Religious, but lost!

Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven." Matthew 7:21.

These are among the most terrifying words in all Scripture. Notice that Jesus is not describing atheists who openly despise Him. He is describing religious professors who call Him "Lord." They expected Heaven. They anticipated acceptance. They had religious confidence. Yet they were lost. This should make every professing Christian examine himself.

A man may be religious and still be lost!

He may sit beneath the preaching of the gospel, read his Bible, attend church, sing hymns, pray prayers, speak Christian language, and even profess to love Jesus -- and yet never have been born again.

The question is not merely, "Do I profess to be a Christian?" The question is, "Have I been made a new creation in Jesus?" The question is not, "Did I once pray a prayer?" but, "Is there biblical evidence of the saving work of God in my life?"

Have you truly repented of your sin?
Do you love holiness, or merely admire it from a distance?
Do you love Jesus Himself, or merely the benefits you hope to receive from Him?
Has sin become your grief rather than your delight?
Is there evidence of the Holy Spirit's transforming work in your life?
Do you hunger for God's Word?
Do you desire a holy life?
Do you mourn over your sin?
Is your faith producing the fruit which Scripture says accompanies genuine salvation?

No one is saved by his works. We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus alone. But the faith which saves is never alone. Genuine faith produces repentance, obedience, love for Jesus, and a new direction of life.

"Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves." 2 Corinthians 13:5.

Do not silence the warnings of Scripture with the presumption, "I accepted Jesus as a child, therefore I must be saved." Do not trust an experience, while ignoring the testimony of God's Word. Do not build your eternal hope upon a profession that has never produced biblical evidence. A false assurance is more dangerous than open despair, because it sends a man toward Hell while persuading him that he is going to Heaven.

Better to be wounded by the truth now, than comforted by a lie until you awaken in eternity.

Yet the purpose of this warning is not to drive the professing Christian into despair. It is to drive him to Jesus.

At Calvary, the justice of God and the mercy of God met together. Jesus stood in the place of His people. He bore the punishment their sins deserved. He was pierced for their transgressions, and crushed for their iniquities. Isaiah 53:5. The judgment fell upon the Substitute, so that those whom God saves might be reconciled to Him.

The cross tells us what our sin deserves.
The cross tells us of the astonishing love of Jesus, to bear the eternal wrath that His people deserve.
Calvary magnifies the justice and love of God together.

Therefore, sinner, do not trifle with eternity. Do not presume upon tomorrow. Do not rest in a profession without biblical evidence. Do not hide behind religious activity. Do not trust your baptism, your church membership, your morality, your prayers, your tears, or your knowledge of Scripture.

The door of mercy stands open through the gospel. The same Jesus who warns of Hell, is the Savior who receives guilty sinners. There is abundant pardon for the vilest transgressor who comes to Him in true faith and repentance.

"Because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Jesus even when we were dead in transgressions -- it is by grace you have been saved." Ephesians 2:4-5.
(The above article was AI generated.)