Sun 27 Aug

How do you tell whether one is a Christian?  That might sound like a fairly straightforward question.  Some might say look for the fruit of Spirit that the Holy Spirit is growing in their lives.  But then you might say that there are some extremely nice and good people out there are very patient and loving and kind.  Does that make them a Christian?  “Of course not!” you will say. The apostle Paul ponders this question of how do you tell in Romans 10.  He says that you will come across people who are extremely zealous for God but that does not necessarily make them a Christian.  We can all be zealous for various things and sometimes those objects will take over and run our lives rather than God.  Paul’s fellow countryman were extremely zealous for God, but they had left out one thing – the righteousness of God that God had given them in Jesus Christ.  They attempted to come to God with their own goodness rather than the goodness that God offers in Jesus.  “Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.”  We know that righteousness as Jesus.  Have we submitted to Him?  Have we turned to Him in repentance?  Have we publicly confessed Jesus as Lord?  Have we believed in our heart that God raised Jesus from the dead?  Or are we using the excuse that Paul’s Jewish brothers were using?  They have not heard.  No one was sent to tell them.  You have heard, what have you done with such news?