We human beings probably engage in this type of "white lying" more than any of us could admit. We do it so often and are so conditioned to it, that we don't even see anything wrong with it. I'm not going to sit here and spew off a sermon on white lies, but the aim of this post is to open your understanding of knowing and meaning what you say.
Now, we can get away with throwing out a "white lie" to our friends, co-workers, and even significant others but we have lost our minds if we think we can think we can lie to God. In fact, during the course of the day, how many times to you ask someone or are asked by someone "How are you doing?" Now think of how many times we've just said something without really thinking about what we are saying or even our response? I've seen it all before, a co-worker looks as if they were balling their eyes out in the bathroom and you ask them if everything is ok, and without missing a step they just say "I'm fine." They respond without even considering how they even feel!
Human interaction has become so impersonal and so superficial that we can't even express how we truly feel! Maybe I'm being over dramatic about this, but I do not believe I am. In fact, I believe that human beings are so blind that they can convince themselves that they are telling the truth, when in fact they are telling a bold face lie.
Now I don't mean to be mean about it, I'm just being honest. That is what we do, it's a fact. I've done it myself! In fact, good sales people can convince you to buy something you know you do not need. They may tie in the potential sale with a charity gimmick to get you to make the purchase, further convincing you to "do what you want" because it's for a great cause! Human beings convince themselves to believe lies, every second.
Now for something to be considered truth, what you say and how you feel should line up perfectly, without wiggle room, it either is, or it is not. Isn't it funny how easy this concept is but how we really don't even consider it throughout the day? I can't simply repeat something and it automatically is going to be perceived as true. (But as I showed, in many cases it is) So why on earth do we think we can do this in regards to God's word?
A perfect example of something everyone and their grandma's have heard before is the idea of "accepting Jesus as personal savior." If you are reading this blog, I'm sure you are familiar with it. "Just come down to the alter, repeat this prayer, and you will be saved." STOP right there, didn't we establish the idea that repeating something doesn't make it truth. Don't we first have to understand what we are saying and then believe what we are saying?
Now this concept of a "sinners prayer for salvation" was originally a baptist/Evangelical based teaching that became popular via famous evangelist, Billy Graham. This concept of salvation is found NO WHERE in the Bible but it came from a verse in popular and very miss used verse in scripture, Romans 9:10.
This verse says "If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Now please don't mistake me, I completely agree with this scripture, but I do not agree on what many believe it implies. Billy Graham and many of his constituents have tied this passage to their own theology, "the sinners prayer." Under this theological view of salvation, one has to simply repeat that Jesus is Lord and then believe that with all their heart, and they are saved.
No problem right? Well, lets stop for a minute. First of all, what does it mean that Jesus is Lord? I can tell you with everything in my that 100% of people who simply REPEAT this have NO idea what this in fact means. With scripture it's an easy concept, but only under the power of the very Spirit of God is it possible to understand. In fact, 1 Corinthians 12:3 says that "no one can say Jesus is Lord, accept by the Holy Spirit." So here it is, unless we have the Spirit of God in us, we cannot say Jesus is Lord. We can repeat it...but we cannot say it, understand what it means, and believe in what we are saying. In fact, how can you believe in what you are saying, if you don't understand what you are saying in the first place?
To say that Jesus is Lord, is saying that Jesus is God. Not just that, but that Jesus is the only true God, the God of the Old Testament who created the world in 6 days and rested on the 7th. He's not just the Son, but the Father and the Holy Spirit. How is Romans 10:9 saying this you ask, ONE FOUR LETTERED WORD, "Lord." This word "Lord" in Kionie Greek, the language in which the New Testament was written in translates to Master and or YHWH, which in our Bibles is translated to LORD.
This is the Old Testament name of God. In fact, When Moses asks God what His name is and who sent him God responds with "THE LORD."Exodus 3:15 And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.
Now why didn't Billy Graham bother to tell anyone this information? Because this information can only come by being filled with the Spirit of God! In fact if you confess this and believe it, you will be saved, not "YOU ARE SAVED." It's crazy how we human beings can misread the simplest directions! Now saying this will not save you, but it is an assurance that you will be saved. Keep in mind though, the last step, you must believe it with your heart!
NOW WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN? Well for starters, we know that the Heart is deceitful and wicked, beyond cure! (Jeremiah 17:9) So how in the world can we get our heart inline with truth? Again, only by the Spirit of God is this possible. (Ezekiel 36:26) In order for God's Spirit to be poured into you, you must REPENT. Change, and turn from sin. Understanding that you are lost by yourself and that you need Jesus inside you! (Acts 2:38) Only God can mend and change the heart, it's beyond human repair.
So here it is, Romans 10:9 is an affirmation of faith! In fact, in context of what is being said we know that the book of Romans is nothing but the apostle Paul's letter to the church at ROME. Paul is writing to believers who of-course are already in the process of being SAVED! All of these believers have been born into the New Covenant the same way the Jewish believers entered the New Covenant in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost. in fact this is why there were so many Jews in Jerusalem, because they were all there to celebrate the day the Old Covenant was established, the Hebrew feast day of Shavout! (First written Torah was made available on stone, via God) Of course this day is known as Pentecost to us, because Pentecost is the Greek word for the Hebrew feast day of Shavout!
Pentecost is not some new, "Christian" holiday, but a completion of a Jewish one! Now how do we know that people entered the New Covenant on this day? Because this is the day when the Spirit of God was poured out and people FIRST entered into the body of believers. (church) In fact, the Bible tells us that those who believe the Acts 2:38 Message of repenting, and being baptized for forgiveness of sins, and received the Spirit of God in them, those who accepted this obeyed and were added to the church, 3,000 in all! (Acts 2:41)
Keep in mind that when the Torah law (Old Covenant) was established 3,000 men died! (Exodus 32:28) When the Holy Spirit (New Covenant) was established, 3,000 men lived! (Acts 2:41)
We have all like sheep gone astray! It's time to head the call of the GOOD SHEPHERD! Repeating Romans 10:9 will not save you, it's a simple affirmation of faith. Rise up to the standard people, Jesus is on his way, and he is looking for a spotless bride. The only way to be made clean and having a right heart and mind is through entering the New Covenant, which God, by his grace provided for us!
Do not let the words of the charismatic Billy Graham deceive you or better yet, your own heart. Let God be true, and every man a liar.