I don't have time anymore.
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In our modern church, we tend to make distinctions between believers and non believers. For obvious reasons of course, the believers are the ones that are secure in eternity and the non believers are the ones that still need work. Right?
Wrong.
Biblically, the distinction has never been made between believers and non believers, the distinction has always been between disciples and non disciples. What is the significance of this you ask? Well simply put, the one who believes but does not deny himself, take up the cross and follow Jesus is no different from the one who doesn't believe.
What is salvation, is it an utterance of the sinner's prayer?
Wrong.
The sinner's prayer will not save your soul. Thats holds absolutely no water at all. Merely believing in Jesus will not do anything of worth. Repentance is necessary for salvation. I do not speak of a gospel of works, no you cannot earn salvation through works. Repentance however does necessary mean that beyond professing that you believe that Jesus died upon the cross and paid the penalty for sin, there must be a change in heart and mind.
The word 'believe' today has been reduced to a mental assent, but in the scriptures, when people believe, it is not merely the acknowledgement of Jesus' existence but also to obey His will and His Word. Even demons believe in Jesus, of what worth is that? Not everyone who calls Jesus 'Lord, Lord' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of the Father.
There are three groups of people. The non believers, the believers but non disciples (if it be fit to call them believers), and the disciples. Sometimes in church, we have this hidden unspoken hierarchy of importance. The non believers are the most important, there is an urgent need for evangelism. So people preach Jesus as Saviour but not Lord. The gospel is reduced to nothing more than pretty things and nothing is spoken about the death of the self that is necessary. Preaching nice messages and getting people to come is placed in greater emphasis over strengthening them in what the faith is really all about.
And the people in the church, even those who are disciples, sometimes forget and end up putting more time and energy in winning converts rather than saving the souls of those already within the church.
The Church needs to be saved. Urgently.
If anything, perhaps more effort needs to be expended on those within the church than outside. The words of Jesus itself indicate that He'd rather we be hot or cold rather than lukewarm. The condition of lukewarmness is of greater objection to God rather than being an all out sinner. These people can blend in well with the church. They can sing songs of worship, they can know their scriptures, but they do not die to their old selves. And they will be vomited out of the mouth of God.
The hot are obviously fine. The cold are not deceived about where they stand. The lukewarm are. They think they're secure, but they're not. They confess salvation by grace but in actuality have fallen short of the very grace of God they confess to. And that makes things even more difficult doesn't it. People who think they are saved see no need for salvation.
Wake up. Its not just the rest of the world thats burning to the ground. The people within the church are dying. Every week, in and out, you see the community around you, you think, this is where the living gather. No. The dead walk among us.
Coming to church weekly is not going to change the state of things. As long as we remain inward looking, only attending to ourselves, feeling happy, chilling with friends, thinking thats what it is all about, then we are not doing something about this urgent need that needs to be addressed.
If you know you're safe, good, but that's not enough. Do something about all the mess. Repentance is not enough in this case. Start doing some works. Its not gonna earn you your salvation, but it sure as hell will do something about other people's.
If you think you can't do it, then I'll say this. I don't think im very capable either. I have a perfect track record for failure thus far and its not very encouraging to say the least. Apparently my personality test tells me that im not going to be good at this.
Andy spoke this to me once though. He said he wasn't going to let personality tests tell him who he is. He held up his Bible, tapped it and said 'this tells me who I am'. Personality test says you aren't that great? Screw that, I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. When I am weak, then He is strong. So I don't care (neither does God) whether you think you can do it or not, because it doesn't matter.
The question is, will you go?
There is no later. Go now. Trust that God will provide. Lay down this life, all troubles, all worries, all worldly things. Money, power, status, pride, education, security, need for approval, whatever it may be, lay it all down.
Will you go?
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An additional note to those who heard the missionary story in church today.
The story concluded with the missionary asking the villager to pray for his country. I'd say thats two mission fields we're talking about.
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