No one who believes in the Roman Catholic doctrinal statement of beliefs is going to heaven, no one who adheres to the Mormon faith, the Jehovah’s Witnesses ideologies, no Buddhist monk, no follower of Zen Buddhism, no one who believes anything else than what Jesus taught, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:44)
Still think that there are a lot of born-again believers out there? Still think that there’s going to be a big ruckus, a lot of news when the rapture happens? I do not even need to mention what may possibly be most of the people in your church, but in that respect, I pray that I am wrong.
It is a very elite club, if you will, “For many are called, but few are chosen.” (Matt. 22:14) “Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” (Matt. 7:14) It’s not how the majority of those that call themselves “Christians” like to think, and it is not something that you will hear preached from behind the pulpit very often, the words of truth at best make those sitting in the pews feel bad, and at worst, they will stop showing up on Sunday morning. They will, as the Scriptures promise in 2 Timothy 4:3, find someplace where they can have their ears tickled.
There’s quite a bit of that going on lately, conviction, remembering and acting upon the terrible price that was paid for us is not high on the list of most people. Making sure the alarm clock is set, double checking the reservations for that night’s meal out, performing the day-to-day tasks with those well-worn routines at the top of their mind is. They get “holy” on Sunday morning, for a while, and if the sermon, good or poor, starts to run a little long, they get antsy.
Most individuals here that I speak of, and I fear it is the majority, do not know, or really care, what it means to serve a Holy, righteous Sovereign God, the God they serve is their belly, (Romans 16:18) as long as everything is going as planned, they serve, and I use that word facetiously, but when one item gets out of place in their ordinary, daily routine, they complain. “Do all things without murmurings and disputings:” (Phil. 2:14) and my friends, that complaining does not have to pass your lips. “I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.” (Jer. 17:10) When do we receive these rewards? Not when you get to heaven, but today, right now.
Ask yourself this, is cancer a reward? I have actually met individuals who believe that if you get sick, you have sinned, and that is the punishment for your sin. These do not like to hear Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” But most generally they will twist it and say that they have apparently fallen out of the purpose that He has called them to. It is one of the most viable excuses, and it is the reason for this letter to you, the excuses that many will use to attempt to prove that they are indeed saved.
They will speak of the fruits of the Spirit, but not of Jesus to anyone, they will claim a nearly perfect church attendance, but will not read, much less study the Scriptures, they will mention pastors they admire and follow, but have never led anyone to Christ themselves. My friends, the apostacy, the great falling away (2 Thess. 2:3) did not start with this ridiculous flu, by all accounts of Godly men, it has been in full force for almost one hundred years now. The signs and wonders that are all the rage today with the Charismatic cults have been occurring for more than a few decades, but most have not been spiritually discerning enough to see them.
What did you think, a so-called pandemic would start, and then the signs of the last days would become visible to us? Have you forgotten the long suffering of our Lord?
Excuses. I hear them every day, many times over, and I let them slide out of my mind, but that verse I keep being told to write had better start being at the top of your mind, “So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” (Romans 14:12) It would be best if you started to rid yourself of all those excuses today, or you may be trying to give them a little more than a thousand years from now, instead of the moment after you die.
