Look to the Lord

“looking to Jesus, the founder, and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2 ESV)

We speak of the necessity of sharing the gospel with those who do not know Christ. Sometimes, both the seeker and the sower are confused about evangelism. In the Great Commission, Christ called His disciples to share the gospel with nations. As disciples of Christ, we are not just called but empowered to do the same.

This task can be confusing. Sinners often look for salvation in other sinners. Have you ever heard the saying, “Birds of a feather flock together?” Sinners have no idea what salvation is, but the irresistible pull of the Lord calls them.  If they meet a false teacher, they may not realize it until much later. On the other hand, some who spread the gospel may become lost in the prospects of spreading the word, especially when there is success believing they had some hand in the salvation of another.

Paul reminds us in Romans 3:12, “All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;no one does good, not even one.” There are two sides to our existence. We who have been saved by Christ are in a right relationship with God. Yet, the essence of sin still lives in us. We are human; we cannot save anyone. I have been in the service of Christ in ministries for over 50 years. I have seen the Lord save many who have received the gospel. Once, someone asked me, “What is your secret to saving souls?” This is the confusion I speak of. I can save no one; only Christ can save. Sinners come to other sinners believing they can provide salvation when, in fact, it is Christ who saves. I hope you can see how this can be confusing, especially for one spreading the Word who is self-centered, not Christ-centered.

The apostle John wrote of this in his gospel 10:1, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber.” The one who climbs in the sheepfold and is a thief is the false teacher, the prideful teacher, the self-centered teacher. There are so many false teachers today. These “preachers” preach false gospels, and yet people flock to their mega-churches. Why? Because these men and women who are false teachers tell people what they want to hear. They tell them things that a sinner wants to hear. There is no focus on Christ; it is focused on man. These poor souls are not looking to Jesus, the only one who can save them; they are content with the tickling of Satan, and believing they are saved, many will perish.

This is how Satan works. He is a liar, and he leads people away from the Lord; all the while, the people believe they are saved, that they understand the gospel, that they are right with God, and sadly, they are not.

Jesus knows His sheep. The elect of God was known before creation. Those who are the elect will, at some point, hear the gospel and come to the Lord. This brings us back to the necessity of spreading the gospel. It is the only way the lost will hear the word. But it is not we who save; it is Christ. We are just a vessel in which Christ works. Christ told us this in John 10:27-28, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.”

Paul reminds us that we are all under sin, both Jew and Gentile. Paul also tells us that Christ saves His sheep, his elect, “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart, one believes and is justified, and with the mouth, one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”(Romans 3:9-11). Everyone who believes there is no separation or qualification.

It is Christ alone who saves; Jesus said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”(Matthew 11:28-30 ESV) Jesus gives your soul rest.

We will always have troubles, but those troubles are overridden by the grace of the Lord. Only Jesus can save your soul. As the writer of Hebrews wrote, Jesus is the “perfecter of our faith, the author and the finisher”

If you do not know Christ, come to Him today.    

God’s Blessings.