Do You Truly Know Jesus?

Author: Michele at ScriptureStudy.Guide
Posted: July 10, 2021. Updated November 29, 2022.

When the rubber meets the road on the very last day of earth’s history, you do NOT want to be a person to whom Jesus Christ says “Get away from me, I don’t know who you are.”

Many will work to enter in at the straight gate, but they will not be able. The master will rise at an unknown time and shut the door. Those outside will knock but the master will say “I do not know you.” They will explain that he does know them… they have eaten and drank with him and they have heard his messages that he taught in their streets; but he will tell them “I don’t know who you are. Get away from me you who willfully act against me” (Luke 13:24-28).

Those who did not prepare properly to meet the bridegroom were utterly foolish. When the bridegroom finally arrived, it was too late for the wise to help them. The unprepared missed him and called for him, but he told those foolish ones “I know you not” (Matthew 25:1-13).

Only those who do the will of the heavenly Father will enter into heaven. On that day, many will cry out “Lord, Lord, we preached in your name, we helped people in your name, we did many mighty works in your name,” but the Lord will respond “I never knew you; leave me, you who stubbornly rebel against me” (Matthew 7:21-23).

ALL have sinned and are in need of redemption through the blood of Christ Jesus (Romans 3:23-24). No human being, regardless of ethnicity, who is under the works of the law can be found right in God’s sight (Romans 3:9-20). The only way to God is through the Son (John 14:6).

Without repentance, one does not have Jesus Christ. Without Jesus, the righteous are only self-righteous. Without Jesus, earthly works are futile and meaningless. Faith alone without believing, or believing alone without faith, does not bring salvation — even Satan himself believes that Jesus is the Savior of mankind (Mark 3:11) and he honors Jesus’ words and flees when told (James 2:19).

Believing through faith is knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that we have been redeemed through the shed blood of Jesus on the cross, and because we died to sin, we now live our earthly lives according to the commandments of God.

Faith is NOT holding staunchly to and defending messages rooted in human traditions that are preached by a fallible man standing behind a pulpit. Through God’s grace, we are justified by faith when we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 4:1-8), so never put your faith in the teachings of man… ALWAYS refer to God’s Word and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you to His truth.

True Salvation is…

Repenting of sins. Acts 20:21. Acts 11:18. 1 John 1:9. Revelation 2:5.
Believing in Jesus’ Gift with all your heart, mind and soul. John 3:16. Acts 16:31. John 1:12. John 20:31.
Confessing with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Savior and Lord. Romans 10:9. Matthew 10:32. Romans 10:10.
Calling upon the Lord in prayer. Romans 10:13. Ephesians 2:8. Romans 6:23.
Living in God’s Will, according to His commandments. Romans 6:12-18. 1 Corinthians 7:19. 1 John 5:3. Ecclesiastes 12:13.
Receiving God’s Gift of believing through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:8-10. John 6:44. John 6:29.
Dying to self and taking up your cross daily. Luke 9:23. Galatians 5:24. Matthew 10:38. Mark 8:34.

Salvation is a gift from God that we cannot obtain of ourselves lest any man should boast (Ephesians 2:9). It is through God’s grace and mercy only — He will hear our prayer when we realize and admit the wretchedness of our fallen natures (this is true repentance).

The Prayer of Salvation

Admit to the heavenly Father that you have not been living your life as He wants you to.
Tell Him you need His abundant grace and mercy to change your life.
Ask Him to break all strongholds in your life, including your stubborn will, so you may follow Him.
Tell Father that you believe His Son, Jesus Christ, was born in the flesh and died on the cross to pay the price for your sins.
Confess your sins to God and ask Him to forgive you. Repent with all of your heart, mind and soul.
Thank Him that, because of your belief through faith in what Jesus did for you on the cross, you are now justified in His eyes and made right with Him.
Ask God to fill you with His Holy Spirit so you may be given wisdom and understanding of His written living word.
Ask God for help in following His commandments and living according to the doctrine of Jesus Christ. Tell Him you give yourself totally to Him.
Thank God for loving you, for forgiving you and for saving you through His grace.
End your prayer “In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”

We must repent daily and often

God extends His grace to everyone who seeks it, but we can fall out of grace by our actions and sinful natures. Upon salvation, we become branches grafted onto the vine that is Jesus. God is the vinedresser who will prune us into greatness through trials and tribulations (Psalms 11:5). We flourish as we are shaped in Him. However, our branch can wither, die and fall off the vine should we turn from Him and His ways (John 15:1-11).

