In my time alone with God this morning, Luke 3:8 really grabbed my attention:  “Prove by the way you live that you have really turned from your sins and turned to God. Don’t just say, ‘We’re safe — we’re the descendants of Abraham.’ That proves nothing. God can change these stones here into children of Abraham.”  (Luke 3:8 NLT)

It is Christ-centered LIFE-CHANGE – not religious heritage or church affiliation – that’s the sign of genuine salvation.  NOTE:  I’m not talking about changing your life to be right with God – nothing we do of our own merits can earn us a right standing with God  (Eph. 2:8-9, Titus 3:5).  However, when salvation is real there will be evidence in our lives – LIFECHANGE, and we begin to do “good works” as a result of being forgiven of sin and saved by our faith in Jesus Christ (Eph. 2:10).

When I made my decision to follow Christ as Savior and Lord, my appetites and desires began to change.  I was a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17) with a new way of life; not perfection, but direction (1 John 2:3-6).  While I still fail and make mistakes (sin), the direction of my life is to live as Christ did.  Jesus was perfect; we’re not, so we walk in direction not perfection, but the direction of our life will show what/who we follow and what/who is most important to us.  If your salvatin is genuine – it will show up in the way you live:  ie – Christ-centered LIFECHANGE.