A willing and Believing Heart

A Willing and Believing Heart

Salvation is worked out.  That means the leadership of God must be worked in.

Philippians 2:1-12 NKJV — Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;

Not everyone who "believes in God" has a willing, believing heart.  Without a willing and believing heart... Willing to be changed by God and believing we are going to hell without God's leadership overtaking our own shame, fear, pride, jealousy, and selfish ambition... We literally cannot be saved.

To get a willing heart, we have to have honest conversations with God about our personal  issues... The real ones, not the ones we don't mind being exposed.  

We have to hear HIS opinion. We have to recognize our selfish and flesh-driven ways.

This takes a real relationship where we grow in feeling safe being weak, ugly, unimportant, bad, selfish... All in the belief that simply learning Jesus' life of humility and abiding in God will truly change us.

Knowing the vocabulary of the saved is very different than knowing the God of the saved.  Satan uses God's words, but his heart isn't willing and believing.

Knowing the structures of religion, knowing the right Bible verses, knowing what God wants and doesn't want, knowing how to appear to be a leader, or prophetic, or anointed... evening knowing and believing what God promises to do... None of these contribute to a willing and believing heart.

Matthew 22:3 NKJV — “and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come.

Matthew 23:37 NKJV — “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!

John 5:40 NKJV — “But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.

2 Corinthians 8:10-12 NKJV — And in this I give advice: It is to your advantage not only to be doing what you began and were desiring to do a year ago; but now you also must complete the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to desire it, so there also may be a completion out of what you have. For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.

James 3:17 NKJV — But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.

Matthew 13:58 NKJV — Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

Romans 11:19-21 NKJV — You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either.

Israel believed in God, in a coming Messiah, in all the law and prophets... They didn't believe in the need for a willing heart and belief in their own personal inability to be righteous.

That is what Jesus teaches and lives.

You have to be willing to follow Him, believing His life is the only one to follow to be saved.