Failing the Salvation Test, where does it leave me? Spiritual Maturity 2014 Jesus made it clear that some people will have convinced themselves that they are Christians by saying Lord, Lord; by claiming to know God when He does not know them; and that some will even tout ministry done in His name; but these will be shocked to find that Jesus will utterly reject them. This is a very real and sobering possibility that we are warned against in no uncertain terms. What we say (Mat 7:21), mere or empty words (2Pt 2:18-19), or claims to know Him (1Jn 2:3-4), or even good deeds are not enough if we dont find Christs righteousness, training, and life actually in us. For it is not what we say to ourselves in self-delusion or our claims to know God that will matter; but what God says, reality, and whether He claims us. With such warnings, Jesus is certainly not encouraging complacency or assumption or delusion or self-assurance or mere words as a means of salvation, however popular this might be in modern Christianity; He is rather looking for truth in the inner parts. Mat 3:7-11 (NIV) Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not think you can say to yourselves, We have Abraham as our father. I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. Luke 13:26 (NIV) Then you will say, We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets. But he will reply, I dont know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers! There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out! Given these stern warnings, then, we should consider that God is not encouraging us to take stock in what we say even if this is a popular religious hypocrisy masquerading as faith. Faith that does not work is dead; it is meaningless talk; a self delusion; an inherent lie. Yes, we must confess Christ; and yes we should say the right things; but the only sure proof we can have of what we say or claim is to actually find Christ in us in experiential truth. 2Cor 13:5 (TEB) Surely you know that Christ Jesus is in you, unless you have completely failed? Dont kid yourself. It is not enough to claim to be a Christian, to claim to be born again, to have done good works in your own power. You must prove your repentance with a life that is found being conformed to the image of Christ by the miraculous power of the Holy Spirit. You must really be born again. If you fail the test, then make peace with God right now on His terms, and get started for real with the Christian life. You bring exactly nothing, and He provides everything; those are pretty good terms! But you must give your life to Him--not just in word, but in deed--or you are flirting with the ultimate spiritual disaster. For He does not like hypocrites, or mere talkers. Luke 11:28 (NIV) [Jesus:] ...Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.
Posted on: Fri, 14 Mar 2014 09:50:30 +0000
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