Examine Yourself - Part 4 of 6

You cannot cuddle the very sin Christ was crucified for. Salvation is not just about going to heaven, it's about being made holy. It's about God reclaiming what sin tried to destroy. It's about restoration, redemption, renewal. It is the power of God that doesn't just save you from something, it saves you into something... into purpose, into destiny, into sonship, into the image of Christ. The blood of Jesus is not weak.

It does not leave you
bound to the same chains.
It breaks every yoke, it silences every lie, it crushes the power of shame. So why are so many still living as slaves? Why are so many who claim salvation still bowing to their addictions, still shackled by anxiety, still living in secret sin? Because they were never truly set free they had an emotional moment, not a spiritual rebirth.

They had an altar call but not an altar surrender. They came forward for forgiveness, but never laid their life down in full submission. And God doesn't want your emotion he wants your allegiance. There are millions in churches who have never truly repented. They cried tears but they didn't turn. They felt conviction, but they didn't yield. Repentance is not just regret, it's not just saying "I'm sorry." It's turning completely around. It is renouncing sin, renouncing self, renouncing the world, and until you repent there is no salvation. The gospel without repentance is not the gospel. It's a lie. It's a counterfeit gospel that comforts people straight into hell. It tells them they can keep their sin and have Jesus too. But the real gospel demands a choice... Christ or self, heaven or hell, truth or lies. You cannot have both. Jesus said "Whoever does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me."

Not worthy! Do you feel the weight of that? This is not optional. This is not extra credit for the super spiritual. This is the baseline, the foundation. If you are not following Him fully, completely, with nothing held back, then you are not His disciple. It's not about attending a service. It's not about reading a devotional. It's not about having Christian friends. The devil is not afraid of your routine. He is terrified of your surrender.

Make no mistake; the hour is late, the trumpet is closer than we think, and God is not coming back for a crowd He is coming for a bride... a pure bride. a set apart bride, a holy people who walk in the fear of the Lord. Will he recognize you? Not will your church recognize you; not will your friends think you're spiritual. Will He recognize you? Does He know you or will He say on that day "Depart from me I never knew you."

Oh that verse haunts me! It's not spoken to atheists; it's not spoken to murderers. It's spoken to people who thought they were saved. Lord, Lord, they cried. They did miracles they prophesied, they cast out demons, and yet he says "I never knew you." Why? Because there was no relationship, no intimacy, no obedience. They did spiritual things, but their hearts were far from Him. They worked in His name but they never walked in His presence. This is the danger of religion without relationship... it blinds you; it hardens you; it convinces you that proximity to truth is the same as submission to truth. But friend, you can sit next to the fire and still freeze to death if you never open your heart to the flame.

So open your heart! Tear down your pride. Throw yourself on the mercy of God not with entitlement, but with trembling. Cry out not just for forgiveness, but for transformation. Don't just ask God to clean your record. Ask Him to cleanse your heart, because this is eternity we're talking about... forever. There are no second chances after this life; no do-overs, no appeals, just judgment. And you don't want to stand before a holy God clinging to church membership, baptism certificates, or how many worship songs you sang.

You want to stand clothed in Christ, washed in His blood, marked by obedience, defined by love. If your salvation hasn't changed your life, then it hasn't saved your soul. That is not harsh, it is merciful truth. It is the kind of truth that shakes you awake, that strips away the illusion, that forces you to examine yourself in the light of God's word, not man's opinion. Because God's standard has not changed. His call is still radical, His cross is still bloody, His grace is still costly, and His love still demands all. So why are you holding back? What are you clinging to that's worth more than Christ? Is it your comfort, your image, your ambition. your sin? Whatever it is, lay it down because nothing... nothing is worth losing your soul.

You may impress the world, you may climb the ladder, you may build a platform, but if you miss Jesus, you have nothing. And here's the truth... Jesus is not found in the crowds, He's not found in the applause, He's found on the narrow road... the one most won't take. The road of surrender, of sacrifice, of sanctification, because no one can walk that road for you. Your pastor can't walk it, your spouse can't walk it, your parents can't walk it. You must choose. You must pick up your own cross; you must die your own death; you must rise in your own resurrection.

Salvation is not inherited, it is encountered. It is not tradition, it is transformation, It's not a family legacy, it's a personal surrender. And hear this, delayed obedience is disobedience. Every moment you put off full surrender is a moment you're gambling with your soul. And the enemy wants you to delay, he wants you to say “tomorrow.” He wants you to say, “when I get my life together.” He wants you to think there's still time, that the urgency is not real. But he is a liar. The Bible says “now is the day of salvation” not later, not when you feel ready. Now! .Because you may not have later. Your next breath is not guaranteed, your heartbeat is not promised. You are one moment away from eternity and the only thing that will matter is, “did you know Him?” Were you truly His?

(Billy Graham)