Believe Jesus is He

Jesus clearly tells us that unless we believe He is He, meaning that He is who He really is, that we will perish in our sins. We know from Revelation this means eternal separation from Jesus, and enduring the second death, which is the lake of fire where the smoke of our torment rises "day and night, forever and ever". Hardly a minor detail.

This morning in worship my heart was settling on the One whom I was worshipping, and it rested soundly on this truth...

Jesus did not become God after being man, but rather was God in all His glory BEFORE becoming man, and was simply returned to His glory after being resurrected. Jesus, the eternal God, laid His life down for me.

...who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and  coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the  point  of death, even the death of the cross.
Philippians 2:6‭-‬8 NKJV

And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.
John 17:5 NKJV

who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
Hebrews 1:3 NKJV

What Does God Want From Us?

These verses are saying the same thing.

“I hate, I despise your feast days, And I do not savor your sacred assemblies. Though you offer Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them, Nor will I regard your fattened peace offerings. Take away from Me the noise of your songs, For I will not hear the melody of your stringed instruments. But let justice run down like water, And righteousness like a mighty stream.
Am 5:21‭-‬24 NKJV

Think about where Jesus talks about how few are saved, yet many TRY to enter but cannot.

Then one said to Him, “Lord, are there few who are saved?” And He said to them, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.
Lu 13:23‭-‬24 NKJV

These are the very ones who insist that they did things in His Name, yet He says He never knew them. The door is closed to them, and He does not open it.

When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ and He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are from,’  then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.’  But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.’  There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out.
Lu 13:25‭-‬28 NKJV

Here is another place it says the same thing as these other verses. Our effort and will is dirty menstrual rags to God, and all that we do according to our will is evil by nature and God hates these things. He desires the contrite and surrendered heart that glorifies Him as God. This is the proper humility of the creature before the Creator, and is the place where the confession of Jesus as Lord is true. This is when God regenerates a man according to Ezekiel and Jeremiah.

Sacrifice and offering You did not desire; My ears You have opened. Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require. Then I said, “Behold, I come; In the scroll of the book it  is written of me. I delight to do Your will, O my God, And Your law is  within my heart.”
Ps 40:6‭-‬8 NKJV

Right With God

A person only "gets right with God" when they are born again. Remember that Jesus said none can see the Kingdom of God unless they are born again.

Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’
Joh 3:3‭, ‬5‭-‬7 NKJV

That said, how is one "born again"?

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.
Eze 36:26‭-‬27 NKJV

The "works" of the New Covenant are to believe in Jesus and love the brethren.

And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment. Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.
1Jo 3:23‭-‬24 NKJV

This is not something we "work" at, but is the fruit of who we are after regeneration.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who  are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Ga 5:22‭-‬24 NKJV

We know the difference between the FRUIT of the flesh and the FRUIT of the Spirit. The fruit of the flesh is just as evident too.

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Ga 5:19‭-‬21 NKJV

These fruit are simply the byproduct of the tree. Either a person has been born again, being saved, and bear such fruit, or they haven't.

Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
Mt 7:17‭-‬20 NKJV

Why is There Law?

There are some simple things that people just seem to miss entirely. The most important of these is the PURPOSE of the Law. Why is there Law?

1. It was a tutor to keep us until faith came through the Holy Spirit.

But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our tutor to  bring  us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.
Ga 3:23‭-‬25 NKJV

2. It is to condemn ALL flesh as guilty before God, SHUTTING every mouth.

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
Ro 3:19 NKJV

3. Law is NOT for the righteous, but the unrighteous and the like.

But we know that the law is  good if one uses it lawfully, knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust.
1Ti 1:8‭-‬11 NKJV

The Law is a set of boundaries and parameters that are a preventive measure. Love is the fulfillment of the law, and is proactive. Where the law says "do not kill", we are laying down or lives. Where the law says "do not commit adultery", we are loving our wife as Jesus loves the church.

Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Ro 13:10 NKJV

Jesus nailed the ordinances of the Law to the cross, defeating ONCE AND FOR ALL the demonic powers.

