If You Are Looking for a Messiah

We all recognize that our world needs help. Most likely you see political, social, economic, or moral changes that need to be made in your community. But like me, you admit you cannot make those changes on your own. You recognize that we need help.

Throughout history, people have looked to someone else to save them when the situation started getting bad.

Muhammed, Buddha, Hitler, Sun Myung Moon, Jim Jones, and David Koresh are all leaders whom others have trusted because of their claims about their ability to bring salvation of one type or another to their followers. Each made promises of spiritual, political, or personal freedom, some claiming to be the messiah or God's special messenger, or Jesus Christ come back the second time.

When someone claims to be the messiah (saviour) sent from God, how can we tell if he can be trusted? The decision is all important; it means life or death, accepting salvation or accepting a devil. Here is a simple test that will help to keep you from being deceived.

1. DOES HE HAVE THE CHARACTER OF GOD AS WELL AS THE MESSAGE OF GOD?

Many people have claimed to have a message from God, but have any had the character of God? David Koresh certainly didn't. He called himself the Lamb of God, but he used his followers to serve himself and his own vile interests.

Most self-proclaimed messiahs can be clearly seen to be imposters by their self-serving and deceitful life-styles. Any claim to perfection or holiness is quickly seen as a lie. Even those considered good religious teachers or "enlightened ones" often admit they are not perfect. Usually their friends can attest to that also.

Only one Messiah passed the test--Jesus. One of Jesus' closest friends said Jesus was one "who did no sin, neither was guile [deceit] found in his mouth" (I Peter 2:22).

Even His enemies who were trying to accuse Him could find no charge against Him. "Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death; but found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none" (Matthew 26:59, 60). They couldn't even get their false witnesses to agree!

The governor who was coerced into signing the death warrant out of fear of his own position said this, "I find no fault in this man" (Luke 23:4).

Neither His friends, His enemies, nor the law found Jesus guilty of sin.

2. DOES HE FULFILL THE PROPHECIES MADE ABOUT THE MESSIAH?

There were over sixty major prophecies made in the Old Testament about the coming Messiah. Jesus fulfilled all of them. Someone has calculated that the odds for someone fulfilling only eight of these prophecies by chance is 1 in a 100,000,000,000,000,000. Maybe you think He fulfilled them purposely. Did you pick the time and place of your birth and who your mother would be?

It is interesting to note that Jesus never even had to tell His followers who He was. Those who knew the Scriptures and were in touch with God recognized Him as the Messiah. Only when He was pushed by His accusers did He say He was the Messiah.

3. CAN HE BRING COMPLETE AND LASTING FREEDOM TO HIS FOLLOWERS?

God's Word warns us about those who claim to be messengers of God but are really false teachers. It says they promise their followers freedom, but they themselves are the slaves of corruption (II Peter 2:19).

How can this happen? It happens because spiritual freedom must be the source of every other type of freedom. We are all slaves to our own greed, envy, anger, and lust. If our fallen nature is given freedom to express itself, the result is violence, perversity, and degradation.

That is why evil is so prevalent in our world today and that is why self-proclaimed messiahs abuse their followers. We need a messiah to save us from ourselves and from the bondage of sin and Satan.

Jesus, because of His perfect life and sacrificial death, is that Messiah. "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). Jesus came to save us from our sin so that we can have abundant life -- a life full of meaning, satisfaction, inner joy, and true and lasting freedom. Jesus is the one Messiah who can bring true freedom. Have you met Him?

HOW TO RECOGNIZE THE TRUE MESSIAH, JESUS, WHEN HE RETURNS

1. Get to know Him now. See Matthew 11:28-30.

2. If someone tells you He is here, He is not. See Matthew 24:23, 24.

3. Get busy doing His will and avoid worldly entanglements. See Matthew 24:36-51.

4. Don't worry; you will know it. See Matthew 24:26, 27.

IF YOU WOULD BUILD ON JESUS CHRIST

REJECT THE SAND

of false foundations this world offers.

"He that trusteth in his riches shall fall" (Proverbs 11:28).

"He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool" (Proverbs 28:26).

"The expectation of the wicked shall perish" (Proverbs 10:28).

"Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out" (Acts 3:19).

SELECT THE ROCK

Jesus Christ, the only secure foundation.

"If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved" (Romans 10:9).

"Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning" (Joel 2:12).

ERECT A NEW LIFE

on your new faith in Jesus Christ.

"But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God" (Jude 20, 21).

"Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city" (Revelation 22:14).

Read God's Word. "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable ... for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished [fully equipped] unto all good works" (II Timothy 3:16, 17).

The heart of man was made for devotion to God.

You may request printed copies of this tract from Christian Light Publications.

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