Chapter 4 Freedom and Mental Assent
But someone may well say, "You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works." You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? James 2:18-19
There are people who come for prayer and are truly broken and at the end of themselves. Then there are people who at the end of themselves and just want a little relief. Sometimes in the midst of seeking a little relief they find the truth and realize their brokenness. Finding that you cannot go on as you have been brings God’s mercy and restoration. True repentance and accepting Jesus as Lord brings healing. It is more than just saying the words.
Tears and promises that don’t produce spiritual change can be harmful. The reason is because the person and the people they associate with see they are the same. Their conclusions is, “They tried Jesus and it did not work.” They are less likely to try again. I am not disparaging altar calls for salvation. But one-on-one evangelism and ministry should be based on the reality of a spiritual change taking place. Even Jesus experienced this. A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’ ” “All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said. When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy. Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?”Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”Peter said to him, “We have left all we had to follow you!” “Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.” In essence Jesus was saying that in order for an eternal change to happen that there had to be a true surrender. For a real change to occur in spiritual ministry, a change must occur in the person’s spirit. There is a difference between a mental assent and a change that will produce freedom.
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