Mythbusters
Believing Makes Me a Christian

by Pastor M.J. Fitch
June 6, 2010
Text:  Matt. 7:21-23

The sermon began with a video which can be viewed by clicking here

To listen to an audio recording of the sermon click here

This message begins with a 3:14 minute video called "Simply Salvation", a video made by Fairhaven Church in Ohio. This video can be found on YouTube at

"You can believe whatever you want."

Can these statements really be true? There are certainly enough people in our world today who think this way. But what does the Bible say? And what would Jesus say about these statements?

Today we are beginning a new sermon series called "Myth-busted". It is a takeoff of the very popular show on Discovery Channel, "Myth-busters". How many of you watch that show? The show has been on since 2003 and features two men who are special effects experts. Adam and Jamie take on three myths and use modern-day science to show you what's real and what is fiction. For example, they will take an urban legend like "filling up your gas tank while talking on the cell phone can produce sparks that can ignite fires" --- and then they will do an experiment and try to prove if that true or not. And of course, when they prove something is false - it is a myth that is busted. Thus the name "Myth-Busters".

All throughout June & into July we are going to be looking at some of the myths that people say about our faith and explore the Bible to find out if that myth is true or not. Today, we are looking at that myth that says, "Believing … makes me a Christian."

Let's look a little closer at the claims made about believing in this video and see whether they are true or false.

The first three statements are very similar: I can believe whatever I want. Whatever I believe is true. It's never a lie if I believe it. Have you ever hear anyone say things like this? It is a view that says it doesn't matter what you believe…because whatever you believe is true. Have you ever heard that phrase "It's never a lie if I believe it"? Apparently it was a phrase made popular by the character George Costanza in the show Sienfield back in the 90's. When you hear that phrase, what does it mean to you?

Basically what I think it means is that all truth is relevant. It all just depends on who is saying it. In other words, we define what is truth is. We don't discover what truth is - we create what truth is. Have you ever had someone say to you, "Well, that may be true for you, but it is not true for me." Truth basically is a personal preference or perception. Thus there is no belief in Absolute Truth - truth that is true for everyone - that stands the test of time. The Bible is not needed since there is no absolute truth anymore and of course you wouldn't begin to claim, as Jesus did, that He is the way, and the truth and the life. That would be too narrow focused and intolerant of other people's view of truth.

In describing this kind of belief where anything goes, USA Today had an article in its magazine a couple of years ago that said: "Religion today in the USA is a salad bar where people heap on upbeat beliefs they like and often leave the veggies behind," which basically allows people to believe whatever suits them. (Ron Hutchcraft, "The Spiritual Salad Bar", www.hutchcraft.com) It is a society that says anything goes - I can pick and choose my own beliefs and pathway. But we read in Proverbs that this kind of thinking will eventually lead to destruction. Proverbs 16:25 says, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." We can't just believe whatever we want - we have to base our beliefs on the word of God that will show us what the absolute truth is that we are to build our lives upon. II Timothy 3:16 tells us "All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right." We can't just believe whatever sounds good to me. God has spoken in the book He inspired - a book that has transformed millions of lives for thousands of years. We can trust the Bible to lead us to the real Truth.

You know what is amazing about the Bible is that this kind of thinking about believing whatever you want to is predicted in one of Paul's letters to Timothy. The words sound like they are describing the 21st century. II Timothy 4:3 & 4 says this: "For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths."

Believing whatever you want is rejecting the truth….and chasing after myths. So I think we can say without a doubt that this kind of thinking is "Busted"!

Another view that is popular and was expressed in our opening video is: We just have to believe in simple salvation. We don't have to obey. As we heard on the video, we are living in an age where people are busy - too busy it seems to worry about reading the Bible or for that matter being a Christian. They don't want a religion that is complicated or that requires too much of a commitment. What is very attractive is something simple and easy. And to even suggest the word "obey" sounds so legalistic and restrictive. We want to do whatever we want. Isn't it just enough to say we believe Jesus died for us?

I will always remember an argument I had in high school with a guy who believed somewhat like this. He said that he believed that once you claim Jesus as your Savior, it really didn't matter what you did. Once saved, always saved. You could do whatever you wanted to…it didn't matter because you believed that Jesus was your Savior.

Of course, I ended up arguing that when we love Jesus and confess our faith in Him - we will want to change. As it says in Galatians (3:27), when we are united with Christ in baptism, we put on Christ - just like putting on new clothes. We are changed and we want to live for him.

When we make our confession of faith, we affirm that we believe that Jesus is our personal Lord and Savior. To say that Jesus is my Savior is to say that I believe that Jesus saves me. And to say that Jesus is my Lord is to say He is the master of my life. We are to completely surrender our lives to Him and daily follow Him and obey His commands.

