Matthew 16:13-17

"Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" And they said, "Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.”He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." And Jesus said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

Why did Jesus ask His disciples who people thought He was? Why would Jesus care who people think He is? There has to be a purpose in His inquiry. Could it be that it is important to Jesus, that people know exactly who He is? It is evident that it was of importance. People were making all kinds of speculations, thinking He was an incarnate prophet (a major prophet at that).

Knowing exactly who Jesus is, is of great important to Jesus, so essential to faith in Him, that Jesus blessed Peter (Simon Barjona) for his revelation, stating that only God the Father could have revealed to Peter that Jesus was the long awaited Messiah and Son of the living God. Jesus wants us to know exactly who He is for many reasons. Jesus warned us of false prophets that will come in His name trying to lead the world, including Christians, astray.

Matthew 24:4

Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Messiah,' and they will deceive many.

Is one’s salvation precluded, by having the full knowledge of who Jesus Christ is? That’s kind of a tricky question, and isn’t meant to be. Let’s see if I can state it more clearly. Do I have to know everything there is to know about Jesus Christ before I can be saved? The answer is no.  However, that is where Jesus’ caution comes into play. We have to be sure that the Jesus we put our faith in, trust in, and eternal assurance in, is the “real” Jesus. I have friends and family members who believe in and trust in a person they call Jesus. They are Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses, New Age Thinkers, etc. On the surface and with little investigation, their Jesus looks and sounds like the same Jesus, but that is where the similarities cease.

I had heard of Jesus and some people had even told me bits and pieces about Jesus. However, I didn’t know who Jesus “really” is. However, on January 11, 1982, I got radically saved by Jesus Christ. I knew little to nothing about Him, other than my misconceptions, my biases and my prejudices about Christianity in general, and Christians in particular. One minute I was a drug taking, pot smoking, bear drinking, fornicating, blaspheming, unbeliever, and the next minute I am praying with several total strangers, confessing my sin, receiving forgiveness from God, and receiving Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I was born again in an instant, and I didn’t have to take an IQ test of any type.

I was set free from the sins that were repressing and oppressing me. I didn’t know what justification or sanctification is, nor did I know any other Christian precepts. Some of my sinful “practices” were virtually gone overnight. I stopped taking drugs and drinking alcohol immediately. My language was the next thing to come under control of the Holy Spirit, but the sins I struggled with the most to overcome were sexual sins, but they too where soon under control of the Holy Spirit. Did I ever, or do I now occasionally stumble in anyone of the sinful areas that I fervently practiced as lover of self (rather than a lover of God), I most certainly and shamefully admit that I do. However, If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

I shared a part of my testimony just to illustrate that I know we all meet Jesus Christ in different states of being, and the condition of our lives are all different. Our human condition is a sinful one, and we all struggle with various sins. Some of us were alcoholics, drug addicts, adulterers, fornicators, homosexuals, child molesters, mass murderers, and the list goes on. However, Jesus Christ calls us out of our human condition and into the light.

1 Corinthians 6:8-11

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.

Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

The Apostle Paul wrote to the body of Christ in Corinth, because he was aware of people in their midst that called themselves Christians, yet were practicing habitual sins. Paul instructs the Corinthians to flee immorality because our bodies are not our own and were bought at a great price.

2 Corinthians 6:14-18

Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?

Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, "I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE," says the Lord. "AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN; And I will welcome you.”And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me," Says the Lord Almighty.

The bottom line is this, some of us were fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, effeminate, homosexuals, thieves, covetous, drunkards, revilers, swindlers, (insert your habitual sin here), but we were washed in the blood of our magnificent Savior, sanctified and justified in the name above all names, Jesus.

Do not be deceived.