Dear Jay and Bobot ug mga igsoon ko,
Salamat sa inyong tampo. Although, this is the most basic, and probably the first thing that we learn during our Bible Studies, on Lessons on the Way and Assurance of Salvation. But I am sure that not all of us are confident with what we believe about our Salvation and much more the way we knew Jesus. In our on-line YM BS with some of us here, one of the thing that we noticed; almost all the people that Jesus met have their own concept of what the "Messiah" should look like or should be doing. When Jesus refused to be what they picture Him to be, they left him, they denounced him and finally they crucified him. They don't want a Missiah who will not fit with what they like.
Now, this maybe obvious when we read the Gospel but during the time when we met Jesus, we may have the same concept of Jesus as they have. We have our ideas of success, and what is a happy life should be or how to make life works. So when we met Jesus, we "accepted Him" for at least two reasons, 1) the salvation He brings and 2) we are very excited because there is now Sombody who will help us to achieve our pre-defined successful and happy life. Well, If I may add, the third probably is, you like this funny navigators (hehehehe), you feel happy when you are with them so why not just conform and do what they do.
Soon, in real life situation (love life, choosing life time partner, career, work, money, and even a small decisions), you probably observed that Jesus that, He would like to redefine for us what success is and what life is, as a whole, and deliberately not support our idea of how life works. The person who did not accept Jesus as Lord, will slowly slip out of Jesus, first ignor Jesus, then leave and continue to do things his own way. he may not say a word but the "actions speak more than words". In some cases the leaving is not done by leaving the group where he met Jesus, he continue to hang around, because of frienships and other reasons. This person I should say is journeying on accepting Jesus as He is and His term. His continued studying of the word, the witness and example of those who truly accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior are important in his journey, much more the role of the Holy Spirit to finally open his eyes of who Jesus really is.
But the person who accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, he may or may not know the big picture yet but when the same life situation come, he may struggle, he may cry and beg, yet at the end, he surrenders, and say to Jesus "Jesus since you are the Lord, then not my will but let your will be done." Soon, you will see this pesrson realigning his decesions, his life to how Jesus defines them, and soon you will see him as friend of God, an ally of God, he has the heart and the vision of God for His Kingdom, he knows the role God gave him, and does it faithfully because He is consumed with the Glory of God. Please do not be misled by equating Lordship with being active in the minstry, because Lorship is still on the basis of "for WHATEVER you do, whether you eat or drink, do all for the GLORY of God."
Mga igsoon ko diri sa CebuNavs, the reason why I brought this up because our desire and my prayer is, all of us will put Jesus in His proper place. He is not just our only Savior, He is our LORD.
Hayyy, Naka hilak ko da sa pasulat nako ani...Now help me answer the questions of Bobot....
RG.
