreacher has preached his twenty minute or so sermonette, they will give aninvitation for anyone to go down to the altar and ask God to save them. Theylike a sheep led to the slaughter will do that, believing they were saved andChrist became their Savior, but have you ever wondered why there is no changein these people that do that and they still call themselves sinners stillcommitting sin in their life? Well the reason is simply because they did nottruly receive Christ into their heart, and that's why their heart is stillfilled with sin and wickedness and still living a life of sin. And further morethey still refer to themselves as sinners, and rightly so because that'sexactly what they are not having their heart purified of all it's sin andwickedness.
Until the heart of man has been changed by purifying it ofall sin, you will remain dead in your sin and die in those sins and suffer theconsequences of the second death, which is to be cast into the lake of fire.When Christ truly comes into the heart the Bible way a miracle takes place,which is the purifying of the heart, as stated in Acts 15:8-9 that says, "AndGod, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost,even as he did unto us; And put no difference between us and them, purifyingtheir hearts by faith." Until the heart is changed or purified from all it'swickedness, an individual will still be prone to the sin of their heart,because it's the heart of man that motivates him and determines his life to bea sinful and rebellious life against God. But when the Spirit of Christ takesup his abode in the heart all the evil it contains is spiritually removed. Butthis purifying of the heart did not touch the sin of both the flesh and spiritthat is yet infested with sin. And this is why Paul tells us these words asstated in Romans 12:1-2 that says, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by themercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy,acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service, And be not conformed tothis world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye mayprove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
Until Christ takes up his abode in your heart, you willremain a sinner and prone to that sin that indwells your whole being thatconsists of a body, a soul, and a spirit. The realm of the Christian worldtoday with it's many millions confessing to be born again, but still living insin, Christ has not truly come into their heart. Just saying you receive Christas your Savior is not how Christ is received into the heart. In Revelation 3:20we find this scripture saying, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if anyman hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup withhim, and he with me." Notice carefully Jesus said here that he stands at thedoor and knocks, which is the door into your heart. You must hear his voice,which is his revealed truth of scripture, and you must open your hearts door tothat voice and then Christ will come into your heart and purify it by faith.
You will never come to know Christ personally until you doexactly what he tells you to do. You may ask what is the word that we must hearand open our hearts door to so Christ can come in our heart? What you must hearand do is what the apostle Peter said as recorded in Acts 2:38 that says, "ThenPeter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name ofJesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of theHoly Ghost." Until you do exactly this you will never receive Christ in yourheart. The confessing Christian world today is totally void of Christ and theirhearts has not been changed, but yet they claim to be saved or born again stillliving in sin and even calling themselves sinners. There is no spiritual changein them whatsoever, because they still sin and call themselves sinners. Christcame to save sinners from sin; not in sin as ninety some percent of thembelieve. Whether you believe it or not it makes all the difference in the worldas to what you believe concerning Gods word. If what you believe has not made achange in your heart giving you power over sin, then it's an evident fact thatyou are not believing the truth of Gods word, which is the only thing that willset you free from sin's power.
Jesus made it clear in John 8:34 saying he that commits sinis a servant of sin; and a servant of sin is not a servant of God nor a servantof righteousness. Paul tells us these words recorded in Romans 6:16 that says,"Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servantsye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?"So you are either a servant of sin, that will lead to death in the lake offire, or a servant of righteousness that will inherit the new earth whereindwells righteousness, as Peter tells us in his epistle of II Peter 3:13. Ifwant to believe that Christ is your Savior and that he is in your heart, butyet live in and commit sin, then so be it. God forces nobody to believe andobey his word. The Corinthian converts that was converted to Christ underPaul's ministry was committing all kinds of sin when Paul came to them. Hewarned them as stated in I Corinthians 15:34 saying, "Awake to righteousness,and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to yourshame." So if you claim to be saved and still live in sin, then what Paul saidto his Corinthian converts goes for you as well, and if you cannot do this,then do as Paul said to his converts at Corinthsaying, "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye bereprobates?" Paul told them this because they were yet committing sin, but ifChrist was truly in them, then they could obey that command and get their lifestraightened up. But if they did not obey that command, then God would have definitelycut them off. So what about you, can you wake to righteousness and sin not; ordoes sin have power over you instead of you having power over sin? If that'syour case, then start believing Gods word and he will open your eyes to histruth