Precious friend, let me make something perfectly clear here: If anyone tells you otherwise by claiming you can live your sinful life after salvation and still remain on the vine, they are a deceiver and of the antichrist spirit — a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Take heed, you have been warned by God in His Word — see John 15:6, Deuteronomy 28:63, Psalms 37:28 & 38, Proverbs 10:30 and Proverbs 11:3. Wickedness and sin is FOUL to God and He will not be in the presence of it (Proverbs 6:16-19). If we truly know Jesus, we will hate sin (Proverbs 8:13, Psalms 97:10, Romans 12:9, Amos 5:15) — it’s impossible to do something you hate with a passion on a regular basis. Friendship with the world and its ways makes you an enemy of God (James 4:4)… enemy is a very strong word.

God is exceedingly patient and merciful beyond measure, so He will re-graft you to His vine if you turn from your ways and genuinely repent. However, if this is a practice you have to do frequently, then you just went through the motions, trying to receive the benefits of salvation without ever truly receiving the power of the Holy Spirit. You won’t actually receive true salvation unless your heart (your desires, what and who you love), mind (your choices and decisions of what you do and who and what you serve) and soul (your spiritual being) are firmly dedicated to the ways, promises and commandments of God.

We still must deal with our carnal flesh

Understand that even after salvation, our flesh will tempt us daily to go back to our old ways and former pleasures. Until we are incorruptible spirits made perfect, we have to subdue the unrighteous desires of the carnal flesh that we have while on this cursed earth. Undesired thoughts will enter our minds from out of nowhere. We may sin and not even realize it due to old habits or laziness in obtaining knowledge. Or we may willingly sin due to weakness (the Holy Spirit will strongly convict you with guilt and shame — heed His guidance!). God has given us the power to overcome and will provide a way of escape (James 4:7). Always keep a repentant heart so you may continue to walk daily in the way of the Lord. His desire is to take you and keep you under His wing (Psalms 91:4, Luke 13:34).

See the article Dealing with Temptations and Sin for further help in this area.

Devils reside in our carnal flesh. See the section “Identifying the Spiritual Principalities” in this article for more information.

Do not love your life to the death

Those who love their extremely short earthly life will lose their eternal heavenly life. We may be called to leave family members and friends who are not in Christ, change occupations, move to a different location, etc. We will need to stop watching filth and worldly propaganda on our screens, make changes in our entertainment preferences, be sober, and stop going to places where wickedness is practiced and revered.

You will be leaving the evil things of this physical world behind so you may partake in the sheer joy and rewards of the present spiritual Kingdom of God. You will be in the minority and the world will hate you just as it hated Jesus (John 15:18-25).

My experience is that people who call themselves a Christian will attack you more ferociously than an unbeliever. The blessing is — we no longer care what the world thinks. Never allow anyone to take your crown, and never give permission to anyone to make you feel less than or inferior in any way. God has got this and He’s got you.

The Test of a True Conversion in Christ

After salvation, if you are not dying to know God’s character and personality, then you do not love Him. If you aren’t thirsting for the knowledge that He has, then you are not of Him. If you are not seeking wisdom by having a burning desire to learn what is best for you, then you are still lost. I repeat: YOU. ARE. STILL. LOST. Metaphorically speaking, you lost the race but are demanding the trophy. Everyone wants the trophy, but only a true winner puts in the dedication required to rightfully possess it. Asking for salvation and going through the process will not cause God to call you to Him unless you are willing to make sacrifices/die to self and fully accept His ways (Luke 9:23-24).

