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Is your "Christianity" - GENUINE or FAKE?

(Part 1)

God commands us to test ourselves, for few who claim to be "saved" will ever make it into the kingdom of heaven.

The apostle Paul warns us: "Examine yourselves to see if your faith is really genuine. Test yourselves. If you cannot tell that Jesus Christ is among you, it means you have failed the test." (2 Corinthians 13:5)

Jesus warns us: "Not all people who sound religious are really godly. They may refer to me as 'Lord,' but they still won't enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The decisive issue is whether they obey my Father in heaven." (Matthew 7:21)

In a parable, Jesus warns us: "The door to heaven is narrow. Work hard to get in, because many will try to enter, but when the head of the house has locked the door, it will be too late. Then you will stand outside knocking and pleading, 'Lord, open the door for us!' But he will reply, 'I do not know you.' You will say, 'But we ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.' And he will reply, 'I tell you, I don't know you. Go away, all you who do evil.' " (Luke 13:24-27)

It will be horrifying to hear the words: "Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his demons!" (Matthew 25:41b)

So what's the difference?

It's all summed-up by the words "belief" and "actions." What you believe ("truth") will affect your actions ("lifestyle") - and Jesus came to bring change to both. This is the meaning of the word "repentance."

You not only have to believe the truth about sin and salvation, but this truth must affect the way you live. This is what Paul preached.

"I preached... that all must turn from their sins and turn to God—and prove they have changed by the good things they do." (Acts 26:20)

Well, what do you believe?

Try this little TRUE / FALSE quiz.

__________ 1.	Jesus is the unique Son of the one true God - and all other "gods" are false.
__________ 2.	The Bible shows us the only true way to salvation - and that way is through Jesus. All other "faiths" are false.
__________ 3.	Jesus rose physically from the dead. He is physically alive right now.
__________ 4.	Satan (or the "devil") is a real entity (a being who really exists), and not just a symbolic representation of "evil."
__________ 5.	The Holy Spirit is a real entity (a being who really exists), who indwells those who become genuine disciples (followers) of Jesus.
__________ 6.	Absolute moral truth exists, and we must live by this truth or we are living in sin. (We do not "decide for ourselves" what is right and wrong.)

The Answers: What does the Bible say? According to the Bible, each of the statements listed in the quiz is TRUE.

Check it Out: Each of the following verses says something about the statements listed in the quiz.

Job 1:6-7; Isaiah 5:20; Isaiah 44:6; Luke 24:39; John 14:6; John 14:16-17; John 16:13-14; John 17:17; John 20:25-29; Acts 4:12; Ephesians 4:6; Ephesians 6:11-12; 2 Thessalonians 2:12

Read the verses. Then write their references in the appropriate spaces below, next to the whichever statement it illustrates. (You are welcome to look for more verses that illustrate what the statements say.)

________________________________________ 1.	Jesus is the unique Son of the one true God - and all other "gods" are false.
________________________________________ 2.	The Bible shows us the only true way to salvation - and that way is through Jesus. All other "faiths" are false.
________________________________________ 3.	Jesus rose physically from the dead. He is physically alive right now.
________________________________________ 4.	Satan (or the "devil") is a real entity (a being who really exists), and not just a symbolic representation of "evil."
________________________________________ 5.	The Holy Spirit is a real entity (a being who really exists), who indwells those who become genuine disciples (followers) of Jesus.
________________________________________ 6.	Absolute moral truth exists, and we must live by this truth or we are living in sin. (We do not "decide for ourselves" what is right and wrong.)

* At this point, you have to decide whether or not you are going to accept what the Bible says. If you do accept it, then you have to ask the following question...

Is this enough? Is merely believing a list of facts enough to get you saved?

Consider this:

Even demons believe the Bible... but knowing it is true doesn't mean they have become saved! Look at James 2:19! They know it is true, but will oppose the truth to the very end.

Next we will look at the "actions" part of salvation.

Back to the title page

Dennis Hinks Š 2004
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright Š1996.
Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
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