The searching soul does well to look to the words of the apostle, for they are a clear map to the gate of life. Confession with the mouth that Jesus is Lord and belief in the heart that God raised Him from the dead, here is the gospel in two pillars. Yet many linger on the threshold, reading the words as a distant hope rather than a present reality. They examine the door but will not enter.
The great danger in such seeking is that men begin to think it is a labor of their own hands, a quest where they must climb to heaven or descend to the deep to find Christ. But the word is near you. The text says, "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." It does not tell you to wait for a sign or to feel a certain measure of anguish. It bids you to take Christ now, to trust Him now, to lay your weight upon Him this very instant. Procrastination is the rust on faith's blade. The danger of the state of seeking is that men grow comfortable in the seeking and neglect the finding. They substitute earnestness for faith, tears for trust, and their own searchings for the Savior's finished work. But salvation is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. Stop looking to your looking and look to Jesus.
You speak of confessing and turning from sin, and this is right. But never mistake the turning for the ground of your salvation. You cannot turn from sin until you have first turned to Christ. The gospel command is not "Turn from sin, and then you may have Christ." No, come to Jesus, and He will give you repentance. The heart that beholds His wounds will weep for its own transgressions. The soul that tastes His love will hate the evil that nailed Him to the tree. If you wait to mend yourself before coming, you will wait forever and perish in the waiting. Come with all your filthiness, your hardness, your reluctance, and cast yourself upon Him. He will receive you. Does He not declare, "I am meek and lowly in heart"? The scribes would have demanded you clean your hands first, but Jesus stoops to touch the leper. He welcomes the publican who dares not lift his eyes to heaven.
Your counsel to read the Gospels is wise. Begin with John, indeed, for there the deity of Christ shines like the morning sun, and every page beckons the reader to believe and have life. But do not read as a scholar trying to master a text; read as a beggar looking for bread. Seek Jesus in the Scriptures. Do not merely catalogue His miracles or memorize His parables, see Him, see His heart, see His cross, see His empty tomb. There is a seeing of faith that is better than the vision of the eyes. Many who walked in the dust of Galilee saw His face and yet crucified Him, but a poor soul who now gazes upon Him by faith shall be saved. As you trace the sacred narrative, pray without ceasing. A groan will reach Him. A whispered "Lord, save me" will pierce the heavens.
Remember, though: the turning that saves is no mere turning from open vice to a decent morality. A man may sweep the front step and leave the cellar full of corpses. The turning must be a turning to God in Christ, a forsaking of all self-righteousness, a divorce from the love of sin, and a crowning of Jesus as Lord of every chamber of your being. "Jesus our Lord", that is the believer's motto. He does not come to be a guest in the parlor while the rest of the house remains locked. He must have every key. If you will not have Him as your absolute Sovereign, you cannot have Him as your saving Priest.
But do not let this alarm you. His yoke, though it is a yoke, is easy. His rule brings perfect freedom. The soul that yields itself fully to Christ finds that His commandments are not burdensome, for He motivates the willing with His own Spirit. The path of obedience is not the road to salvation but the highway of the saved. We are justified by faith alone, but the faith that justifies is never alone. It works by love and purifies the heart.
The Lord has applied the remedy; He has put sin away by the sacrifice of Himself. Once, in the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. All the righteous wrath that the law demanded was absorbed in His person on Calvary. There is no sin so black that His blood cannot purify it, no rebel so far off that His arm cannot reach. The fountain is filled with blood and stands open for all who will come. Do not attempt to supplement His work with your own feelings; do not insult His finished task by waiting for a better frame of heart. Bring your empty hands, receive the free gift, and go your way justified.
He has torn, and He will heal. He has wounded, and He will bind up. Any sense of guilt, any fear of judgment, any sorrow over sin, these are His work in you, the tearing of the law before the binding of the gospel. Do not flee from Him, but to Him. Return, O wanderer, for He waits to restore. Confess your helplessness, tell Him you are nothing but sin, and plead His wounds as your only merit. Say to Him, "Lord, I am lost, but You have died." The very cry will release in you the joy of the redeemed.
Prayer Focus: God, Thank You for loving me. Thank You for loving me, Jesus. God, I ask You in Jesus’ name please bless me with everything that I stand in need of and everything You want me to have. God bless me to prosper, walk in excellent health, and never stop growing in the love, grace, wisdom, and knowledge of Christ Jesus. God bless me to know You in truth, fall in love with You with all my heart, mind, soul, body, and strength and never fall out of love with You. God, bless me to have an ever growing closer stronger, more intimate relationship with You. Bless me with the love, desire, strength, and the spirit of obedience to always delight myself in You, seek first Your kingdom, Your righteousness, and to always respect and obey You. Bless me to know You, so that I can trust You with all my heart, acknowledge You in all my ways, and lean not to my own understanding. Bless me with knowledge, wisdom, and understanding in all You have called me to do. 
be-an-encourager.blogspot.com
