No Tricks

There is a social event happening at church next week. It is a pot luck with all the usual dishes church people seem to make no matter where in the country you attend one. The green bean salads, the mac-n-cheese, the potato salad, the lasagna, the fried chicken, tossed salad, and perhaps even a jello-mold dish. Of course there are plenty of deserts in a variety of cakes, pies, and cookies. All good. All filling. All calories.

This is a wonderful event to get our unsaved friends and family to attend. Perhaps after that good meal and a short message from Pastor, they will say the sinners prayer and come on board. I just coax them along, you think. All they have to do is say the words.

You cannot trick someone into following Jesus. Even if they do say the words, they are only words. They must truly accept Jesus into their heart and follow Him.

Ephesians 2:8-9
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. (NLT)

Just because the words were said, there might be a chance, but the words alone do not make someone a believer. See, the word believe is the key. They have to believe the words and desire to have Jesus as their Lord and Savior or the words are empty. The words are said so you will be happy with them and have nothing to do with a beginning relationship with Jesus.

When saved there is no way life goes on as it did before. Things change in our thinking and in our actions. Others notice the changes in us. We are on a journey and God is changing us from the old mortal man into one influenced by the Holy Spirit as He transforms us into the image of Christ.