I have to admit that it sounds convincing. It sounds like anyone who questions someone who claims "I am saved by grace through faith in Christ" is questioning Christianity itself. Hey, the phrase is even biblical, isn't it? So I take a half step back and ask myself "Is [the guy] (and all those others who openly or silently complained) right?"
Then I run across some very odd (or, rather, perhaps not so odd) stuff in my Bible. Jesus warned, for instance, of wolves among the sheep. He said, "You will recognize them by their fruits" (Matt 7:16). So ... now we're to become fruit inspectors? What fruit? Jesus goes on in that very context to say, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven" (Matt 7:21). Apparently, then, there are going to be those who come to the Day of Judgment completely convinced that they view Jesus as Lord ("faith in Christ") but are completely misguided. The problem, according to Jesus, occurred long ago: "I declare to them, 'I never knew you ...'" (Matt 7:23). The relationship never started.
Well, it's all well and good for Christ (the perfect Judge) to inspect fruit and to determine who is or isn't saved, but what about us? Shouldn't we keep our noses out of it? I would say that, to some extent, yes, we need to avoid too much action here. In the parable of the tares among the wheat (Matt 13:24-30), the master tells his servants not to tear out the tares in the wheat because it would damage the wheat. Of this Jesus said, "The Son of Man will send His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers ..." (Matt 13:41). Removing the tares from the wheat is His job, not ours.
On the other hand, does that mean, then, that we are to be silent? If we are, the Bible is full of sinful writing. Paul wrote things like:
When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord (1 Cor 5:4-5).It would appear that Paul is laying down these instructions to act as markers to tell if someone is in or out of the kingdom. In fact, the basic purpose of the John's first epistle is just that. It is largely a series of "test questions" for his readers to determine if they have a relationship with God or not. Indeed, the Bible is full of differentiators -- ways to determine "Christian" or "not Christian".
Purge the evil person from among you (1 Cor 5:13).
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor 6:9-10).
For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God (Eph 5:5).
Now, the first problem here occurs when we think, "These things determine if a person is saved." No, genuine "faith in Christ" determines if a person is saved. These things are not the things that determine if a person is saved. They are things that indicate it. They are, to use the biblical term, fruit. An fig tree is a fig tree because it is a fig tree, not because it bears figs. But a genuine fig tree will bear figs. And it was Jesus who said "You will recognize them by their fruits." So, what "fruits" are there? We're not left to guess. We know, for instance, that there is "the fruit of the Spirit" (Gal 5:22-23). John has a whole listing of stuff in 1 John. But Paul makes an interesting summary: "The fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, and righteousness, and truth" (Eph 5:9). Isn't it interesting that the fruit includes virtue (goodness), holiness (righteousness), and truth? Now, Paul is not saying, "In order to be saved, you must be virtuous, holy, and right." What Paul is saying is that those who have the Spirit begin to produce -- bear the fruit of -- virtue, holiness, and truth.
My concern way back then when I was upsetting readers with my concerns about their spiritual well-being was this. It wasn't "Have you come to faith in Christ?". Genuine faith in Christ makes a Christian. It was "When confronted with truth, do you recognize it or reject it?" Recognizing truth doesn't make you a Christian, but Christians (those with the Spirit of God in them) have certain characteristics and those who lack them ought to be concerned about whether or not what they thought was "faith in Christ" was genuinely faith in Christ. I'm not saying, "You need to do these things or believe these things to be saved." I'm saying, "True believers -- those who are saved -- do these things and believe these things." I'm not saying, "You have to bear figs to be a fig tree." I'm saying, "Fig trees bear fruit." Now, the folks of this world [like the guy I referenced at the start] would prefer that I shut up about this stuff. You know, let 'em go and let God sort 'em out. (No, they'd say, "Don't impose your views on others" which, by the way, is imposing a view on me.) I suppose that's an approach, but it sure seems like a cruel one to me. If I have information that people might need and withhold it, especially when it affects their eternal destination, is it kind of me to keep silent or to say something? I can't seem to conclude that the kindest thing for me to do is shut up about it. You decide.
Update: Edited to put the actual name of someone in brackets to remove his real name because he was offended that I referred to him.
4 comments:
I am amused. I would not be offended if someone I respected told me I wasn't a Christian. My reaction, I think, would be to ask why was it said; measure the answer against scripture; then pray and ask that if the statement was true, that God would not allow me to remain in such a deceived and ignorant state (a prayer I pray anyway). Also, logic would dictate that, given the eternal stakes, if someone didn't think I was a Christian, if he loved me he would tell me.
You know... I am just as leery of the strident insistence on the "truth" that the interpretation of scripture is ultimately nothing more than mere opinion, as I am of those who claim to own every interpretation. God has neither revealed all things to us, nor has he left us ignorant and stupid and subject to ravenous wolves. In fact, how could we possible obey the command to make disciples of all nations if doctrine is reduced to "we can't know"? Also, if we can't know, how are we ever to respond to Satan's age old question- regardless of the vernacular prose with which it is being asked-did God really say?
Good points, Dan!
I don't think I would be particularly offended if someone questioned my salvation either. I know how far short I fall of my own expectations so why would I not think I would be falling short of what others expected of me as well? I would wonder why and ask them to please explain, or I'd set about trying to figure out what I'd done or not done to make them think that and then to try to remedy the situation. I might already know however! People KNOW if they have a relationship with God or not, don't they? My gosh, how could you be so deceived as to not know if you were merely involved in a religion and its set of practices or if you were in an actual talking relationship with THE living being around whom the religion is centered? (Actually, I know that Satan is in the business of great deception, and his business is thriving!)
Stan, Proverbs 3:27 came to mind in regard to keeping silent or saying something... but then I suppose people still have to decide what exactly is "good" and "to whom it is due" and there could be some debate. "Withhold not good from those to whom it is due, when it is within the power of thine hand to do it." It is within the power of your hands that you blog and can share what you believe the Lord has shown you to be His good and life-changing truths with others. I'm glad you don't withhold.
Dan, I know what you mean. I have questions about my eternal condition at times. Why shouldn't someone else?
Sherry, it was fun to watch you correct yourself in your own comment:
"People KNOW if they have a relationship with God or not, don't they?"
"Actually, I know that Satan is in the business of great deception, and his business is thriving!"
Scripture is full of folks who thought they were fine with God and weren't.
Indeed, I remember a passage that said something like that. Something about, "Lord, Lord, didn't we preach in your Name..."
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