Is everyone we would talk to saved and
going to heaven, or is the church missing the boat on salvation? I have never seen the Gospel message as
watered down as it has become in this modern era. In an effort to
reach out to the world with the love of Christ, We have somehow lost
sight of the fact that he is also a righteous judge, who has set a
very high standard for His children. We've traded in “unless you
repent...” (Luke 13:3) for Facebook Christianity. Now we can post
and share about how much we love Jesus and post selfies taken at the
bar all at the same time. A person now can pretty much do whatever
they want and proclaim, “Judge not...” (Matt.7:1) We are then to
be absolved from all responsibility and accepted as believers in
Christ. Salvation certainly does not automatically and instantly
yield perfection. In fact we can find ourselves in some pretty
horrible situations when we allow ourselves to drift away from
Christ. We do not get up from the alter of
salvation to never sin again, but We do receive a new nature in which
we hate our sin and seek to change behaviors. Can you remember a time
when we were ashamed of our sin and even the sin in the lives of
those close to us? An illegitimate child was once a shame on the
parents and their families, now the unmarried couple while still
unmarried brings the baby for dedication to the Lord. In a recent
Facebook post I saw a woman was sharing a post declaring her undying
loyalty to Christ, and yet I know that this woman hasn't been in
any local church in almost a year. The following statement is
taken from a recent article on Facebook: “ Love
People... when are we going to stop always talking about a person and
how they are? When are we going to take a look at the messes in our
own lives instead of the messes in everyone else's? Lead the example
of a Christ filled life... To lead someone to the Lord is to just
Love them no matter of the mess in their life... Love them right
where they are, right how they are. The Lord don't say clean up then
come to me... He says come to me and I will clean you up!!!”
Everything
in this article is true but it leaves out the concept of repentance
of sin. It is true that Christ accepts us as we are but it is
conditioned on us being repentant for the way we are. He can clean us
up only if we repent recognizing that we need cleaning up. We have
been sold the idea that to love someone means to fully accept any
lifestyle they choose to live, and nothing could be farther from the
truth. Would you warn a friend of impending danger? Would you stand
idle while they got bit by a deadly snake? Would you not tell them
the bridge is out before they drive off the cliff? If you would watch
out for your loved ones physical condition then why would you not
warn them of the coming destruction of the soul in Hell? We are
afraid of offending them. We fear pushing them away. So, we are
content to just focus on the one sided truth of love and acceptance
to the exclusion of responsibility and repentance. Without repentance
we can never experience the awesome power of forgiveness. Unless and
until we come to a complete realization that we are miserable,
helpless, deviant sinners who are unable to please God in ourselves
we can never experience salvation.
So
then, what does separate sinners lost without Christ and those of us
who though sinners have received Him for salvation. Paul said in
Romans 10:9 “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus....”
This confession is much much more than the simply believing that most
are preaching in pulpits today. James said that even the devils
believe and they tremble. Make no mistake it takes much more than
belief. Confession is admitting that Christ is right. It is seeing
ourselves the same way He sees us. It is admitting sin. It is an
admission of Guilt. To confess Christ is the public pronouncement
that Christ is right in His assessment of Me—I did it, I am guilty.
He goes on to say that we must believe that God raised Him from the
dead. It is the sacrificial death of Christ on the Cross which
purchases our salvation and His resurrection secures our eternal
life. The telling difference between lost humanity and a Christian is
the motivation of the heart. Paul goes on to say that, “with the
heart man believes and this results in righteousness.” A lost
person sins and can find happiness in it, they might even be
delusional enough to think they are OK in the eyes of God, because it
is their nature. The nature of a lost person is depraved and evil.
When a Christian sins they are convicted almost immediately and hurt
within themselves because they have betrayed their own heart. Their
heart has been made new and seeks to please God. When a person having
the new nature of Christ in them sins, they struggle within
themselves. That convicting struggle continues until We confess it to
God in repentance. Hear Me very clear. If you can flaunt and make
light of the sin in your life it is a good indicator that you are not
saved. A genuinely saved person does sin, and left unchecked can lead
us in paths that even some unbelievers would not dare go, but we can
never be happy in it. Church affiliation, moral conduct, baptism, nor
anything else of the sort saves, nor does it keep your salvation. It
is only in a personal faith relationship with Jesus Christ that we
gain salvation. That faith relationship effects continual change in
the lives of the believer, as we seek to forsake sin in our lives.
If
you would see the Sin that separates you from Christ and would come
to Him for salvation it is very simple, yet very serious. In your own
words simply acknowledge your sin to Christ, asking Him for
forgiveness, and salvation. Repent (turn away from) of sin through
the power of His forgiveness.
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