Sometimes
we mistake being in church for being in Christ. There is grave danger
when we suppose that the two are the same. Being in Christ naturally
places one in the church of God, but merely being in church doesn't
automatically place one in Christ. So how does one come into Christ to
make being in church meaningful? To depend on conformity with the hypes
and mannerisms of church people as a confirmation of salvation is a
snare that must be escaped.
Jesus
preached, saying, repent and believe; the apostles preached the same,
making belonging to the kingdom of God subsequent on repentance and
faith. In the words of the apostle Paul, it is repentance toward God and
faith towards Christ. To be in church without repentance, is to be
without Christ. Unfortunately, this is the grave danger that face many
unconverted church attendants. Someone may ask, how can I know that I am
an unconverted church attendant? Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 10:9,
that if you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in
your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
Jesus
clarifies this in a very simple way when He said, by their fruit you
shall know them. When a person repents and believes the gospel, the most
wonderful thing happens. A transition takes place; most importantly, a
change of nature takes place. In the words of the apostle Paul, such a
person is translated from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of
God's dear Son. This change in nature equally results in a changed
lifestyle that is derived from a change of disposition created in the
heart by the Holy Spirit. But to claim to be born of God and yet live
like a child of the devil, is the first signal that one is merely making
an unsubstantiated claim of being in Christ, even though he may be in
church. For such people, the assurance of being saved is that they are
in the church, so when you ask if they are saved, they tell you that
they attend a Pentecostal church.
Should
such a person die in this state, he/she would have transited from
church to hell. Meanwhile, people will be saying of him that he has gone
to be with Christ, when he was never in Christ in the first place. This
is the grave danger that the apostle Paul warned of when he admonished
his audience to examine themselves to be sure that they were in Christ.
How sad it is for a person to die of hunger in the house of bread, or
for a thirsty man to die of thirst by the well of water.
Toni
