Simple acquiescence or agreement is not enough (church dogma constitutes a meritorious faith); one must believe in one's heart and decide to follow Jesus no matter the cost. Jesus said, "Take up your cross, deny yourself, and follow Me" (Matt. 16:24). The essence of Christian orthopraxy or ethics.
William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, regretted that the twentieth century would usher in Christianity without Christ and faith without repentance. Your head belief must travel 18 inches to your heart to be heart belief. True faith loves Jesus and is a living relationship with Him.
Repentance is the flip side of faith and goes hand in hand with it. They complement each other and need each other--they are different viewpoints. We are to leave the fundamentals of repentance from dead works and put faith toward God. To get assurance we must examine our hearts and look at the fruit of our lives. The Word of God coupled with the testimony of the Holy Spirit will bring assurance of true faith.
Don't let anyone tell you it is easy to become a Christian. Sure children can get saved but one must receive it as a child even if one is old. Jesus said to enter at the "narrow gate" for narrow is the gate and hard is the way that leads to life and "few there be that find it" (Matt. 7:14). Many preachers say, "Just believe! It's easy!" but the Holy Spirit must be working in the person's heart to convict them (John 16:8) and draw them to Christ (John 6:44). Jesus said, "Apart from Me you can do nothing" (John 15:5).
God gets all the glory and we are not the captain of our souls or the master of our fate--our ultimate destiny is in the hands of God. Some think this makes God look like a terrible tyrant, but in reality, He is sovereign over all. Conversion is all about a changed heart leading to a changed life as proof. Soli Deo Gloria!
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