Are you right with God?

truly be called a Christian if we don't know what it means to truly follow Jesus? If we're not committed to walk in the way of Jesus Christ, then how can we be called Christians? We can now look to answering a few of these questions. One thing to remember is that Jesus told us there would be people who would claim to be believers, but they are not saved and these people would face eternal judgment in hell. Matthew 7:21-23 says, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'" It's so important that people know what it takes to be a true Christian and if they have their salvation.

1. Do you Pray? As it is important for us to talk with our parents, children, boss, employees, etc. We also need to have good communication skills with God; it is absolutely essential. We need to go to Him in prayer at least three times a day, and have a heartfelt, passionate prayer with Him. We truly need to pray without ceasing, and give thanks to Jesus for everything in our lives, so when we are walking around, working, no matter what we are doing, we can pray in our mind, or just have a talk with Him, as Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

2. Do you read AND obey the bible? The bible is a living book; it has everything in it that we need to live a godly life. God also shows us how to live in

His will for our lives. It also tells us what is to come in the future. As Christians, we should be reading the bible every day and night. It truly is a great way to get to know God and how He works. He tells us who He is, what He has done, and what He is going to do. The bible says that if we truly love God, we will obey Him. 1 John 5:3 says, "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome." We should be reading it, not because we have to, but because we want to.

3. What is the most important thing in your life? We all value the time we can spend with our families, and friends; these are all good things in our lives, but we must put Jesus first every single time - Jesus first, family and friends second, ourselves last. Luke 14:26-27 says, "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple." Now the ancient near eastern concepts of the word 'hate' didn't mean the intense feelings of loathing or revulsion, as it does here in the western part of the world today. To hate something meant to place it in a lower position than something else. Jesus wasn't encouraging His followers to loathe their families, but rather to make sure that God reigns supreme in their lives.

4. How do you respond to sin? Sin is everything that we do wrong in God's eyes. It can be done in thought, word or in actions, according to God's Holy word. God's standards are much higher than ours, where if you lust over someone, He sees that as adultery and if you hate someone, He sees that as murder. When you disobey God, do you admit you were wrong and that you sinned against Him, or do you just try to sweep it under the rug and hide it from God? Do you think it was a mistake that won't happen again, or do you just think to yourself that it was a one-time thing, no worries? We, as Christians, must always own up to it; we must admit it to God that we have sinned and ask God for His forgiveness. Only when we do this are we forgiven by God. 1 John 1:8-10 says, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us." If we don't confess, He won't forgive us and He will not listen to our prayers. Isaiah 59:2 says, "But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear."