"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.... Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'"
~ Matthew 7:13-14,21-27 niv ~
These are 'fly in your face' positively terrifying verses in the whole canon of Scripture! They 'fly in the face' of the popular notion that pretty much everybody - MANY - will go to heaven when they die. They are terrifying because Jesus refutes this notion by warning us there will be MANY who expect the comforts of heaven, but they will sent away. There will be MANY who think they are reconciled to God, who in fact are not.
I worry about the statistics in America. Barna Research Group reports that between 49% and 51% of professing 'born again' Christians are not, cannot be 'saved'. Mind you, it is the rare bird these days who dare to admit they are a born-again Christian. Most people in America will readily admit they are 'Christian', but will stop there. More often than not, the answer is: "Yes, I'm a Christian - but not that wacky born-again type!" So only a fraction of professing Christians identify themselves as 'born-again' and from this fraction, only a fraction could actually be saved from the wrath to come.
For the longest time, I was that person! I sincerely believed I was a Christian - a born-again Christian - because I had prayed the 'Sinner's Prayer' and knew the answers to some important questions about Jesus. I believed in Jesus and God and the cross and the resurrection. (I didn't know that even the demons believe - and tremble!)
It wasn't until I began to read the Bible FOR MYSELF that God was pleased to bring me face to face with things I had never heard before, like 1.) God equates loving Him with obeying His commands - "If you love me, you will obey what I command." John 14:15 and 2.) "You are my friends if you do what I command." John 15:14. We can't even consider ourself in friendly relationship with God unless we obey Him. Later in John's letter to the church (letter as opposed to the Gospel of John), we are told "We know that we have come to know Him if we obey His commands. The man who says, 'I know Him,' but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys His Word, God's love is truly made complete in Him. This is how we know we are in Him: WHOEVER CLAIMS TO LIVE IN HIM MUST WALK AS JESUS DID." I John 2:3-6 That means obedience is not optional. For the longest time, I sincerely believed that obedience was optional. I had been 'saved' by GRACE and GRACE was apart and separate from WORKS. There were two types of Christians - 1.) Carnal Christians who accepted Jesus as their Savior, and 2.) Pious Christians who willingly bend knee to Him as LORD. It wasn't until I read through the Gospel of John - for myself - that I came to know the state of my captivity. Until this blessed reading, I thought Grace had nothing to do with Works and Works had nothing to do with Grace; when the 'Gospel Truth' is this: We are indeed saved by grace through faith, and this (faith) is not of ourselves, it is a gift from God - lest we should boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
The truth is: SALVATION IS THE FREE GIFT OF GRACE THROUGH THE FREE GIFT OF FAITH. I can do nothing to earn a right standing with God. I can do nothing to purchase a right standing with God. I am unworthy of His favor and His mercy. He gives it to whomever He wills for His good pleasure. It is a mysterious and humbling thing. Saving Grace is free - but it is NOT CHEAP! One of my favorite Pastor-Teachers puts it this way, "Salvation is free, but the annual subscription will cost you everything you have." (Alistair Begg) You see, those who are truly saved will increase in Christ-likeness. They will be about the business of being salt and light and revealing truth in this world. They will be spending their time doing God's business and caring about God's people. They will be telling others - even skeptics and hostiles - of Him and pleading for them to repent of their sins and turn to our Holy God for divine mercy and walk with Him.
Sadly, many choose the broad road that passes through the wide gate that leads to destruction. This road and walk is easy, it is comfortable, it is popular. We should always be suspicious when our thoughts and our endeavors and our values are welcome among the masses. This is a call to examine ourself by the Light of Scripture and see what God has to say about us. Are we really His child? Do we show a family resemblance? Would anybody accuse us of being a 'wacky, zealot Christian fanatic?' I HOPE SO!
I came face to face with the realization I was a 'make-believer' a little over a decade ago, so I know first-hand how important it is to TEST OURSELVES and EXAMINE OURSELVES to see:
~ Matthew 7:13-14,21-27 niv ~
These are 'fly in your face' positively terrifying verses in the whole canon of Scripture! They 'fly in the face' of the popular notion that pretty much everybody - MANY - will go to heaven when they die. They are terrifying because Jesus refutes this notion by warning us there will be MANY who expect the comforts of heaven, but they will sent away. There will be MANY who think they are reconciled to God, who in fact are not.
