05/07/18 - Acts 2

May 7, 2018 - Acts 2 

"Therefore let all know this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah." Acts 2:36

What you believe about Jesus will decide how you live now & eternally.

What we think of Jesus says a lot about how we behave.

If we think of Jesus as just a man, then following His commands is totally irrelevant.  He has no credibility and no authority.   It would have no impact on our behavior.

If we think of Jesus as a prophet, His words would be a warning to heed.  We might consider some changes in our behavior, but most likely only those that are deviant from the cultural norm.  As long as we are better than other people, we will feel satisfied with our behaviors.

If we think of Jesus as a teacher, we would use His lessons as great principles for making decisions and steering us through life.  As long as the principles gained us something, our behavior might be affected.  But if it costs us something, then we would look for different teachers.

If we think of Jesus as a Savior, it would release us from any guilty feelings, and we would start counting on forgiveness for our behavior.  The guilt and consequences might steer our behavior differently, but most likely we would simply justify our sin and expect to get off the hook. 

If we think of Jesus as Lord (God), then His words would create more angst and carry authority over our life.  While we may not follow Jesus completely, we would be concerned about what He expects.

That’s why Jesus was very specific about who He was.  Jesus demonstrated and taught that He was both Savior AND Lord.  Choosing to believe in Him as Savior frees us from guilt, but accepting Him as Lord convicts us to follow His authority.  We need to BELIEVE Him to be both – Lord & Messiah.

Behavior is affected by our training and upbringing, but it is directly impacted by our beliefs.  What we believe about Jesus drives it.  If you want to change your behavior, consider your beliefs.  And if you want to affect the behavior of family or friends, start with their belief about Jesus.