January 31, 2008

 

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.

--Romans 10:9

 

There are three things that go hand-in-hand with becoming a follower of Jesus Christ. But these three things don’t add to your salvation as a believer in Christ. They accompany your decision to follow Christ. Or to put it another way, they are three responsibilities you have that go along with your salvation.

 

The first responsibility you have as a believer is to make sure you have a profession that’s public.

 

There’s no such thing as a secret disciple of Jesus Christ! In fact, it was Jesus Himself who said in Luke 12:8-9, “Everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God.”

 

The second responsibility you have as a Christ-follower is to make sure you have a baptism that is biblical.

 

I think there’s a lot of confusion out there about the ordinance of baptism. Remember, baptism itself cannot save you. It expresses your faith in the Lord Jesus… and it’s an act of obedience that God blesses!

 

Finally, the third responsibility you have as a Christian is to make sure you belong to a fellowship that is faithful.

 

The reason we belong to and commit to a local church is because godly character isn’t only taught, it’s caught! The Scripture even reminds us in Proverbs 13:20 that “whoever walks with the wise becomes wise.”

 

It’s my prayer that you will follow Christ in obedience in these areas today!

 

AFTER YOU ACCEPT CHRIST, GOD ASKS you TO FOLLOW AND OBEY HIM.