I understand that some people just hate to read, but God will correct that quickly for the truly redeemed person who opens up their bible and asks Him for guidance from His Holy Spirit. There are audio bibles and wonderful articles online to assist you in your study. The Holy Bible is penned by the Almighty Himself — it is the most fascinating piece of literature and historical work that has ever and will ever grace this earth… even pagans study it and preach it’s words because it is infallible to a fault.

While this world will one day come to complete destruction, God’s Word will NEVER die… it is a living, breathing work that the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit will use to guide you and comfort you. It will tell you what you need to hear at the time you need to hear it. The Word is Jesus Christ (John 1:1, 1:14).

Faith is a Gift from God

Our ABILITY to believe through faith in Jesus Christ is not something our human willpower can will to happen (Romans 9:15-16; Philippians 2:13). This kind of faith is solely a spiritual gift from God that He wishes to extend to all who truly seek Him.

If Still in Doubt

If still in doubt, keep the commandments of God and pray fervently and ask God to draw you into Him through His Son.

“and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith.” ~2 Thessalonians 3:2

Do not be the unreasonable and wicked man who believes in his own abilities. Man must die to the world/die to self and pride, and give ALL credit for ALL things to God the Father — no flesh will glory in the presence of God. God will break your worldly self to save you, if you genuinely seek Him and His ways.

“For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.” ~1 Corinthians 1:26-29

As a New Christian….

….it is important that your knowledge of God’s Word begins here:

Know that you are now in a spiritual kingdom while on this earth — read The Kingdom of God is Here and Millennial Reign – The Thousand Years.
Know that YOU are spiritual Israel, and what the nation state of Israel is — read God’s Chosen People.
Know Jesus’ specific instructions for you — read Jesus’ Instructions for Us.
Familiarize yourself with the commandments that God has written in your heart and mind — this is covered in the article The Sabbath According to Jesus.
Avoid the observance of pagan holidays which is the practice of idolatry — read Is Christmas Jesus’ Birthday? and Easter is Not the Resurrection Day.
Be aware of the deceptions that Satan has in place in today’s church houses — read Seven False Teachers in the Church and How Satan is Deceiving You.
Know how to study your bible in the original Hebrew and Greek because bible translators are fallible men — a how-to is here: Suggested Study Resources.

I promise that if you read the 10 articles above to the point that you thoroughly understand them, and check them with your bibles, then you will know more of God’s truths than 95% of self-professed Christians in the world today. Be in the rare minority that is the elect of God. All praise and glory to our heavenly Father for opening our eyes and ears to His truths!

Christians Rejoice in the Lord!

“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,” ~Ephesians 2:1

You have received GRACE instead of JUDGMENT!

You have received MERCY instead of WRATH!

You have received the HOLY SPIRIT! Ask and you shall receive!

You have been given a new family, your brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus all under the care of your Father God Creator of All!

You have been given a forever home in the heavenly realm of Father God… you are it’s glorious city, the New Jerusalem which will descend from heaven in all her glory!

Your life has been given divine purpose! You are now reigning with Jesus Christ in the Kingdom of God, preaching from Zion, sharing with everyone your newfound joy in the Gospel of Christ Jesus!

Our trials and tribulations can now be given over to God which He will use to give us great rewards in Heaven! The weakest of us are now warriors in Christ!

You have been given a blank slate to do with what you will, so make it God’s Will! (See What is God’s Will for Me? and Use of Spiritual Gifts.) You are a precious, glorious, priceless, unique, irreplaceable gem in the spiritual Kingdom of God! I love you, your brothers and sisters in Christ love you, and God loves you!

Jesus Christ is sitting at the right hand of God the Father in heaven advocating for you… Jesus is rooting for you! He believes in you so do not let him down (1 John 2:1-2)! Allow Jesus to work in you and watch your spirit fruits flourish! (See Are You Producing Good Fruit?)

Never lose focus on the glorious things of heaven (Colossians 3:1-4)!

All praise and glory goes to the Father who blesses us, the unworthy, with such graciousness and mercy. Amen.

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