“So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” (Romans 14:12)
My lovely wife and I spoke to a shop owner today about the Scriptures, which always leads to the very personal question of one’s salvation. As usual, to my fault, I interrupted this person on many occasions, but to my defense it was quite easy to discern that she was attempting not only to divert the conversation to worldly views, but to excuses as to why she considered herself a Christian, but could produce no fruit as proof of the statements she had made.
What she did say, which led to the conversation coming to a close was, “My sister is more saved than I am.” I pray I am wrong, but this shop owner will be giving her account at the Great White Throne of Judgment.
“Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?” (Matt. 7:22)
This really is not an unusual scenario for my beautiful wife and myself, if a conversation is initiated, it is going to lead to Christ, after the initial familiarities, after the innocuous idle banter, if you have been born-again the conversation must always turn personal my friends, and there is nothing more personal to each and every person you meet than their relationship, or lack thereof, with the Lord Jesus Christ.
As ambassadors of the Kingdom of the Most High, it is your responsibility, it is what you have been sent to do, to lift up the name of His Son. Most will not listen, those who do will attempt to divert the conversation, some will offer their thoughts on God, but when you ask them, “Who do you say Jesus Christ is,” you have made it as personal as it can get.
A message was left on our answering machine today. Yes, our phone still hangs on the wall and is connected to an answering machine, we see no reason to carry cell phones with us every minute of the day. If you were to call our house, after the tone and a short introductory word or two you would hear that question that I pose to people. Today the response from my sister, whom I know has not accepted the Lord, was this, “He is my Lord and Savior.”
Remember the verse I just offered you in this short letter, about what many will say to our Savior and their Judge on their day of accounting?
I place this question before you today, and I pray you will contemplate it well, if you receive the same response that you ask that question to that my sister left for me, will you automatically believe them?
“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” (1st John 4:1)
What many will say to the Lord Jesus Christ on their day of accounting they are saying today, but there is no fruit of their salvation, they are words said because that is what they presume the speaker wants to hear.
“This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.” (Matt. 15:8)
There was another woman we met today also though, one who had previously been beaten and battered, one who was and is seeking for honesty, for truth and for love. This young woman did not only want to listen, she wanted to hear, and I believe she did.
My lovely wife and I went out into all the world today, not with the intention of seeking the lost, but always prepared to engage with them when we meet them. You may call it seed planting if you like, we call it being obedient to the will and Word of the Lord, and we do so for His glory, and because of 1st John 4:19, “We love him, because he first loved us.”
