We human beings have been created by a Creator full of love. All people in this world have something special placed in his or her heart that no one can take or occupy. This is the place Jesus wants, in order to abide in us through His Holy Spirit. “My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe My ways.” Proverbs 23:26

Why do you think the Lord wants our heart? Here is what God’s servant, Ellen G. White says. “The heart must be renewed by divine grace, or it will be in vain to seek for purity of life. He who attempts to build up a noble, virtuous character independent of the grace of Christ is building his house upon the shifting sand. In the fierce storms of temptation it will surely be overthrown. David’s prayer should be the petition of every soul: ‘Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.’ Psalm 51:10.” –Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 460

When Christ dwells in the heart, the soul will be so filled with His love, with the joy of communion with Him, that it will cleave to Him; and in the contemplation of Him, self will be forgotten. Love to Christ will be the spring of action. Our tendency is to trust man more than our wonderful and compassionate Saviour, Jesus Christ, and many times we do it. I remember how many times I was disappointed just because I put my trust in someone else, other than in Jesus, my Lord.

Now it is true that we have to trust each other to counsel and advise, to have fellowship and to develop good relationships among us. Within our family, children should obey their parents, wives and husbands should love and trust each other, members in the church should have respect towards God’s messengers and so forth. But regarding our salvation, no human being can take that place. The Bible says in Acts 4:12, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”  See also Matthew 1:21; “For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.” 1 Timothy 2:5

So many people today follow their leaders without giving too much attention to the One that is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). I remember how one of my ex-Bible students, when I asked him if he would like to receive Jesus as his personal Saviour, said: “I don’t need Jesus because I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Salvation within you—that’s the teaching of the new age movement that has its root in the second half of the 20th century. We can see how easily man can be deceived by Satan. The Bible says in Romans 6:16 “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” Romans 6:16. Praise God He sent His Son to live among us, a perfect life, to give us an example of perfect obedience to Him, receiving power to overcome temptation and form a perfect character.

How can we be perfect in Christ?

Let the Bible give the answer. Do you remember that Bible text from Matthew 1:21? “And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins.” This is the true salvation, from our sins. Millions of Christians today believe they are saved while they do sin until Jesus comes, and maybe then Jesus will change them into His image. But wait a minute, what is the only thing we take with us from this earth? Will we take possessions? No, do not be deceived, the Bible is crystal clear regarding this issue. “He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be My son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” Revelation 21:7–8.

Character, what every man and woman born in this world has, is the only treasure we will take with us throughout all eternity. That is how David understood it. “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10. Shall we not say with David the same words today? Shall we not have the same desire as David had, and as many other faithful people in the Bible? Read Hebrews chapter 11 and let the Spirit of God guide you, just as He guided those people. Their experience can be yours also. Paul said to the Corinthians, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.”

“Through the power of Christ, men and women have broken the chains of sinful habit. They have renounced selfishness. The profane have become reverent, the drunken sober, the profligate pure. Souls that have borne the likeness of Satan have become transformed into the image of God. This change is in itself the miracle of miracles. A change wrought by the Word, it is one of the deepest mysteries of the Word. We cannot understand it; we can only believe, as declared by the Scriptures, it is ‘Christ in you, the hope of glory.’ When the Spirit of God controls mind and heart, the converted soul breaks forth into a new song; for he realizes that in his experience the promise of God has been fulfilled, that his transgression has been forgiven, his sin covered. He has exercised repentance toward God for the violation of the divine law, and faith toward Christ, who died for man’s justification. ‘Being justified by faith,’ he has ‘peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.’ Romans 5:1.” –The Acts of the Apostles, p. 476

What are the results and benefits of this walk of faith?

Let us look at this from God’s perspective. “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.” Isaiah 55:7. “If Thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with Thee, that Thou mayest be feared.” Psalm 130:3–4.

