This meme is funny in a tongue-in-cheek way. It reminds me of that phrase I grew up with, “demons know about Jesus, but do you know Jesus?” In other words, whether you are a Christian is a heart issue, not a head issue. In today’s society, that slight nuance, a very important one, if often lost. Society tells us that as long as we are spiritual we are ok, but once we are more than that, we are no longer accepted, it’s too radical.

Let’s take a moment to think about this. What does it mean to be spiritual? Merriam-Webster defines it as “of, relating to, consisting of, or affecting the spirit.” Not what isn’t there. There’s nothing that talks about Christ, Jesus, the Trinity, or God. In fact, it doesn’t even matter what is affecting the spirit. It could be anything, it just has to affect the spirit.

So if anything can be spiritual, then being spiritual can mean anything. You can be a satanist and be spiritual. Being spiritual isn’t enough. You must choose to follow Jesus alone.

“You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!”

James 2:19

You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.

1 Corinthians 10:21

Choosing Jesus means abandoning everything else. We all understand that we may mess up or that we may need Jesus’ help with the hard stuff, but our heart must be in line with the will of Jesus. There are two examples we can look at in the Bible that will help us understand the difference: Saul and David.

God called David a man after his own heart. He called him this even though David had murdered, committed adultery, lied, turned a blind eye to his kids’ sins, and more. But when God confronted David with his sin, he truly repented of his ways. Even though he messed up a lot, his true intentions and motives were to follow God.

However, Saul was not like that. He only turned to God when he needed something. He would sacrifice to God when he wanted something, but was quick to take the credit when he was successful. When Saul was confronted with his sin, he would apologize but it was an apology for being caught, not true repentance. So when God would not answer because of Saul’s sins, Saul turned to a medium in order to consult spirits. Saul didn’t repent and turn to God, he turned to other spirits.

These examples are just a few that we can look at. So in today’s society, how do we know if we, or others, are spiritual or true believers?

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

John 14:6

Are you professing Jesus? Do you know him to be the only way to salvation? If Jesus is one of many paths, or not a path at all, then that is not true belief.

Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.

2 John 1:9

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples”

John 8:31

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

John 14:6

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”

John 14:15

Are you abiding in Christ? Are you following Jesus’ teachings or are you following the world? To follow Jesus is to show your love and dedication to him. Without your love and loyalty to Jesus, there is not entrance into heaven.

So being a believer boils down to motive. What is in your heart? Are you striving to follow Jesus? Are you desiring to spend time with him and abide in his word? Do you believe that Jesus is the only way to the Father? Or are you going through the motions? Nodding during sermons and agreeing to concepts, but not really living your life for Jesus?

Following Jesus will seem radical to the world because the world does not understand his ways. Jesus tells us that he is the way to salvation, the world tells us that any way can lead to salvation. Jesus tells us the he is truth, the world tells us that truth is relative and whatever we want it to be.

Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through him. If you truly love Jesus, you will abide in his word and follow his teaching. Messing up doesn’t deter your salvation. It’s about your heart and intent. Just like David, your heart must be for the Lord God, not for yourself.

  1. Are you abiding in God’s word? If not, take a few minutes and do so now. Carve out 5-10 minutes each day to read the Bible. Start small, learning consistency. You will find that the time becomes longer and longer as you become more consistent.
  2. Are you following Jesus’ teachings? Do you know the word but are consistently doing the opposite? Is the Holy Spirit convicting you of un-repented sin? Take some time to talk with Jesus about these things. It is never too late to repent and change.
  3. Have you backslidden some? It’s ok! We see over and over in the Bible that we can be restored. If Peter can be restored after denying Jesus three times, you can too!
  4. Has this devotion shown you that you are on the right track? Has it confirmed for you that you are where God wants you? Take some time today and thank Him for this edification.

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Meme pictures derived from social media and shared under Fair Use Copyright Law

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