“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you.  Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matthew 7:21-23, NIV)

Anyone can believe and acknowledge the existence of God, His Son, the crucifixion and the resurrection.  But believing is not enough.  Even the demons believe (James 2:19).  What do I need to do to separate myself from just a believer to an actual follower of Christ?

I, personally, needed to ask myself, “If Jesus were to walk in my shoes, would He really do what I do?”  I cannot live life in a way where I do what I want and pray that God will always forgive my sinful decisions.  That is not the way to live as a Christian. Do not live by grace alone.  Just because we will be forgiven, it doesn’t mean we should keep sinning (Romans 6:1-2).

I can no longer be just a believer.  I need to fully devote my life to His teachings.  I need to be committed 100% to God.  But I know I cannot do this alone.  I need God to work through me.  The actions I take should be directly from Him—inspired and worked through by the Holy Spirit.  This requires me to give myself up for Him that way I can find the life worth living for (Matthew 16:25).

From this day forward, I will commit my life to Jesus Christ.  Let His will be done through me.

So… exactly where do I begin?