I find it interesting how hard it is for some “professing believers” to say the name of Jesus Christ in public. They will use the term “God” but have difficulty saying the name of Jesus. Why do you suppose that is? Jesus was talking to the disciples and those gathered to listen to Him and He said this: ‘And I say to you, anyone who acknowledges Me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God, but whoever denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. Whenever they bring you before synagogues and rulers and authorities, don’t worry about how you should defend yourselves or what you should say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that very hour what must be said.” Luke 12:8-12 We need to get more used to speaking the name of Christ, for if we have faith in Him, He will guide us into all truth through the Holy Spirit who lives inside us. But what if the Holy Spirit does not live in you? Perhaps you have grown up in church and understand some of what is said, and because your parents believed, you speak as though you believe also, by the mere fact that your family believes. But going through religious behavior without leaning on, or knowing the Holy Spirit is the One who guides, is nothing more than works, trying to be good enough. Maybe that’s even the way you were raised, not hearing about Jesus, but only about God and His goodness, and that you have to be good also, so that you can go to heaven. There will be a lot of disappointed people on that day that think they know the Lord, but have never accepted Him as personal Lord and Savior. You can recognize Jesus as the head of a movement, but He is either Lord of your life, or He is not. Matthew would write something else Jesus said: “For I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:20 It’s not something that can’t be corrected if you don’t have that personal relationship with Jesus. You can do it now! You know Him as the Son of God, now just ask Him to be Lord of your life.
Barnabas Man 