In my study of the book of Acts this morning, I returned to this passage in Luke which stands as the purpose statement of Luke in writing Luke-Acts. The two books originally were presented as a two-part historical presentation to Theophilus that he might have certainty concerning the things he had been taught.
Certainty about the thing you have been taught. How certain are you about the things you know concerning Jesus? Granted, there are some far out stories...healings, water to wine, transfiguration with Moses, feeding 5,000 with a few fishes and loaves, walking on water, coming back to life after an extreme beating and stabbing (and also a mummifying process) that none of us would ever survive. How certain are you of the things you've been taught?
We use a lot of Jesus-talk in our ramblings. "Washed in the blood of the Lamb." "Saved." "Born Again." "Rapture." "Second-coming." "Redeemed." "Propitiation." Even "forgiven" is a not muched used word outside of our church language. The question isn't "How many religious descriptives can you use to describe yourself?" but rather, "How certain are you of those things you've been taught?" You really believe the Lamb's blood cleans? You really believe you have been saved? You really believe you are a new creation by second birth? You really believe Jesus is returning to get you and take you to where He is? How certain are you of the things you've been taught?
If you don't really believe it, then, by all means, don't wake up on Sunday mornings so early. Don't beat yourself up when you say a bad word. You have too little time in your life for something extra that isn't really real. Live it up! Don't waste your time with all this Jesus stuff if you are not certain about it.
But if you are certain, as I am, that Jesus did do extremely miraculous works by the power of the Spirit of God...healings, water to wine, transfiguration, feeding 5,000 with basically some crumbs, dying on a cross and coming back to life; if you do believe, as I do, that the blood of Jesus washes our sin clean, makes us new creations by a second birth--a spiritual birth, and is returning one day very soon to redeem me completely and take me to His Heavenly abode...if you are certain about the things you've been taught...
then give your life to serving Him.
If you are certain, don't be half-hearted about it. What a slap-in-the-face to Jesus half-hearted commitment is. Don't be half-hearted to His church. Don't be half-hearted toward sin and holiness. Don't be half-hearted in serving Him. Don't be half-hearted toward discipleship, evanglism, or missions. If you are certain, then what Jesus has done and what He offers to you requires your whole life being thrown into the fire of commitment. Half-hearted commitment means you are NOT certain. Uncertainty in the things of eternity is a dangerous place to be.
Let's all check our hearts today. How certain are you?
Let's all check our hearts today. How certain are you?