I worry about the statistics in America. Barna Research Group reports that between 49% and 51% of professing 'born again' Christians are not, cannot be 'saved'. Mind you, it is the rare bird these days who dare to admit they are a born-again Christian. Most people in America will readily admit they are 'Christian', but will stop there. More often than not, the answer is: "Yes, I'm a Christian - but not that wacky born-again type!" So only a fraction of professing Christians identify themselves as 'born-again' and from this fraction, only a fraction could actually be saved from the wrath to come.
For the longest time, I was that person! I sincerely believed I was a Christian - a born-again Christian - because I had prayed the 'Sinner's Prayer' and knew the answers to some important questions about Jesus. I believed in Jesus and God and the cross and the resurrection. (I didn't know that even the demons believe - and tremble!)
It wasn't until I began to read the Bible FOR MYSELF that God was pleased to bring me face to face with things I had never heard before, like 1.) God equates loving Him with obeying His commands - "If you love me, you will obey what I command." John 14:15 and 2.) "You are my friends if you do what I command." John 15:14. We can't even consider ourself in friendly relationship with God unless we obey Him. Later in John's letter to the church (letter as opposed to the Gospel of John), we are told "We know that we have come to know Him if we obey His commands. The man who says, 'I know Him,' but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys His Word, God's love is truly made complete in Him. This is how we know we are in Him: WHOEVER CLAIMS TO LIVE IN HIM MUST WALK AS JESUS DID." I John 2:3-6 That means obedience is not optional. For the longest time, I sincerely believed that obedience was optional. I had been 'saved' by GRACE and GRACE was apart and separate from WORKS. There were two types of Christians - 1.) Carnal Christians who accepted Jesus as their Savior, and 2.) Pious Christians who willingly bend knee to Him as LORD. It wasn't until I read through the Gospel of John - for myself - that I came to know the state of my captivity. Until this blessed reading, I thought Grace had nothing to do with Works and Works had nothing to do with Grace; when the 'Gospel Truth' is this: We are indeed saved by grace through faith, and this (faith) is not of ourselves, it is a gift from God - lest we should boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
The truth is: SALVATION IS THE FREE GIFT OF GRACE THROUGH THE FREE GIFT OF FAITH. I can do nothing to earn a right standing with God. I can do nothing to purchase a right standing with God. I am unworthy of His favor and His mercy. He gives it to whomever He wills for His good pleasure. It is a mysterious and humbling thing. Saving Grace is free - but it is NOT CHEAP! One of my favorite Pastor-Teachers puts it this way, "Salvation is free, but the annual subscription will cost you everything you have." (Alistair Begg) You see, those who are truly saved will increase in Christ-likeness. They will be about the business of being salt and light and revealing truth in this world. They will be spending their time doing God's business and caring about God's people. They will be telling others - even skeptics and hostiles - of Him and pleading for them to repent of their sins and turn to our Holy God for divine mercy and walk with Him.
Sadly, many choose the broad road that passes through the wide gate that leads to destruction. This road and walk is easy, it is comfortable, it is popular. We should always be suspicious when our thoughts and our endeavors and our values are welcome among the masses. This is a call to examine ourself by the Light of Scripture and see what God has to say about us. Are we really His child? Do we show a family resemblance? Would anybody accuse us of being a 'wacky, zealot Christian fanatic?' I HOPE SO!
I came face to face with the realization I was a 'make-believer' a little over a decade ago, so I know first-hand how important it is to TEST OURSELVES and EXAMINE OURSELVES to see:
1.) Am I a genuine Christian?
and
2.) Why do I think this?
I know first-hand how crafty and sly Satan is in deceiving people into a false sense of assurance and security. I tell my boys I was like a happy frog splashing around in a pot of tepid water - - - a pot that, unbeknownst to me, was set upon a burner, a burner that at any moment could be ignited and heated up gradually enough I'd be unaware of my imminent, fatal condition. That's where Satan wants the professing Church. That's where he has many, many of us! That's where he had me....
