I received a question the other day from a student that I thought I would just share. It was in regards to a controversial video on the net by Paul Washer. You can see it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cncEhCvrVgQ
He is speaking about false Christianity. The gist of his message is simple, one can not be truly saved if their life does not reflect Christ. No where in the discussion does he say that one can lose their salvation or gain it by works as some have erroneously asserted. Unfortunately, we have reached the point, especially in the American church, where that anyone who literally believes the Bible and seeks after true holiness and believes in biblical separation is labeled as a legalist and a fanatic. The truth be told, a fanatic is usually someone who loves Jesus more than you do. To be brutality honest, the majority of "Christians" that I know show absolutely no fruit of repentance in their lives. They walk like, talk like, think like, smell like and look like the world. Don't believe me? Go look at their Facebooks and their MySpaces. Absolutely no fruits of repentance. Sadly, I say this after having spent nineteen years in ministry and most that time fighting with "so-called" Christians.
Again, the problem is that so many in the church today aren't really saved at all. They've bought into religion but not Jesus. Barnes (a guy that does Christian statistics) agrees with me. He says that six out of ten members in the average evangelical church in America aren't saved at all. Dr. Albert Mohler of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary also just released a study that confirmed the same within his denomination.
Jesus said that we can know a tree by it's fruit. Good trees produce good fruit and bad trees produce bad fruit. He further states that it is impossible for good trees to produce bad fruit or for bad trees to produce good fruit.
If you look long and hard at the state of the church in America, it is indeed very discouraging to say the least. I have issues with someone who claims to be a Christian and yet lives like a heathen. Do the world and the church a favor and pick a team! I believe this is what Paul was speaking of when he said in Romans 2:24 "...THE NAME OF GOD IS BLASPHEMED AMONG THE GENTILES BECAUSE OF YOU". The bottom line is that, "THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES" (Romans 3:18).
So who's to blame? Think about it, young adults, or even grown adults for that matter don't know HOW to live like a Christ follower. Who actually has two saved parents these days, let alone two parents at all, who are actually taking the time to raise their children right. How are people to live like Christ if they've never seen a correct example of how to do it? If you ask me, someone needs to rail more on the parents.Why do people live like the world, because MTV tells us there's nothing wrong with it. I remember when I was a kid I was hanging out at my best friend PJ's house. We were bored so we made a sling-shot. Long story short some old ladies window was broken. The first thing that happened was PJ's dad called my dad and told him what happened. Yeah, you can bet your lucky stars my butt was raw that night, lesson learned. What ever happened to parents helping one another to raise good kids. Kids that obey, and know respect, and better yet, kids that know the repercussions when they're disobedient. Kids that were brought up as God fearing pillars within society. Man, those were the good old days and I'm only 29.......
ReplyDeleteBoy Dwayne, you have said a mouthful. Several of our friends and us have been discussing this very thing. In Maguey, at Ministerios Vida Nueva this past August, I spoke on this very subject. If we said we know God, do we then follow the teachings of Jesus? He said" no one comes to the Father but by me". And of knowing the tree by its fruit. A good tree does not bear bad fruit. Thank God for those who are not afraid to teach and preach the Word in truth. God bless you brother!!!!
ReplyDeleteBernie Grieser