“As I’ve mentioned more than once,” Stan commented one morning, “it took me a long time to come to faith — a long time to ask the right question and have the right answer.”
“Right question? Right answer? How so?”
“As to the right question,” Stan replied, “Jesus asked it of His disciples. As well, the people in Jerusalem asked it when Jesus came riding in on His way to the cross.”
“What was the question?” I asked.
“To His disciples, Jesus asked, ‘Who do you say I am?’ Stan replied. “The people in Jerusalem said, ‘Who is this?’ For me, I eventually came to ask the same question, and I think it’s essential that each person come to the same point of asking that question: ‘Who is Jesus?’”
“Okay,” I said. “That’s the question. What’s the answer?”
“When Jesus asked His disciples the question,” Stan replied, “the apostle Peter got it right by saying, ‘Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ The people in Jerusalem got it right when they said, ‘This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee’. But that wasn’t enough.”
“What do you mean, it wasn’t enough?”
“Based on my personal experience,” Stan replied, “just knowing who Jesus is without actually confessing and believing in Him doesn’t accomplish anything. I had to come to the point of accepting and embracing the truth of who He is. Same for all of us.”
“Yeah,” I said. “Doesn’t the Bible say something somewhere about that even the demons believe?”
“James wrote that,” Stan replied, “and I think it’s a true reflection that we have to go beyond believing to accepting the right answer to the right question!”
______________________________
Bible verses to consider:
And He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Simon Peter answered and said, “You art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Matthew 16:15-16.
And when He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, “Who is this?” And the multitudes were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee.” Matthew 21:10-11.
You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe and shudder. James 2:19.
Prayer: Thank you, Father, for sending your only Son, Jesus, to provide the way to your eternal presence when it’s time. Thank you for those who brought me to that truth so I could know, believe, accept, and embrace it. I confess that too often I do not share with others the truth so they can come to the point of asking the right question and have the right answer so their eternal destination is changed. Please forgive that lack of sharing the truth. And please help me in following every step of your lead so I live and share the truth exactly as you intend. Thank you I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Think on this: Have you asked the most important question you can ever ask, along with having accepted and embraced the right answer so you know you will spend eternity with God when it’s time? If no, why? There is no more important question and answer. If you have asked and accepted the answer, how are you doing with spreading the truth so others will come to the same point? If you sense changes may be appropriate, how are those changes going to happen? Is that what you want? Why or why not?
Waiting for the Train 