To My Facebook Friends

To My Facebook Brother In Christ….

This is a most difficult letter to write. I pray you will receive it as words of love. The subject: your eternity. You do know we all live eternally. Somewhere. It doesn’t much matter how we go or when we go. But it sure does matter where we go. Precious, I know where I am going. Heaven awaits me. But I really don’t know about you.

I have prayed much regarding this matter and I am not yet comforted. I really (really, really) don’t know. Paul warned the Corinthians, “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves.” That’s all I suggest. That’s why I write, to prod you to “examine” yourself, to “test” yourself.

For many years you have been a faithful devotee, attendee and supporter of religions that, thankfully, believe in salvation through Christ alone. Yes, you are certainly familiar with the gospel message. But still I am concerned. Evangelicalism often inadvertently gives a false security. Belonging to a religion that believes in salvation through Christ can somehow be concluded as being saved. We can plainly see that in other religions.

Paul wrote (2Cor:11:3): “I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted.” Most “born of the Spirit” have been “corrupted”; their speech gives them away. But in your case I question (not critically! not judgementally!) if you ever had a “devotion to Christ”. Over the years I never heard, or overheard, you mention Christ in conversation. Doesn’t a convert talk about the One to whom he/she is converted? I can’t recall you once saying, “Praise the Lord!”

But…. perhaps I am mistaken….. it wouldn’t be the first time. Perhaps there really was a glorious ‘moment’ whereby you were delivered from “the power of darkness”. But even if that be so I know with a certainty the Lord Jesus Christ is not your “first love”. Not even close. Again, I am simply urging you to “examine”, to “test”.

Jesus taught (John:15) that without being relationally attached to Him “you can do nothing”. Nothing means nothing. If we are intimate with Christ, it seems to me, we will speak Christ. Did He not say, “Out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks”? And did He not say, “You will know them by their fruit”? Certainly, then, we can examine/test ourselves by the fruit of our lives. I say to you, from the outside looking in, I sense something is terribly wrong.

Let’s suppose you somehow knew, just knew, that tomorrow you will enter eternity. How would you spend the few remaining hours? I suggest you wouldn’t sleep tonight. I suggest you would quickly learn humility and fervency and repentance. You would carefully “examine” and “test” your life “as to whether you are in the faith”. How do you test? You can compare the fruit of your life with the “fruit of the Spirit” listed in Galatians 5:22. Also, you can analyze your speech: has it been humble or prideful? Edifying or caustic? Truthful or un-truthful? Gentle or harsh? Healing or hurtful? Unifying or divisive?

You don’t want to hear from Jesus, “I never knew you [I was never relationally connected with you]”. God bless!