“The conditions of eternal life, under grace, are just what they were in Eden—perfect righteousness, harmony with God, perfect conformity to the principles of His law. The standard of character presented in the Old Testament is the same that is presented in the New Testament. This standard is not one to which we cannot attain. In every command or injunction that God gives there is a promise, the most positive, underlying the command. God has made provision that we may become like unto Him, and He will accomplish this for all who do not interpose a perverse will and thus frustrate His grace.” –Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, p. 76

We can clearly see that God never changes; the ones who should change are we, because of sin. Our heavenly Father wants to restore what was lost, and this restoration will be performed through men and women who accept Christ’s sacrifice in their behalf. We have no merits to go to heaven, it is written, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23. Will you receive this gift? We don’t deserve it but is there, and it is just for you. Today acknowledge Jesus as your personal Saviour and He will change your life. Confess Him before people and He will confess you before the Father; make plans with Him and He will give you success in all things; share the good news with all around you.

Jesus tells us, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” John 14:1–3. A wonderful promise. Jesus is coming soon, my friend, to take us home and put an end to this world. If Jesus promised it, I believe it with all my heart. What about you, my friend, do you believe it? If yes, then you are on the right side; and one day the King of kings will come in His glory to reward us. Do not let anyone take away Jesus’ promise from your life.

We live in such a wicked world, and many times we tend to forget about heaven. For example, let us just take an ordinary day, a common day in our life. Usually Christians wake up in the morning and the first thing that should be done is our personal and private prayer, which is followed by the family morning worship, reading a Bible text with the family and meditating over it during that day. Well, until this point everything should be ok; but then we go to work, and there we meet with people who are not Christians, as is mostly the case.

Today there are people who say that if you do not have fun, look good, go to parties, nicely dressed in the best fashion, seek for high society, for anything to be cool and so forth (the list goes on), they sometimes make you feel inferior. And then, in order to avoid these kinds of comments, you try to be cool, although you are a Christian and your duty before God is to show Christ in your conversation, dress, and diet. This is dangerous today, and many young people are tempted to follow the world’s standards and fashions. Unfortunately, I have met lots of people in this situation; once they enjoyed Bible study, prayer and Church fellowship, then suddenly they left the church and finally, Jesus.

“I would ask the youth of today who profess to believe present truth, wherein they deny self for the truth’s sake. When they really desire an article of dress, or some ornament or convenience, do they lay the matter before the Lord in prayer to know if His Spirit would sanction this expenditure of means? In the preparation of their clothing, are they careful not to dishonor their profession of faith? Can they seek the Lord’s blessing upon the time thus employed? It is one thing to join the church, and quite another thing to be united to Christ. Unconsecrated, world-loving professors of religion are one of the most serious causes of weakness in the church of Christ.” –Messages to Young People, p. 357

My dear sister and brother in Christ, for Jesus’ sake, let us put everything away that causes a deficiency in our way toward heaven; I believe we are very late in earth’s history and Jesus is coming soon. He wants to reach out to you, to embrace you, and to tell you how valuable you are, He wants to tell you He has a plan for your life and that He can restore everything that has been lost and destroyed by sin. He wants to tell you that He can remake your life today, even if it was blown up into pieces—remember, He is able to do that. Believe me, I could see it in my life. Jesus did it for me and the same Jesus can do it for you if you let Him. Why not lift up your heart right now? Why not say, “Lord I want to be prepared for Your soon coming and I need You in my life?” Jesus is willing to do that, my friend. Certainly I want to live in that better world where no trace of sin will be ever be again, don’t you? But let me ask you a question: how could you and I possibly accept Him being crowned as King of the universe if we are not willing to make Him the King of our heart right now? Do you remember that Jesus is saying to you and to me: “My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe My ways.” Proverbs 23:26

May our loving Father in heaven give us power from on high to overcome evil, and to do His will. May His Holy Spirit guide us in all truth and prepare us for the most important and great event of our life, Jesus second coming in glory. Amen.

In Christ,

Nicholas Anca