You see, since the time I was six years old, I sincerely believed I was a genuine Christian. It wasn't until I came face to face with the truth in Scripture that Christianity has nothing to do with praying a sinners prayer (devoid of repentance, increasing fruit and progressive sanctification), that even the demons 'believe' - and tremble, and that if we love Jesus, we keep His commands. I thought obedience was optional - for the piously-goaled Christians. I thought - no, I sincerely believed that all becoming a Christian required was knowing the right answers to some key doctrinal questions, admitting I was a sinner, believing Jesus did for me what the Bible tells me He did, and making a public confession of faith - typically prior to baptism. Further, I needed to pray a prayer and 'ask Jesus into my heart'. I had 'done' all that, so I thought I was 'covered' - by the blood - safe from 'the wrath to come'.
After God, in His providential timing, brought me to a crisis with these New Testament passages in the Gospel of John and the book of James, I indeed tested and examined why it was I believed I was a Christian and Jesus Christ was my 'personal Savior'.
I came up short - to say the least! Indeed, I came up disqualified!
As hard and as uncomfortable and as lonely as it was to deconstruct some hardwired false teaching from my mind; this was a time of invigoration, exhilaration, and profound meaning...which has led to ministry for God's glory.
I now end all my 'Gospel Presentations' with II Corinthians 13: 5. "Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you - unless indeed you are disqualified."
The command to 'examine yourself and test yourself' may sound ambiguous to some; examine and test- - - against what? Evidence that Jesus Christ is in you. Yes, yes, but how can we do that? What evidence should we be looking for?
Good question!
Last summer I was introduced to a wonderful, sound bible teaching produced by Cross TV. www.crosstv.com The teaching series is called Word Pictures. They have many different titles of study and one that the boys and I went through last summer is titled The Marks of New Birth.
Here is what we learned: (Examine yourself against these traits; not exhaustive I'm sure, but a good measure of New Testament marks or signs of regeneration.)
Can you see the following evidence - or fruit - in your profession:
1.) An insatiable consistent love for God's Word?
2.) Do you embrace God's Word as God's Word?
3.) Do you have new (and renewing) sensitivity towards sin?
4.) Have you had victory over sin?
5.) Has deliverance of sin been through focused disciplines of faith? (prayer, communion, the reading and study of God's Word)
- Is your faith more defined by a 'rest of faith' = peace and calm
or
- Is your faith more defined by a 'fight of faith = more oft taught in Scripture
- Eph.6:12 Do you wrestle in your prayers to God?
6.) Do you demonstrate the 'B-Attitudes' as listed in the Sermon on the Mount?
7.) Is Jesus increasingly always on your mind, and increasingly always on your tongue?
- Is He and His work your most enjoyable subject of thought and conversation?
8.) Do you constantly and fervently use the means of grace?
- prayer
- bible study
- communion
- scriptural fellowship
9.) Do you experience God?
- Do He talk to you?
- Do you recognize His voice?
- Do you hear Him as you read the Word in study?
10.) Does His Spirit testify with yours that you are His?
11.) Do you experience divine levels of God's Spirit in your life?
- the fruit of the Spirit is singular fruit, not plural 'fruits'. Like an orange with it's many segments. All orange, but segments of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self control. Not the apples of love, the pears of joy.....An all or nothing fruit. Some segments may be larger proportions than other, but they are all there.
12.) Further, do you bear the ability to improve, edify, and change the lives of those around you for the better?
- through use of supernatural spiritual gifts and God-ordained talent and ability, do you edify, uplift, help mature, and correct those in need?
- Do you walk the talk? Testify with mouth and life? Both required.
13.) Do you witness for Christ by your life, your conversations, and your actions?
- Are you aware of the horrors of hell and are compelled to tell others - both close to us and those we are merely acquainted with about Jesus and the cross?
14.) Do the 'best' things of the world pale in comparison to our future hope. Have the things and trappings of the world become dim and begin to lose its luster. Temporal riches become less satisfying compared to eternal-kingdom work?
- Are you more aware and more convicted about the inconsistency of a professing Christian and conspicuous consumption?
15.) Is Jesus Christ not only your Savior and LORD, but is He your Treasure?
- Are you more passionately and more deeply in love with Jesus?
Hope this tidbit of information helps those who are following through with your admonishment and encouragement to examine themselves and test whether they are truly in Christ and born again.
For Christ's Crown and Covenant and for the Kingdom Advanced!
No comments:
Post a Comment