KNOWING GOD'S WAYS
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither
are your ways my ways, says the Lord."
(iSAIAH 55:8-9 (Amplified Bible)
God does things His way. It is foolish to think
that we can do things our way and expect
Him to honor our ways.
This standard applies to Salvation.
I have met people who when seeking Salvation
have went forward in response to an altar
call and assumed that was all that was needed.
I have done the same thing. I have responded to
altar calls throughout my life from childhood to
adulthood. I have responded at retreats and at my
local church. I thought that was all I needed to do
to receive God's salvation, but I was wrong.
I didn't actually get saved until I was 31 years of age.
So what went wrong? I didn't do it God's way.
I have met others who have surrendered to altar calls but
skip water baptism and other sacraments and as a result
they never grow in their spiritual life. I've seen that first
hand. I have also seen the results when they co-operate
with God's ways.
One day, I was at my design shop which was located
next to a Christian Bookstore. Traffic was slow so I
went next door to hunt for a book to read. I chose
a book by Billy Graham. In that book, I came across
Romans 10: 9-10 which is God's way to salvation.
As I read that scripture, I realized that I had sought
Salvation according to my own ways and not what
God has said about being saved.
So I followed the Roman Road. It worked. Suddenly,
God was before me. It was like an explosion! God
was in front of me in Spirit and I was stunned by
the reality Jesus was truly real and alive.
Real salvation comes when we encounter Jesus!
Without that encounter, we are subject to doubt
and unbelief.
God has ways of His own that we must follow if
we want to serve Him.
His protocols are salvation, water baptism, baptism
in the Holy Spirit, Christian fellowship and powerful
service and more.
"If you acknowledge and confess with your lips that
Jesus is Lord and in your heart believe that God
Raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For
with the heart a person believes and so is justified
(declared righteous) and with the mouth he
confesses and confirms {his} salvation."
(Romans 10:9-10 - Amplified Bible)
Do it God's way and you will not be disappointed!