Romans 3:24 (Amp.) says, "[All] are justified and made upright and in right standing with God, freely and gratuitously by His grace, through the redemption which is [provided] in Christ Jesus." 

Let's talk about grace.  The grace of God.  In scripture the word 'grace' is translated from the greek word 'charis', meaning 'favor', or as the Amplified version explains, 'unmerrited favor and mercy'.

When we ask God to forgive us, we are saved (delivered from judgement) by His grace (unmerrited favor and mercy).  He gives His grace freely.  It is impossible to gain His favor by doing 'good works', for it is not our 'works' that saves us or justifies us in His eyes.  ONLY by the grace of God are we saved (delivered from judgement).

Does this mean that once we are saved we never have to do good works?  Absolutely not! God then equips us with the abilities needed to fullfill His awesome purpose for us, whatever that may be.  And if we are obedient to Him, He will use us no matter where we are.  Whether we volunteer at a local shelter, travel to far away countries, stay at home with our children, or have a corporate career.

Bottom line...works DO NOT save us or make us okay.  God's grace is it. 

Ask Him to forgive your sins, and invite Him to be the Lord of your life. Freely, and graciously He will do what you ask.  

In my quest to prove that you don't have to be an idiot to believe in God, I chose to use Solomon as an example.  Solomon had a passion for knowledge and wisdom.  He asked God to give him an "understanding mind and a hearing heart" so that he could discern between good and bad for the people of Israel.

God was pleased with Solomon for asking for "understanding to recognize what is just and right", rather than asking for "long life and riches".  So God gave Solomon wisdom and a discerning mind, and a long life and riches, too!  God also tells him that no one before him was equal to him and no one after him shall be equal to him.  Either he was a genius or everyone else was really stupid...

I learned that Solomon was a literary genius.  Kings came from all over to hear him speak (ref. I Kings 4:34).  He lectured on botany and zoology (ref. I Kings 4:33).  He was a political ruler who ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt.  He had dominion over all the region west of the Euphrates River, from Tiphsah (modern Syria) to Gaza, over all the kings west of the River, and there was peace on all sides around him (ref. I Kings 4:21, 24).  Solomon was a scientist, a businessman with vast enterprises (ref. I Kings 4:26), a poet (ref. I Kings 4:32), moralist, and preacher.  (ref. I Kings 4 & 9).

So the question is...is it possible to be a believer and be intelligent?  Absolutely!  History if filled with men and women with extraordinary intelligence, that believe in the one true living God. Solomon is a perfect example of that.   

Mark 1:15 (NIV) Jesus says,"The Kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news."

What does it mean to repent?  It means to have a complete change of mind.  To turn away from your sin, and change your behavior.

What does the word believe mean?  According to my study, believe translates to English from Greek as pisteuo.  Pisteuo means to trust in, rely on, and adhere to.

When we accept Jesus Christ as our savior, we must put away our old self.  Turn completely from our sin, and we trust, rely on, and adhere to good news (the Gospel).  

Many will say it's hard to be a Christian in this day and age, but it isn't.  Not if you seek God's will in your life, and allow His Holy Spirit to lead you.  That doesn't mean you won't have trials, and temptations, because the enemy will most certainly attack where you are the most vulnerable, but the beauty of it is, Immanu'el (God is with us)!  Sometimes He will carry us, and other times He will walk beside us.  Either way, He helps us through it.

The short of it is...Ask Jesus to come into your heart.  Turn from your sin.  Love others as God has loved us.  Can't get much simpler than that, can it?

When we become a born again Christian, the old person begins to disappear.  For some of us the change happens more rapidly, but for others it is a slower process.  The Holy Spirit now dwells within us, and leads us.  Our sin is exposed, and we begin to really see it for what it is.  It is ugly, and putrid, and hideous.  

Often times we lose friends, and/or the support of family members because of this change that is taking place. We never stop changing, and growing.  Eventually, we are no longer invited to certain parties, or get-togethers, and it struck me recently, why this is.  It's not because these friends and/or family members don't love us, or care for us anymore, they simply become uncomfortable with us.   They don't feel comfortable drinking, or swearing in our presence.  When you're in the room they don't feel comfortable listening to certain music, or watching certain movies or TV shows.  They may feel like you are judging them.   Why?

Jesus says in Matthew 5:14-15, "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.  15 Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a peck measure, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house."  


What is sin?  It is darkness.  What happens when you turn on the light? The light exposes all that is in the darkness.  Your light exposes the sin in their own lives.

You will know you are walking on the straight path when you no longer fit in.  When the world no longer wants you.

"See what an incredible quality of love the Father has given (shown, bestowed on) us, that we should be permitted to be named and called and counted the children of God! And so we are! The reason that the world does not know (recognize, acknowledge) us is that it does not know (recognize, acknowledge) Him."  1 John 3:1 Amplified