Are You for Real?

“Large crowds followed Him wherever He went – people from Galilee, the Ten Towns, Jerusalem, from all over Judea, and from east of the Jordan River.” (Matthew 4:25 NLT)

One of the things that non-believers dislike and criticize the most about Christians is our tendency to “label” people. They also hate that we struggle with agreement on so many topics, one of which is a heartbreaker for me. And that is who is a “real” Christian.

Having written a lot about this subject, today I’d like to clarify a few things to better explain my position on who is a Jesus follower and who isn’t, in the sense, who is going to heaven because of their relationship with Him and who only thinks they’re going to heaven, but have no relationship with the Lord?

My heart is for those who may believe they are a Jesus follower, but who in fact are not. I realize there are those who are trying to “scam” their Christian Family by pretending to be something they are not, but they know their game going in. They are hypocrites and they know it, they just enjoy trying to fool anyone they can. I’m not sure what anyone hopes to gain by doing that, but that’s between them and the Lord.

My concern is for those who just haven’t learned any better. They haven’t yet had an encounter with the living God and have settled instead for something far inferior. Perhaps their frame of reference is those who are hypocrites, but these fragile ones haven’t yet learned they are “faking” and are following them believing they are genuine. These folks have pure hearts and pure intentions and believe, based on their experience that they are genuinely “born again,” and, honestly, they may be.

But unless and until they get connected with someone who genuinely walks with the Lord, whose total dependence is based on their faith in the living Christ and isn’t seeking to make a mockery of it, they may not ever realize how lost they still are.

I think of the mobs of people (see verse above) who followed Jesus. Multiplied thousands of them, yet only 120 gathered in the upper room to await the coming Holy Spirit. Then on the day of Pentecost immediately upon hearing the Truth of the resurrected Jesus three thousand yielded their allegiance to Jesus and the Church was born.

THOSE are the ones for whom I pray! The ones who have a genuine desire to know the living Christ, but because of the “crowds” they’ve never fully seen or realized who He is and what they need to do about it. My sense is not many are in evangelical churches, but in Denominational settings where learning about Jesus is more structured and “factual,” but doesn’t touch their heart or help them understand how to be saved.

They’re good, “religiously compliant” people, but, like the Pharisees, Sadducees, and religious Teachers of Jesus’ day, they’ve never truly yielded their lives to the Lordship of Jesus. They like to be in religious settings and they’re truly nice people to hang with, but they have no understanding as to what’s involved in walking in intimacy with the living God.

I hate labels and I hate the things Satan uses to divide God’s people. My heart is to share a simple Gospel message that helps anyone who sincerely wants to seek the Jesus of the Bible and learn to walk humbly and faithfully with Him, FIND Him, KNOW Him, LOVE Him, and FOLLOW Him!

If you’re not certain that when you close your eyes in death, you’re going to open them in the presence of your Savior, PLEASE let me know so I can guide you in how to know with certainty. Email me directly at walkingwithjesus09@gmail.com.

Blessings, Ed 😊