Newsweek magazine reported on one mans very interesting response during the Popes last visit to Latin America. This man owned a produce stand, it was only a couple of blocks from where the Pope was making an historic personal appearance. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to see the Pontiff. It seemed as if everyone went, except for "Mr Produce Stand." A reporter asked, "Ah, don't you believe in the Pope?" The dealer gave a very honest answer, he said, "Oh, yes, I believe in the Pope, but I trust in rice and beans!" I guess there's a difference!
Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "When It All Comes Down to Trust."
Now that produce dealer's statement about believing wasn't double talk. There really is a difference between what you officially believe and what you really have your trust in. It can make a big difference in your life choices. It can make a forever difference in where you spend Eternity.
God explains how a person secures their spot in heaven in our word for today from the Word of God here, in Romans 10:9-10, "If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified," that means made right with God, "and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." Hmm, saved now that's the key word here, but what does it mean? It implies someone's in trouble and in need of a rescue. The Bible says we are literally dying spiritually because of a killer called sin. Sin isn't ultimately about the breaking of some rules, it's essentially about who runs your life. The answer? We run our lives - we were designed by God to ride in a life that our Creator drives but we've all decided to drive instead, and make Him a passenger. That leads us away from God, facing an Eternal death penalty. So we need someone to save us, a rescuer, a Savior, and that's why God's only Son went to that awful cross for us.
But our Eternity comes down to what God calls believing in your heart, notice "heart." Now, many people believe in their head, they agree with the facts about Jesus, they officially recognize Him as the Savior - and if you ask some if they believe in Jesus, they'll say, "Well sure." But like the man with his produce stand, their life trust is really somewhere else.
You see that's your heart, which leads us to a life or death challenge from God's Word. It's in 2 Corinthians 13:5, listen to these words, "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you - unless, of course, you fail the test?" Well, do what God says, test yourself. It's Eternally important to ensure that you don't miss heaven by 18 inches! That's the distance from your head to your heart. It isn't agreement with Jesus that makes you belong to Him, it's commitment to Him. Now has there been a time when you personally told Jesus Christ you're placing all your trust in Him to rescue you from your sin, to give you a relationship with God, to guarantee you Heaven. Now if you don't know, then there probably hasn't been a time, but that could change right now. Bow your head, imagine yourself standing at the foot of Jesus' cross and tell Him, "Lord I believe what you're doing on that cross is for me. With all my heart I'm putting all my trust in You."
See trust in your religion is not enough, trust in your goodness is not enough, or in anything, or anyone, but Jesus. He took your hell so He could give you Heaven and right now He's waiting for you to trust Him with your heart.