the basic message # E22
2 Corinthians 6:17
“Therefore come out from them and be separate”, says the Lord
Consider the following scenario: An independent observer comes to your workplace or school. This person has no prior knowledge of the people being observed. He watches them and listens to what they say for 2 weeks. At the end of the 2 weeks, he writes a report in which he tries to make an educated guess as to who in the group are Christians. How would you fare? In which column would your name appear? Some people call me a legalist. If I posed this example to them, I can be assured of getting the following response: “But John, you don’t know what’s in a person’s heart”. No I don’t, but read on:
Matthew 12:34-35
“You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.”
Keep your bible open, we’re coming back to this chapter. While we can’t say that a person who speaks evil isn’t a Christian, we can gain much insight into his character. Even if a person is a true and devout Christian, isn’t he effectively walking away from his Christianity when he speaks or does evil with premeditation? I sometimes let my temper get the best of me and I might say something hurtful without thinking. I believe this is one of the multitude of sins that Jesus died for, but contrast this to times in which I have hours or days to consider how I will respond to an injustice. If I plan a hurtful response, where is my Christianity? Have I not made the statement, “Jesus, you wait outside- things might get rough in here”.
Matthew 12:36-37
“But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”
This is one of many passages that suggests to me that many of those who call, “Lord, Lord”, will be called to account one day. Many folks believe that once you accept Jesus Christ as your personal savior, you can’t fall away. How might the above passage align with that? Typically the answer will be that a person that consciously, willfully sins in a premeditated manner was probably never saved to begin with. OK, whether you subscribe to the idea that they fell away or the idea that they were never really saved, the bottom line is the same- the person is lost.
And so, I again ask, how would you fare if someone was observing your life? Would your speech and actions clearly state, “I’M A CHRISTIAN”, or would it be “I’m a Christian, sometimes”, or would it be, “I’m just in the world”. Don’t use the crutch that “only God knows what’s in a person’s heart”. While this is true, our lives as Christians should speak: loud, clear, confident and consistent. If it doesn’t, are we truly saved?