The last instructions that Jesus gave His disciples were to go into the world and make disciples - teaching them to obey all the commands that He had given them. (Matthew 28:19 & 20) Thus the saying: We just have to believe in simple salvation and we don't have to obey - is just plain wrong. Thus this myth is BUSTED!

One last claim we hear is this: All I have to do is believe and I'll be a Christian. When I believe in the Lord, I will go to heaven.

This claim is very similar to the one above. It makes faith just about what you mentally or intellectually know. You agree with a set of Christian teachings and it's all in your head. But that kind of faith is incomplete. We need to move that belief to our hearts and have it influence every part of our lives.

It really isn't enough just to believe. Did you know that even the demons believe? In James 2:19, we read these words: "You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe that - and they shudder! How foolish! Can't you see that faith without works is useless?" Satan and his demons believe in God - they even know the Scriptures - they even stand amazed and shudder in God's presence -- but they just never put their belief into practice. We are called to live out our faith in everything we do….to put it into practice.

And did you know that according to Scripture not all believers will go to heaven? We read about that in our main passage from the gospel of Matthew. Turn with me to the 7th chapter and follow along as I read, beginning at verse 21:

"Not everyone who calls out to me, 'Lord! Lord!' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.

22 On judgment day many will say to me, 'Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name

and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.

23 But I will reply, 'I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God's laws.

Oh my, can you imagine a worse thing to hear from God than the words "I never knew you"? The people Jesus describes here believed in Jesus. They have been leaders in fact - prophesying, casting out demons and even performing miracles. They had done many wonderful works - and even done it in the name of Jesus. You see, they were sincere! They were busy! They were doing good stuff in a good Name. They were making a difference. They were so busy working for the Lord however, that they never took the time to get to know Him personally! They didn't have that personal relationship with Jesus. And the consequence was that they weren't able to enter the kingdom of heaven.

Just believing is not enough to be a Christian. And not all believers will go to heaven. So - that myth is busted.

Pastor Bruce Barns in the book "Left Behind" found out the truth of that statement in a very real way. Bruce was serving as an associate minister at a church when Jesus returned and took his children home. And what was so amazing was that Bruce was left behind. How in the world did that happen? He was a minister, for goodness sake. He was a Christian - a believer. How did he get left behind?

I'd like to end my sermon by reading to you his response to that question. As I read, ask yourself - could that be me? If you find yourself in this description - ask yourself if Jesus would know you when He returns. Listen to what Pastor Bruce says:

"I was raised in church. My parents and brothers and sisters were all Christians. I loved church. It was my life, my culture I thought I believed everything there was to believe in the Bible. The Bible says that if you believe in Christ you have eternal life, so I assumed I was covered.

"I especially liked the parts about God being forgiving. I was a sinner, and I never changed. I just kept getting forgiveness because I thought God was bound to do that. He had to. Verses that said if we confessed our sins he was faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us. I know other verses said you had to believe and receive, to trust and to abide, but to me that was sort of theological mumbo jumbo. I wanted the bottom line, the easiest route, the simplest path.

"I thought I had a great life. I even went to Bible College. In church and at school, I said the right things and prayed in public and even encouraged people in the Christian lives. But I was still a sinner. "I encouraged people to share their faith, to tell other people how to become Christians. But on my own I never did that. My job was to visit people in their homes and nursing homes and hospitals every day. I was good at it. I encouraged them, smiled at them, talked with them, prayed with them, even read Scripture to them. But I never did that on my own, privately.

"I was lazy. I cut corners. When people thought I was out calling, I might be at a movie in another town. I was also lustful. I read things I shouldn't have read, looked at magazines that fed my lusts.

"I had a real racket going and I bought into it. Down deep, way down deep, I knew better. I knew that true Christians were known by what their lives produced and that I was producing nothing. But I comforted myself that there were worse people around who called themselves Christians.

"I hardly ever read my Bible except when preparing a talk or lesson. I didn't have the mind of Christ. Christian, I knew vaguely, means "Christ one" or "one like Christ." That sure wasn't me.

"I see now, of course, that God is a sin-forgiving God, because we're human and we need that. But we are to receive his gift, abide in Christ, and allow him to live through us. I used what I thought was my security as a license to do what I wanted. I could basically live in sin and pretend to be devout. I really believed I would go to heaven when I died." (Left Behind by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins)

INVITATION:

You know, religion will never get anyone to heaven. A list of doctrines and traditions you believe in will never get you to heaven. Only Christ can get you there. Only surrendering to Him and giving yourself totally to Him will get you to heaven. You put all your hopes on Jesus and change your ways for His way, forever.

Maybe you don't have that kind of relationship with Him, even though you know all about Him. You have Christianity, but you don't have Him. Christ is in your head but He's not in your heart. It's time to move Him to your heart - from being a belief to being your own personal Savior. Make sure now that you belong to Him so that on that day when Jesus returns, He will know you and you will join Him in heaven.

Search your heart - and make a decision today to follow Him. Won't you come now as we stand and sing.