So it was bound to happen; yesterday I dared to say that some folks who walked down the aisle as a small child may not be allowed into heaven. And the childhood-salvation-once-saved-always-saved crowd promptly organized a protest and wailed in unison in dismay, flooding my mailbox with e-mails accusing me of trying to set myself up as a judge and not understanding the Bible.
Bah! I simply declared that not everyone who claims to be a Christian will walk on streets of gold and I might add that it’s nothing that Jesus Christ didn’t say, (for which I quoted Scripture).
There is nothing magical about saying some words in a sinner’s prayer; however there is something deeply spiritual and life changing in the Holy Spirit’s indwelling of us in a mighty baptism whereby our lives are radically changed forever.
My own life is a prime example. I was a diagnosed sociopath, and was said not to have a conscience and was told that I was incapable of feeling remorse and/or love. Indeed I didn’t feel remorse for anything or love for anybody until I asked Christ to take over my life. After Christ took over I changed. I still made, (and continue to make), mistakes, on far too many occasions, but whenever it happens, I feel bad about it, (conscience), and I don’t want to live that way. I also love my family, friends, and even people I hardly know in true Christ inspired agape fashion.
I also developed a deep devotion to God and an overwhelming urge to try to live as He has told me that He wants me to live via His Holy Bible’s instructions including witnessing to other people. Thus I was radically changed in my thinking and my actions.
The bottom line is that when someone is truly saved their life will change.
The Bible makes it clear that those changes will be evident and we will be able to recognize it. This shouldn’t be some big surprise to folks; it’s common sense and logic. Solomon stated, “Even small children are known by their actions, so is their conduct really pure and upright?”
Jesus Christ said, “By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?” In Galatians it states, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
So we will be known by our fruits with the question being, “Is our fruit of the Spirit or of the world?”
James said, “Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”
So we will also be known by our works and if we have faith we will be able to show it through our works.
So how do we know if we are truly saved? It seems logical after reading this Scripture that the evidence of our faith in Jesus is how we live our lives. That does not say that works get us into heaven. God gave us a unique example to prove that through the thief on the cross. Jesus told him, “This day you will be in paradise with me”, He didn’t have any good works. He merely confessed his sins and asked Jesus to save him and He did.
This should tell anyone that works are not the determining factor of getting someone into heaven and we can’t be good enough on our own to do so. It is the acknowledgement of who God is and our confession of sins which are forgiven through the blood of Christ and His sacrifice that saves us. His sacrificial blood purifies and cleanses us whereby we can stand in God’s holy presence pure and undefiled.
Works and “fruits” yielded through our lives are nothing more than an indication that we are followers of Christ and not the world. I feel sure the criminal on the cross would have exhibited them too had he lived.
As for me, I don’t want to be anyone’s judge nor do I even like to wonder if someone is saved. I think these verses are better utilized by US!
Women are told to routinely perform self-examinations in order to check for breast cancer. Maybe we should perform some self-examination on ourselves in regard to our fruits, faith, and works. Without them being present we just might have a deadly cancer that we didn’t even know about that could rob us of our eternal lives.
James stated, “You believe in God. You do well; the demons also believe,
and shudder . . . ”
Believing in God is not enough, we must call upon His name through faith, repent,
(turn from), our sins, and follow Him. If we do that, the fruits of the Spirit will be easily evident in our lives and we will be working for the Lord to the best of our ability, resources, and God given talents.
We will not be perfect mind you, but sin will not continue to go unabated in our lives,
(we would be too miserable to endure it). We can’t live like the devil all week and then put on our saint smiles for the hour we go to church on Sunday. The conscience of a Christian driven by the Holy Spirit simply will not allow someone who has truly been saved and baptized in the Holy Spirit to live a life such as that for any length of time.
Speaking of church I’ll be preaching this Sunday at Honey Lake Church. Have a great weekend and go to Honey Lake Church, (or somewhere), this Sunday!
Romans 3:28
Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.
November 22, 2013 – Click here to listen