Genetics

Some people are "Christians" because their parents were and they are because of their heritage. Surprise! Salvation is NOT genetic. You cannot depend on being saved from hell because some ancestor was. The problem is that many are "Christian in name only" (CINO). Unfortunately there is no Christian gene. If you're counting on a trip to heaven because your great-grandfather was born-again, forget it! It's not going to happen!

Most people will readily say "Yes, I'm a Christian. I believe in God!" I'm glad they believe, for even the demons do! They believe in God so much that their full-time occupation is deriding him! If we spent as much time praising God with our belief as the demons do minimizing him, we would be great Christians!

James 2:19 "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble."

You believe and stand rigid. The demons believe and shake in their socks. Who has the most belief? Surely the demons do! The most profound verse in the Bible says it all:

 John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

If we look at the Greek word transliterated to English  "believeth" it is pisteuō which means "to believe, commit and trust". In the case of the devils, in contest they merely "believe". Hence, the important part of being "saved" is the trust and committed part! Those who have genetic "Christianity" aren't committed because they have never placed a personal trust in Jesus, let alone be committed to him!

The problem with this "Christian nation" is that it's not Christian! Most people are genetic "Christians" who have never been "born-again". You see the new birth is not genetic. It's one's personal acceptance of Jesus' sacrifice and love and the commitment to trust in him for salvation. The genetic "old creature" who has contaminated genes becomes a "new creature" with, well, clean genes!

On the other hand "sin" is genetic! It's a terrible disease in the genes of all people! You get the disease when you are born because both your mother and father are carriers of this terminal malady:

Romans 5:12 "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned..."

If you are descended from Adam, and you are; then you are born with "original sin". That's the disease caught from the forbidden fruit way back in the Garden whose virus flows in your own blood. The only cure for this virus is a transfusion of pure blood! The only pure blood to decontaminate you is the blood of Jesus Christ:

Romans 3:25 "Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God..."
1 John 2:2 "And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."
1 John 4:10 "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins."

To cure this genetic virus it must be by "the blood". Of course that is Jesus' blood which he shed for us on Calvary:

Hebrews 9:22 "And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission."

Some will say that it's the water which "saves". However, that's obedience in gratitude for being cleansed. It's the blood of Jesus in whom we trust which makes the new creature!

The new creature is starts all over without that genetic virus:

2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

What Adam had is cleansed from the born-again person. The genetic virus is no longer in the blood of the new person! It's a new start and the durability is based on regular inoculations from the Holy Spirit whose antidote comes from reading Holy Scripture. The Holy Spirit is symbolized by "living waters" and it's this water which inoculates Christians against this virus. We get comfort from being inoculated so that our hope continues!

Usual genetic diseases have no cure. We are born that way and die that way. However, what came to us through the genes from Adam can be "cured". It's a transfusion with totally clean blood which cures.

Romans 5:17 "For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)"

By Adam the virus causing death was inherited, but by one man, Jesus, we have life!  It's unfortunate that some believe that salvation is an inherited family trait, but don't believe the virus of sin is genetic!

If you're counting on your parent's or grandparent's belief to save you, it's you that you deceive! If you think that you are a good person, again you deceive yourself. You've got that virus whether you admit it or not!

 Romans 3:9 "What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; 10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God."

You can do something about that! Quit merely "believing" and start "accepting and trusting". It's the trust in Jesus' death and the blood shed there on the cross which cures what you genetically inherited. That's the only cure and is being "born-again" a new creature. Take the plunge. Immerse yourself in that living water contained in the blood of Jesus!