Steps to Jesus, Peace & Happiness

 

"The sinner may resist [God's] love, may refuse to be drawn to Christ; but if he does not resist he will be drawn to Jesus."
Steps to Christ, page 27

"Submit yourselves therefore to God [do not resist God].
Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
 James 4:7

 

Have you ever wished that there were a set of steps to follow that would lead you to Jesus and to heaven?  Well OK, here is what YOU have to do:

  1. Do not resist God's love.
  2. (See step #1)

Don't resist.  Actually, this is something that you don't do, but that's it!  Do not resist God's love.  We have to be "OK" with God making the changes in us that are for our own good. 

You can call it a "Step" if you want to, but again, that's it.  We just need to let God do what it is that is best for us.  Either resist God's love, or do not resist His love.  It's your choice. 

This same thought, spoken by Jesus, is recorded in Matthew 12:30.  "He that is not with me is against me...".

To illustrate this thought, think of a race between two wagons.  If you chose not to help push the wagon of Jesus then you are helping the other team.  (Are you just sitting in His wagon?)

Jesus also said, "Without me you can do nothing..." John 15:5 and He literally means nothing.  We cannot even make ourselves "willing", so if we do not resist God's love He will do everything for us.  This is what the Bible calls "God's Grace".  This is "Grace" in action.  It is life that we do not deserve, but the kind of life God wants us to have.  Jesus said, "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have [ it ] more abundantly." John 10:10    So, do not resist when He prompts you to admit that you are a sinner.  Do not resist when He prompts you to ask for help from Him.  Do not resist when He prompts you to repent and confess your sins.  Do not resist the changes Jesus wants to make in your life.  Do not resist and Jesus will do everything!  Just do not resist Him and He will do everything for you.

The fact that you are reading this right now is proof that Jesus is still drawing you, so why not continue to get to know Him?  Spend time everyday talking to Him and learning about Him.  This is the most important "step" in not resisting Him.  He loves you very, very much and when you love someone you want the absolute best for them.  So do not resist His love, just let Him make you into the person you really want to be anyway!

 

Many have an idea that they must do some part of the work alone. They have trusted in Christ for the forgiveness of sin, but now they seek by their own efforts to live aright. But every such effort must fail. Jesus says, "Without Me ye can do nothing."    Steps to Christ, page 69

 

Now, here is a condensed list of what JESUS will do:  

  1. Jesus will bring you to the place where you will realize and admit the fact that you are a sinner, that you cannot remove your past sins and that you cannot change your own heart and make yourself holy. In fact, you cannot even give your heart to Jesus, but you can ask Him to take it.  Do not resist.
  2. Jesus will bring you to the place where you will ask for help.  He wants you to say, "Lord, I believe, help me where I am having trouble believing" or to just say, "Lord, save me" like Peter did when he began to sink in the water.  It must be your constant desire to be saved and changed, but He will even give you that desire.  Ask!  Do not resist.
  3. Jesus will bring you to the place where you will believe in His love for you, in His desire for your happiness, in His death on the Cross.  Do not resist.
  4. Jesus will bring you to the place where you will want to be pure like Him and sorry for what you have done wrong.  (This is called repentance.)  Do not resist.
  5. Jesus will bring you to the place where you not only feel sorry for what you have done, but you will ask Him to let you start over, to forgive your past mistakes.   (This is called confessing.)  Do not resist.
  6. When Jesus forgives you He erases all of your mistakes and gives you a clean record.  Do not wait to feel that you are made whole, but say, "I believe it; it is so, not because I feel it, but because God has promised."  (This is called trust, and Jesus will even help you to trust Him.)  Do not resist.
  7. Jesus will bring you to the place where you will want to be baptized, because He asks you to.  Do not resist.
  8. Knowing that you are a forgiven sinner will make you so happy that you will not be able to keep it from being visible to others.  People will want to know what made the difference in you and when they ask you about it then you will have the opportunity to share what Jesus has done in your life.  You don't need to know everything about the Gospel of Jesus, just tell them what He has done for you.  Do not resist.
  9. Jesus will bring you to the place where you will really love God.  (This is the First Great Commandment.)    Do not resist.
  10. Jesus will bring you to the place where you will actually love every person, not just the nice people.  This will be a love that will give of self to help others.  (This is the Second Great Commandment.)  Do not resist.
  11. Jesus will bring you to the place where you will want to keep His laws, all of them, because you love Him.  (This is called obedience.)  Do not resist.
  12. When Jesus is ready, He will take you to live with Him and give you life, never ending life, abundant in good things.  He will give you life so good you cannot even imagine it.  All of this, just because He loves you and wants you to be HAPPY!  Do not resist.

"...without me ye can do nothing."
John 15:5

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Proverbs 3:5, 6

"Submit [do not resist] yourselves therefore to God.
Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
 James 4:7

 

Here are a few more quotes that may make it easier to understand what is being said above:

"When the mind dwells upon self, it is turned away from Christ, the source of strength and life. Hence it is Satan's constant effort to keep the attention diverted from the Savior and thus prevent the union and communion of the soul with Christ. The pleasures of the world, life's cares and perplexities and sorrows, the faults of others, or your own faults and imperfections--to any or all of these he will seek to divert the mind. Do not be misled by his devices."  Steps to Christ, page 71

"We can no more repent without the Spirit of Christ to awaken the conscience than we can be pardoned without Christ." Steps to Christ, page 26

"It is impossible for us, of ourselves, to escape from the pit of sin in which we are sunken. Our hearts are evil, and we cannot change them." Steps to Christ, page 18

"... no man can empty himself of self.  We can only consent for Christ to accomplish the work.  Then the language of the soul will be, Lord, take my heart; for I cannot give it." Christ's Object Lessons, page 159

"You are not able, of yourself, to bring your purposes and desires and inclinations into submission to the will of God; but if you are "willing to be made willing," God will accomplish the work for you..." Thoughts from the Mount of Blessings, page 142

"...the more we know of God, the more intense will be our happiness." The Desire of Ages, page 331

"strength to resist evil is best gained by aggressive service ..." Acts of the Apostles, page 105

"The Lord specifies no conditions except that you hunger for His mercy, desire His counsel, and long for His love.  "Ask." The asking, makes it manifest that you realize your necessity; and if you ask in faith you will receive.  The Lord has pledged His word, and it cannot fail." Thoughts from the Mount of Blessings, page 130

"Seek, and you shall find. God is seeking you, and the very desire you feel to come to Him is but the drawing of His Spirit. Yield to that drawing." Thoughts from the Mount of Blessings, page 131

"The child cannot, by any anxiety or power of its own, add to its stature. No more can you, by anxiety or effort of yourself, secure spiritual growth." Steps to Christ, page 68

 

 

For further study, read the little book Steps to Christ (linked below):

Now is the day of salvation!  What are you waiting for?  Submit to Jesus, don't resist!

 

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