Note:
This is the first in a series of three posts used with permission
from Guest
Author John Burton At http://www.johnburton.net/.
There
is a glorious salvation to be had, and the enemy has tainted
powerful, life-giving theologies in an attempt to counterfeit
them—and draw people away from the one true God.
God's
passion is for people to be wildly in love with Him, and that is what
the enemy is afraid of. Instead of radical intimacy and passionate
obedience, people are falling for a lesser, false doctrine that
communicates God's apparent affirmation of them and affection for
them—and it is resulting in a false closeness to him for millions
of "Christians."
Our
salvation is glorious and it is also weighty. We can't presume upon
it or take it lightly. I suggest it's possible that most people who
are convinced of their position in Christ would actually be in Hell
if they died today.
I
will share some convincing and powerful stories that speak directly
to this further down in the article. People like Corrie
Ten Boom,
John
Mulinde
and Daniel
Ekechukwu
have a perspective that few others do.
The
concept of unsaved
Christians
seems contradictory. I understand that. A Christian is a follower of
Jesus. I am suggesting that there are many followers of Jesus, many
who name the name of Christ, who are living their lives following him
in an unsaved condition.
"To
the angel of the church in Sardis write: 'He who has the seven
Spirits of God and the seven stars says these things: I know your
works, that you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.
Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain but are ready to
die, for I have not found your works perfected before God.
Remember
therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent.
Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and
you will not know what hour I will come upon you. You have a few
names even in Sardis who have not soiled their garments.
They
shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes
shall be clothed in white garments. I will not blot his name out of
the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before My Father and
before His angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit
says to the churches" (Revelation 3:1-6).
But,
are we not free from condemnation if we are in Christ Jesus? Yes.
But, let's look at that verse:
"There
is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus"
(Romans 8:1a).
A
massive and increasing number of Christians have been lulled into a
slumber regarding the reality of salvation. They have a reputation of
being alive, but are dead because of their sin.
The
common presumption is now that if we read our Bible, go to church and
identify ourselves as Christians we are automatically exempt from
condemnation. The problem? Too many have not understood just what it
means to be in Christ Jesus.
Tragically
it's true that countless professing Christians are actually living in
a place of condemnation because they aren't truly in Christ Jesus. We
can't just call ourselves Christians and presume that we are truly in
Christ.
"To
be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and
peace, for the carnal mind is hostile toward God, for it is not
subject to the law of God, nor indeed can it be, and those who are in
the flesh cannot please God" (Romans 8:6-8).
The
last 24 years my life and ministry have been marked by a troubled
spirit and an unrelenting passion for extreme surrender, zealous
prayer and an unapologetic call for passion, repentance and holiness.
I
understand just how separated, intense and broken we must be to truly
be counted among the saved—or, I at least have an understanding of
the type of deception that is causing people to remain careless in
their walk with Jesus.
To
be a true follower of Jesus requires more than today's theologies are
communicating, and that does indeed both anger and wreck me. This is
why I just cannot lead a church or ministry without an intense,
burning edge to them. Anything short of radical just can't be
promoted anymore!
Why
is my spirit troubled? Because I am convinced both by Scripture and
by a horrifying encounter I had with the terror of Hell over two
decades ago that a shocking percentage of professing Christians are
on their way to Hell. We must exhort one another into radical faith.
"Be
attentive, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving
heart, and you depart from the living God. But exhort one another
daily, while it is called 'Today,' lest any of you be hardened
through the deceitfulness of sin" (Hebrews 3:12-13).
The
risk of falling away is very real, and very terrifying:
"For
it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, who have tasted
the heavenly gift, who shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the
good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall
away, to be renewed once more to repentance, since they again crucify
to themselves the Son of God and subject Him to public shame"
(Hebrews 6:4-6).
End Of Post