MORNING MANNA             11/16/20

Have you ever known someone who had a terminal disease and didn’t know it? The doctor diagnosed the disease and shared the prognosis with the family, but the person had not yet been informed. In some cases the patient might feel good and think all is well–but they are dying. As heartbreaking as this is there is something worse – much worse.

Multitudes think they are saved and they’re not. They feel they are saved, but the facts say otherwise–there is absolutely no evidence that they are. I realize that we humans are imperfect judges, and we certainly are not “The Judge”. I also know that on occasion we all act in un-Christian ways, leaving room for others to doubt us. But the fact remains that when a person is truly saved there will be some evidence of it (Matthew 7:20). How sad it is to see people breezing through life thinking they are Christians when they’re not. It hurts all the more when they are members of your family or dear friends.

I’m not talking about those who are merely pretending, those who try to convince others that they are saved when they know they’re not. There are many of them and they are to be pitied. But my focus now is on those who really believe they are saved although they aren’t, those such as our Lord described in Matthew 7:21-23. They have a hope, but it is a false hope – making them the hardest people on earth to reach, because they do not see their need. They are confident, but they are condemned. Their end is tragic–they live and die in hope and wake up in hell.

The most common problem with these folks is their ignorance of the Bible.  They simply do not know what the Word of God teaches in regards to salvation. They think they do, but they don’t.  Sadly, most of them aren’t interested in learning any more than they know. They feel quite comfortable in their ignorance and become irate if you even suggest that they might not be saved.  They are oblivious to the obvious.

At this very moment there are millions who claim to be Christians when there is no scriptural evidence that they are.  How can you claim to be a Christian when you live in habitual disobedience to God (see I John 3:6-10)?  Yet multitudes of professing Christians refuse to attend God’s house, rob God by refusing to tithe, and live in open rebellion against Him.  How can you claim to love God when you don’t love your neighbor?  How can you claim to be forgiven when you refuse to forgive?  How can you say Jesus is your Lord and then refuse to do what He says (Luke 6:46).

If this describes you, you need to heed the admonition given by Paul in 2 Cor.13:5 “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.  Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?”  Dear friend, don’t make the mistake of assuming all is well just because you feel good about it.  Don’t assume that you’re saved just because you discontinued some bad habit, started attending church and was baptized.  “Ye must be born again” (John 3:7).   And when you are it will make a difference in your life (2 Cor.5:17).  Don’t be among those of whom the Lord says, “I never knew you: depart from me—” (Matt.7:23). – HDS