Check Your Heart

This is something very important to me. I fear a lot of my friends think they’ll go to heaven when they die because they quoted a “prayer of salvation” at some point in their lives.  By quoting a prayer, I mean they said something like this with their MIND: “God, I know I’m a sinner. Please forgive me of my sin and come into my heart. Help me to follow You all of my life.” They may not have even prayed this prayer. At some point they just said, “Yeah, I believe in God,” and thought the job was done.  

It’s one thing to believe God exists and that Jesus was born, died for our sins, and rose from the dead three days later. Even Satan believes that. 

But have you truly REPENTED of your sin? Did you do a 180° and turn from your sin and give your life unreservedly to God? Did you make him Lord of your life—which means He is now your boss? Did you give up control completely to Him? I won’t lie…it’s a hard thing to give up control. But have you let go??

I don’t mean have you quit sinning! Sin will always be around. Jesus told us there was a way to know that we’re His. Is there fruit in your life—fruit like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness? Do you talk about God? Do you have a desire to read the Bible and pray? Do you want to be different? Have you CHANGED? When you give God your heart, He begins changing your desires. 

Jesus told his disciples to “follow me.”  It’s the same for us. Are we following Jesus? Do we want to be different? Have we completely given Him our heart? It was obvious that the disciples were following him—they went where He went. It should be just as obvious that we’re following Jesus. But we don’t know how to follow Him if we’re not reading His guidebook, the Bible. 

It boils down to this. It’s not about believing with your mind. It’s believing with your heart. It’s understanding that you’re a sinner and need a savior to go to heaven. Jesus is the only way.  God made it fair for everyone by making one way. You have to repent of (turn away from) sin and follow Jesus. It’s an act of faith—trusting God’s words and letting go of your control and giving control to God. I’ve found it’s not only an initial decision in giving up control—I’ve had to frequently give up my control to His once I began following Him. Also…He’s never promised His followers an easy life. In fact, He told us to expect tribulation. But our reward isn’t here on earth—it’s in heaven!  

I just don’t want you to THINK you’re going to heaven when you’re not. Check your heart. Have you given up control to a God who loves you? The prayer above is a good prayer if you understand what it means and do it with all of your heart. 

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16