“Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
-1 John 5:12
Wedding vows used to be pretty standard. There was a time when you could pretty much bank on hearing the words, “I [husband's name] take you [wife's name] to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, 'til death us do part, according to God's holy law. In the presence of God I make this vow.”
The origins of that vow are sourced in Scriptures like 1 John 5:12 “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.”. The original word translated “has/have” is from the Greek word ἔχω (sounds like the English word echo), which means to have, hold, grip, retain, or possess.
Nowhere in Scripture will we find the popular contemporary teachings of either asking Jesus into our hearts or praying some prayer of salvation. Both of those concepts are more akin to magical incantations than any biblical truth. While Romans 10:9 certainly does reveal, “that if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” The power of salvation is in Christ Jesus; it is not in our incantations, rites, rituals, ceremonies, or traditions.
J.D. Greer wrote a book titled Stop Asking Jesus Into Your Heart back in 2013. Part of his objective was to irradicate the ridiculous tradition of becoming a Christian, i.e. a true disciple and follower of Christ, by merely reciting some words. That idea is utterly ridiculous to most pastors too, that's why we feel the need to “seal the deal” with a magical water ceremony called baptism, which looks nothing like the biblical concept of baptism.
Let's swing back for a moment to Romans 10:9 and look at the first part of that verse that if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’. The Greek word for “confess” is ὁμολογέω (homo-low-gay-ooh), and it carries massive significance. It literally means “one voice.” It most certainly does not mean that we get to “ask Jesus into our hearts” and then construct what kind of Jesus we want Him to be. It does not mean the kind of “confession” that equates to nothing more than hollow words gushing from profane lips as the mouthpieces of stone hearts. What it does mean is that our understanding and public profession of Jesus is in accord with the Scriptures -and- the historical apostolic testimony of Him as LORD.
The second part of Romans 10:9 states, ...and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. The same Greek word πιστεύω (pis-too-oh) can be translated either “believe” or “faith”. Faith, rather than mere belief, is what's being communicated here in Romans 10:9. The difference is monumental. That's why James wrote, “You believe that God is one. Good for you! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.” Even demons have an undeniable belief that Jesus is LORD, the Holy One of God, and that God is one. What demons don't have is faith. What demons don't do is willingly submit to God's will or participate in the mission of God. Therefore, a better translation and understanding of Romans 10:9 might be as follows:
if you give witness to Scripture's testimony with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and have faith in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
There are lots of churches today jam-packed with uber-religious casual Christians who are nothing more than Sunday believers. Sure, they've asked Jesus into their hearts and gotten wet, but like the seed that grew up in rocky soil, the joy fizzled and faded shortly thereafter. Sure, they might know all the traditions, rites, rituals, and ceremonies. Sure, they might sing, dance, and maybe even tithe some coin if they're catered to properly, but they've never given any serious public witness to the Lordship of Jesus as members of His Body & Bride. They've never demonstrated the supernatural gift of faith from the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 2:10 reveals, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life.” It's true, we don't have to go to church to be a Christian. That's because the church isn't Disney World. It's neither a geographical destination nor a physical structure. Instead, Scripture reveals it's our new and exclusive identity in Christ. Hyper-individualism, selfishness, and autonomy are key indicators that we are not, in fact, new creations in Christ.
1 John 5:12 reveals, “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.” What Scripture is disclosing is that whoever grips, seizes, cleaves, clings to, grabs hold, and refuses to let go of the Son (as evidenced by their public witness as members of His Body & Bride actively involved and invested in His mission of seeking and saving the lost) has life. Meanwhile, those who don't grip, seize, cleave, cling to, grab hold, and refuse to let go of the Son of God do not have life.
Many self-professing casual and cultural Christians treat their relationship with King Jesus as nothing more than a spiritual booty call. No commitment. No honor. No investment. Just give me the jollies, perks, promises, and blessings I deserve whenever I decide to call. That's why the LORD said in John 12:48, “There is a judge for the one who rejects Me and does not receive My words: The word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.”
Is the reality of your relationship with Christ Jesus, the Son of God, anything more than the belief of demons? Has it translated into actual faith in obedience to The Father's will and the mission of God? Is He someone you truly honor in the way you live your life as a functioning member of His Body & Bride? Is there evidence in your life's testimony that He's someone you've surrendered and committed to? Is He truly the first love of your life as the One you promised to forever have and to hold no matter what?
Blessings and love,
Kevin M. Kelley
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