I cannot dwell on this fact for too long, but it makes my heart sad that I *thought* I was a Christian for so many years when I was clearly not seeking after the Lord or obeying any of His commandments. I am thankful that God will redeem the years the locusts have eaten (Joel 2:25). How could I have thought I was a Christian? I did not go to church. I did not have a love for God or His people. I did not obey any of His commandments (well, I wasn't murdering, but I was hating people and Jesus says that is the same as murder). In fact, it seemed as if I was trying to break as many commandments as I possibly could. Sigh. I was blinded by the father of lies and by my own sinful pride.
This weighs heavy on my heart. There are so many people who would say they are Christians, but one look at their "likes" on Facebook or just listening to how they speak tells a different story. Are they just as deceived as I was?
I have decided to start a series called "Are you a Christian because you { fill in the blank } " where I plan to detail several marks of a genuine Christian. This is not to have the true believers live in doubt, but Paul gives us all this warning:
Examine yourselves,
to see whether you are in the faith.
Test yourselves.
2 Corinthians 13:5
I pray that God would use this series to give those who are in the faith, a renewed sense of assurance in their salvation. I pray that He would also use this as a tool for His Holy Spirit to move in someone's life. If just one person would repent and be saved, angels would rejoice in heaven! Just because you have signed a prayer card, walked an aisle, or even been baptized does not mean you have a saving faith in Christ. Remember Jesus warning:
“Not everyone who says to me,
‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven,
but only the one 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 in your name perform many miracles?’
Then I will tell them plainly,
‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
I think that series will be a great way to get people to assess themselves. My husband has spent many a youth meeting (we're youth pastors) talking about the same points: What makes a true Christian Biblically-speaking. I can't wait to see what you've got in store.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you'll be following along and I'd love your feedback on each post. Blessings!
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