I get to drive a car once in a while but that certainly does not make me a driver. Let me repeat, that does not make me a driver.

There are many that come to church once or twice a year and we would hope they too would know they are not saved. They will be separated from God for eternity. It takes more than showing up at church or being a ‘good person’.

The Bible makes it clear on a couple of accounts about the “good person theory”. I was taught the “good person salvation theory”. It went something like this. Go to church (45 minutes or so once a week). Treat people good and do not do anything too bad (murder was about the only thing too bad).

So what does the Bible say about the “good person salvation theory”. Let’s look at a few verses.
Romans 3:10-12 As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one;  there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.  All have turned away, they have together become worth- less; there is no one who does good, not even one.”
Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Titus 3:5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done
Isaiah 64:6 All of us have become like one who is un- clean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags

So we see clearly that God says (not me, but God) we are all sinners. We missed the mark. Good things do not save us and even what we think is good is not. So there you have it. PLEASE! Don’t hope in the “good person salvation theory”. Instead place your faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.

There are millions of race fans but that does not mean they are all drivers. It just means they like it. They get a thrill out of it. They usually talk about driving as if they have driven a car (race car). This group is the group that moved from watching a race on TV to going to their local race track. They can get pretty close at a track to the cars and the drivers. They may even sit in a real race car. But they are still not a driver.

It is the same thing with church and salvation. There are millions that are “fans” of Jesus yet they are not saved. Ask them and they may even say they are going to heaven because they know Jesus, go to church, give money, read their Bible… but they do not know the Jesus of the Bible. They know the Jesus that is comfortable to know. The gospel requires change. Ouch, I know that is hard to hear, but the gospel includes this, “That Jesus is LORD.” If someone new is in charge of something there is always change. It’s the same with salvation. Jesus makes it clear in Luke 13:5 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” and Ezekiel 18:31 Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. It is like racing. It takes a commitment to move from a fan to the driver’s seat. You cannot hold the trophy or be in victory lane sitting in the stands. So make the move!

Friday we had the privilege of going to Grundy, IL County Speedway with the Mid Am Stock Car Series. What a good night of racing. It was nice to have a good car count and to see good heat and feature racing. I was asked to pray for Tim Goodlet and we will continue to pray for him, his recovery, and his return to the flag stand. As I thought about it I began to pray the way  I often pray for those who are ill, and I want to share that with you.

First, I pray for God’s will to be done. He is perfect in every way including His timing. He is able. God is completely capable to heal even from the death bed if He wills it that way.

Just a note – it is not always God’s will to heal. Sometimes it is to get our attention. Sometimes it is to humble us. Sometimes it is not the right time so God chooses to leave the illness or injury. That is why we want His will and His timing, not ours. And this is why man does not heal. I also know of a time out East when a family lost two very young children in an accident and at the funeral a large number of people gave their lives to the Lord and to His service. So it was for His glory, and ultimately that is what we want – God to be glorified and honored.

Second, I always pray for God to comfort. Jesus tells us that the Holy Spirit comforts and councils. Psalm 103 says that He loves and cares for His children. Throughout the Bible that we find God loves us and cares for us.

Third, I pray that the same God who created the earth and mankind, the God who divided the water, raised the dead, healed the sick and performed incredible miracles is the same God today. He can and still does heal, and so it is with boldness that we can ask God for a miracle.

It may be a miracle of physically healing the ill or it may be to change a heart away from harmful behavior, or perhaps the greatest miracle of all – salvation. God is still doing miracles so we confidently ask in Your will, Oh Lord, to heal Tim and bring him back to the track.

Can I join you in praying for God to move miraculously in your life? Let me know and I will pray.

Here is the next group. They are the ones that sit in front of their TV’s and watch races. It is cool to watch a race on TV but nothing like being at one. They only see what someone else wants them to see or hear. There is no personal contact.

In our culture we hear the name Jesus often but unfortunately it is often used as a curse or swear word. God is offended when we misuse His name. He says so in the Ten Commandments. Number 3 – Do not misuse the name of the Lord your God (Exodus 20).

Many of us do hear the truth at some point. I know and can remember times that the gospel was presented to me. There are faithful ones doing what Romans 10:17 and Philemon :6a says: Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. And I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith,. I heard a man on a corner in Pittsburgh sharing truth from the Bible; also a guy from a group called Navigator shared with me; and my sisters too… Again I had no excuse (see Romans 1:20) yet I had only heard about Jesus. I did not know Him. I was certainly not saved

There is a wide spectrum of involvement in racing. It ranges from those who have never heard of it to a champion driver. There are some parallels spiritually.

Can you believe there are people that have never heard of racing? That does not seem possible. Of course I am joking around. There are places that are far off the TV / media radar. There are some in this country that have never seen a race or a race car and do not even care to see one.

Now I know this racing thing is getting around because some friends of mine went to South Africa to race and there is a guy from India racing a truck this weekend.

Here’s the spiritual parallel. There are those around the world that never heard of Jesus nor have they seen a Bible. That does not leave them with an excuse.

You say, “Woe, wait a minute.” I thought the same thing. Before my sister and her family witnessed to me and I was saved I would say, “What about the people in Siberia or in the jungles that have never heard?” The Bible addresses this in Romans 1:20. It says, For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

The truth is we all need to be saved. We need to surrender to Jesus’ Lordship and since you are reading this website you cannot make the claim that you have never heard the truth.