Anticipation

John 12:26 
Anyone who wants to be my disciple must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me. (NLT)

Jesus says to follow Him. He also says to just believe. And He tells us we must be born again. Wow, which are you--a follower, a believer, or born again? Are these choices or are they a path we take from believing, to following, to becoming born again?

Many have used the technique of asking a non-believer where they are going when they die. Heaven or Hell? Many are encouraged to give their lives to Jesus with this approach. They listen to the message following the question and say what we refer to as the sinners prayer. We count them as being in the Kingdom!

This leads me to another question. Do we lead a righteous life because of who we have become as a follower of Christ or in anticipation of judgement after death? In other words are we saved just because we said the words?

Back to the beginning. Does saying the words make us believe? Does it make us a follower? Does it automatically give us new life in Jesus with Holy Spirit in us?

Truth is, we can believe whatever our mind has decided to believe. Convinced the only way to heaven is through Jesus, anyone would want to take that path. So we believe because of that conversation with another believer. The test is in where we go from there.

Believing is not following and Jesus knows His sheep. He knows who is following Him. And it is those manifesting the fruits of the spirit He baptizes in fire. It is those who receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the indwelling of Him forever.