Are You Sure?

1. A DOCTRINE SHARED BUT NOT BELIEVED

I’ve heard it said, “If the typical North American church was to check into a local hospital the doctors would quickly put it on life-support.”  Without question, most of the churches and individuals in the Christian community today are in desperate need of spiritual renewal.  Facing the need of change, most are either oblivious to the need or reject the idea of change altogether.

We need to always remember that our “foundation is Jesus Christ” (I Cor. 3:11).  Our faith may feel quite strong in a certain kind of church that has a certain kind of ministry with a certain kind of people.  This is well and good.  But, this can easily become idolatry.  We can too easily begin to find our confidence, our hope, our meaning and security in these things.  And when these things are changed or removed we are left with a void where the Lord should have been.  However, when these things are shaken, as is happening now in so many places, we have a great opportunity to rediscover the God who is behind it all and who is the only true source of confidence, hope, and meaning.  Times of change are good for that and we must rise to the occasion and rediscover that our security is real in Jesus.  That need for security is a silent cry in our churches today.

I believe that the lack of zeal in many of our churches is due, at least in part, to our lack of assurance in the faith we proclaim.  Too many are depending on form and religious practice rather than a deepening personal relationship to our living Lord.  We must come to understand that it is one thing to know with our mind that the Lord is present with us, but it is altogether different to experience Him in our heart; in His “manifest presence” (Jn. 14:21).

There is a problem.  A majority of our churches (80-85%) are either plateaued or in decline.  The number of churched people in America is declining.  Tom Ranier in his book, Shattering Myths About The Unchurched, says that “America is clearly becoming less Christian, less evangelized, and less churched.  Yet, too many of those in our churches seem oblivious to this reality.”

Why has the church lost its affect on the culture rather than being affected by the culture?  Could it be that we’ve lost our sense of purpose, been diluted into complacency, or have we just lost our sense of security and assurance of who we are in Christ?  This is my concern for this writing.  Understanding that how we see ourselves ultimately affects how we live, it is vital that we examine our position in Christ; to see if what we say we believe – we really believe.

Whenever the issue of eternal security is discussed, it must be thought of only in relation to a true believer.  Of course, therein is the rub, for often it is difficult to tell if someone who may appear to reject the truth he once seemed to hold was ever genuinely saved.  Also we know that there will be carnal Christians in heaven whose works have been burned in judgment, but who, nevertheless, are saved (I Cor. 3:15).  To look at their lives would most likely lead to the conclusion that some of them, at least, had lost their salvation.  But, these practical matters notwithstanding, the question of eternal security is still this:  Can a true believer ever lose his salvation by either sinning, ceasing to believe, or in any other way?

The classifications of people in this old world that we live in are numerous depending on what agenda you are using.  For the sake of this writing, let me suggest four...

• Those who are saved and know it.
• Those who are not sure of their salvation, but are anxious to be sure.

      (Includes both saved and unsaved.)

• Those who think they are saved but aren’t.
• Those who are not only unsaved, but totally indifferent about it.

I sincerely hope that you are both saved and know it.  However, if you are unsure of which classification you are in or if you are interested in searching further into the area of security and assurance of salvation, read on...

The scene is a typical Sunday morning church service.  At the end of the message the pastor stands to the side of the pulpit and asks the congregation, with heads bowed, a very direct question.  It is a question that seeks an eternal answer.  “If you were to die this very minute, do you have the assurance of waking up in the presence of Jesus Christ?”

For countless numbers of Christians the answer to this question comes with great difficulty.