JOHN 3:36 "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them"..... JAMES 2:18-20 18 "But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. 20 You foolish person,... do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless."
These don't contradict each other. There are many people who believe in Jesus, but they reject Him by their actions/lifestyle. We can "believe" all we want to, but what good will it do at the final judgement? Not one iota.
JOHN: 14:15 “If you love me, keep my commands."
We can "do all the right things", follow His commands, but if our heart is not devoted to Him, then it does not do one bit of good. The key word is: LOVE. We have to have a relationship with Jesus first and foremost. Then, BECAUSE we love Him, we will WANT show that love to Him by following and obeying Him.
These don't contradict each other. There are many people who believe in Jesus, but they reject Him by their actions/lifestyle. We can "believe" all we want to, but what good will it do at the final judgement? Not one iota.
JOHN: 14:15 “If you love me, keep my commands."
We can "do all the right things", follow His commands, but if our heart is not devoted to Him, then it does not do one bit of good. The key word is: LOVE. We have to have a relationship with Jesus first and foremost. Then, BECAUSE we love Him, we will WANT show that love to Him by following and obeying Him.
How do we have a relationship with Jesus? We spend time with Him. How? We read His Word. We pray. We STUDY His Word. We listen to sermons.
Is having a relationship with Jesus easy? Is having any relationship easy? The key difference between a relationship with Jesus and a relationship with another person is that Jesus will NEVER fail you. Jesus is ALWAYS there for you. Jesus will ALWAYS love you. You can't say that about anyone else. Jesus will also NEVER push you into a relationship with Him, but He is ALWAYS holding out His hand, waiting for you to grab hold of it. It is YOUR choice. You have to make the conscious effort every second, every minute, every hour, every day to follow Him.
But remember, if you fail, if you sin, there is an answer: 1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."
I AM BLESSED!!
Keep Smiling!! :)
I AM BLESSED!!
Keep Smiling!! :)
