"The Proof Is In The Puddin"

According to a recent Gallop poll 80% of Americans believe Jesus is the Son of God. That on the surface I would say is pretty great news! These type of statistics are often a basis for thinking that we are a Christian nation. Yet when we go a little deeper and look at lifestyles and choices that are made in this country, we see a vast difference between our profession and our practice. Take our speech for an example. The same mouth that professes Jesus to be the Son of God, can in a split second, turn the air blue with language that is from the pit of Hell itself. This type of speech is only a symptom of a heart problem. Jesus said, "For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned." (Matt. 12:34b-37) Belief in Jesus as the Son of God, that does not result in a change of heart and lifestyle, is only intellectual acknowledgment. The real test of faith comes when we are confronted with not only who He claimed to be, but with what He said we were to become. Soren Kierkegaard once said, "The matter is quite simple. The Bible is very easy to understand. But we Christians are a bunch of scheming swindlers. We pretend to be unable to understand it because we know very well that the minute we understand we are obliged to act accordingly. Take any words in the New Testament and forget everything except pledging yourself to act accordingly. My God, you will say, if I do that my whole life will be ruined. Herein lies the real place of Christian scholarship. Christian scholarship is the Church’s prodigious invention to defend itself against the Bible, to ensure that we can continue to be good Christians without the Bible coming too close. Dreadful it is to fall into the hands of the living God. Yes, it is even dreadful to be alone with the New Testament." What could we become and what could we accomplish if we simply took Him at His Word? What if we not only believed that He was the Son of God, but believed that what He said we should do and become was of utmost importance. What if we simply allowed ourselves to be changed into the image of Jesus. That is what believing Jesus to be the Son of God is all about. I heard people of my generation say often, "The proof is in the puddin." That is also what John the Apostle said, "We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. (I John 2:3-6). That is strong language, because we are dealing with matters of eternity here. You see, faith that does not change your heart of hearts is really not faith at all.