Dear BPCWA worshipper, We praise and thank God for last weekend’s remembrances of Christ’s suffering and victorious resurrection. The death and resurrection of Christ is the great redemption plan of God that we bring to all nations. This is the very highlight of human history, that our Lord Jesus, the Almighty God Incarnate, died to redeem man. It is a true account, not just a stirring story concocted by man.  So, your response will affect you for all eternity. But how your eternity is affected depends not merely on whether you know the Gospel. We know how to tell others that coming to church, knowing the Gospel, wearing a cross, going through Christian activities, and saying that you are saved does not make you saved. As we look back on Easter and think about Christ’s work for man, I want us to consider what God reminds the readers in Hebrews 2:3, “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him”.

Response of rebellion. During His lifetime, Christ was often assailed by enemies. They were not people who were ignorant of His message. They had grown up with the name of the God of Israel around them. They held on tenaciously to the fact that they were God’s people. But despite the privilege, they resisted Christ and His teachings, seeking every opportunity to reject what He said and conspiring among themselves to “take hold of his words” (Lu 20:26). This was no surprise to God, who already knew that there would be those, even in Israel, the chosen nation. Of such, He still sends His word for them “To hearken to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I sent unto you, both rising up early, and sending them, but ye have not hearkened” (Jer 26:5). Such ones did not lack hearing. What they lacked was a heart for hearing. They had already made up their minds to reject the message and planned to kill Jeremiah. God exposed the hearts of the rebellious, “For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them” (Act 28:27). It is so fearful a state that when Judas was warned of the judgement that would follow his betrayal of Christ, he would feign ignorance and “answered and said, Master, is it I?”. Despite Christ’s answer in no uncertain terms, “Thou hast said” (Mt 26:25), Judas never repented and turned to Christ, despite listening to numerous teachings and sermons of Christ.

Respond in sincerity. I want to be clear that there is no sinless perfection while we are on earth. And yes, a saved Christian can backslide. And yes, a saved Christian can live a carnal life without realising because of a lack of teaching, ignorance, and while he is progressively growing in spiritual understanding and grace. However, allow me to describe just 3 groups of people who call themselves Christians but are not saved.  And we should honestly face up to these if we recognize ourselves in them. 1) Perhaps you say that you are not rebellious against God. You are brought up in a Christian family, go to church, read the Bible, and even pray. But you can still be rebellious to the Gospel in God’s eye. This is because you are just having an outward religion. Your heart is not submitted to God in genuine repentance. You know secretly that you do not intend to repent of secret sins but continue to enjoy them as long as no one knows. You lie to and deceive even your parents about your spiritual state.  2) Or you console and even seek to convince yourself that you are saved since you know the doctrines of salvation and can explain it clearly to others. However, deep inside you know that there is no spiritual change that has occurred. You ease your conscience by doing the things that Christians do, but you would much rather be with and like unbelievers. You are most alive and happy with unbelievers, but you struggle with genuine Christian company. But you think, as long as you choose to be part of a sound church and among good Christians, you are saved. 3) Or you are most content with being a Sunday worshipper, or at best a “Sunday plus some special Christian occasions” worshipper. Throughout the week, while even believing sincerely that you are saved, you have very little interest in studying God’s Word to know Him, and hardly any concern about your obedience to God’s Word. Even if you read the Bible daily, it is but a mere duty to soothe your conscience, and you do not have any genuine communion with God. Yes, all the while you are not committing grievous sins, but you feel that a committed Christian walk with Christ is truly just optional. You contentedly assure yourself that you are a true believer yet go through each week just engrossed in the secular and earthly pursuits with little to no concern about what God says about your life, just like any unbeliever. There are some moral principles, but there is no evidence of the fruit of the Spirit that comes with salvation. Departing from what you may be brought up to consider as “moral” can even trouble your conscience. Despite that, remember that God created man with consciences. Evidence of a conscience is not evidence of being a saved Christian. God describes such “worshippers” as, “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me” (Matt 15:8). Furthermore, He warns even those who repeatedly call Jesus their Lord, “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. 21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matt 7:20-23). You may be thinking, “Pastor, why do you make me doubt my salvation?”. I am just letting you know what God says and want you to be sure. You can only be sure in this life. There is no second chance after you die. So, “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall” (2Pe 1:10). God graciously seeks to awaken us by reminding us not to fool ourselves if there is little spiritual evidence of the saving faith we proclaim we have in our lives, “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works” (Ja 2:18). Christianity is not a mere religion. A true Christian lives as one because of his inward faith.  If you are not sure of your salvation, what should you do? We will cover this in next week’s pastoral.

Yours in our Lord’s service,
Pastor