If there is no desire to learn about God in His Word, then there may be a deeper problem than simple rebellion…

28 Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control [the Spirit].

Our desire to please God comes from the Lord inside us. His Spirit testifies with Him (1 Corinthians 2:10-11). If a person does not recognize this connection and learn to respond to it, then there may be NO SPIRIT present in his life. In other words, he may have “fire insurance,” but no true salvation!

Jesus painted a very sobering picture with a story:

²⁴ “When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ ²⁵ When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. ²⁶ Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first.” Luke 11:24-26

A person who accepts Jesus as Lord but does not surrender his life to Him may get a perception of salvation (fire insurance), but he didn’t get Jesus! In fact, he is actually worse off than if he had never responded to the Good News about Jesus: Like with a vaccine, he is now inoculated with the Gospel–he has a dead strain that keeps him for getting the real thing. Hear the words of Jesus Himself:

²⁸ He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God [we read, He speaks] and obey it.” Luke 11:28

²³ Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.  ²⁴ Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. John 14:23-24

²¹ “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²² Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ ²³ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ Matthew 7:21-23

To know Jesus means that we have Him as Lord of our lives. He lives in us; HE gives the orders and we obey. It really is that simple.

If you have any doubts about your salvation, just know that Satan will never make you doubt if you are lost. He wants you thinking you are saved when you’re not. But, if you are feeling the conviction of the Holy Spirit, then do what you did at first: Make Him your first love. Give all you know of you to all you know of Him. And then find out all you can about Him IN HIS WORD.

Abba, I pray that every reader would feel some conviction about spending time in Your Word. May they receive a hunger and a thirst for Your righteousness, which is found in the pages of Scripture–both Old and New! Thank You for leading me to Jeremiah; WOW, what a book! I hear from every page, “WAKE UP!” May You wake me up, O Lord, and praise Your holy name, study Your holy word, and live a holy life. Amen.