... having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.
Col 2:14‭-‬15 NKJV

We, those of us born again by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, have been set free of the law that is for the unrighteous (that which you wish to be enslaved to). We are now under the law of liberty and love, by the grace of the Holy Spirit and under the new covenant.

But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in  it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
Jas 1:25 NKJV

In that He says, “A new covenant ,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.
Heb 8:13 NKJV

Verbal Confession and Salvation

Isn't it true that if someone says Jesus is Lord that they are saved? First of all "Lord" must be defined.

lord
lôrd/
noun
1.
someone or something having power, authority, or influence; a master or ruler.
"lord of the sea"

So by definition a Lord is someone whose will cannot be thwarted. (THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT, BECAUSE THERE ARE MANY WHO SAY "LORD, LORD" THAT WILL BE CAST OUT BECAUSE THEY FAILED RO ACKNOWLEDGE JESUS LORDSHIP AS DEFINED.) If someone confesses Jesus as LORD, are they not saved?

that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
Ro 10:9 NKJV

A verbal confession is made from the abundance of the heart.

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. FOR OUT OF THE ABUNDANCE OF THE HEART HIS MOUTH SPEAKS.
Lu 6:45 NKJV

Our hearts are desperately wicked from birth.

“The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?
Jer 17:9 NKJV

So, unless God changes a person's heart, the true confession cannot even be made. God must regenerate a man first, then the verbal declaration is the proof of the work of God.

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.
Eze 36:26‭-‬27 NKJV

Kingdom Truths

John the Baptist is the greatest prophet ever born of a woman according to Jesus. Also, according to Jesus, he who is least in the Kingdom of God is greater than John was.

“Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."
Mt 11:11 NKJV

So... who is "least in the Kingdom of God"? According to Jesus that is anyone who breaks the least of the commandments and teaches others to do so.

"Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."
Mt 5:19 NKJV

What is the qualifier to be "in the Kingdom of Heaven"? According to Jesus that is being born again. One must be born of the flesh(water), AND be born AGAIN of the Spirit in order to be part of the Kingdom.

Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."
Joh 3:3‭, ‬5‭-‬6 NKJV

This means that any person filled with the Holy Spirit is part of the Kingdom of God, and comes in the FULL AUTHORITY OF JESUS. This is to ALL who believe in Him.

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.  And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If you ask anything in My name, I will do it."
Joh 14:12‭-‬14 NKJV

So how does God choose to use men in the Gospel of the Kingdom, the building of His Church? According to Jesus God does NOT give His Spirit by measure, and ALL who have the Spirit speak the words of God.

"For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure."
Joh 3:34 NKJV

What do those words spoken by all of the believing ones do? They bring the elect to faith.

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Ro 10:17 NKJV

Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.
Ac 13:48 NKJV

While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word.
Ac 10:44 NKJV

So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in  the  thing for which I sent it.
Isa 55:11 NKJV

Lordship Salvation

Am I missing something, or is this Lordship Salvation a useless argument over words? There has to be proof in the pudding. That is why God saves us at all.

But I had concern for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations wherever they went. “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God : “I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name’s sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went. And I will sanctify My great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know that I am the Lord ,” says the Lord God , “when I am hallowed in you before their eyes. For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.  Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God. Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good; and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight, for your iniquities and your abominations. Not for your sake do I do this, ” says the Lord God , “let it be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel!”
Ezekiel 36:21‭-‬28‭, ‬31‭-‬32 NKJV

There are only two kinds of trees. Good and evil, the flesh and the Spirit, and both are evident by their fruit.

You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?  Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
Matthew 7:16‭-‬20 NKJV

So what does that fruit look like?

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Galatians 5:19‭-‬21 NKJV

Or...

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who  are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Galatians 5:22‭-‬24 NKJV

It is not that we make Jesus Lord, as He is already Lord of all, but we glorify Him as Lord. We glorify God as God, the ABSOLUTE SOVEREIGN WHO DOES ALL HIS WILL, and we glorify Him as such. This is the result of regeneration, and the night and day difference between wrath and peace.

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
Romans 1:18‭-‬21 NKJV