“All your children shall be taught by the Lord,
and great shall be the peace of your children.”
Isaiah 54:13

I’ve been talking about Jesus a great deal lately with people I come in contact with. I get all sorts of responses. Some I find out are active believers. It’s encouraging to find a friend in enemy-occupied territory. Others don’t want to discuss Jesus at all. Some are open to the idea, but don’t really buy into it. Then there are others who say they are Christian and maybe even go to church but who don’t really engage.

Just yesterday, I tried having a conversation with a guy in the latter category. He told me all about how he goes to church regularly; and when he doesn’t, his wife does to make sure their little children go. He spoke about how his week goes so much better when he goes to church. I asked him if he reads the bible. Not so much. In fact, not at all. I happen to be familiar with his denomination and tried to talk about the need for the individual to read the bible. He said they read the bible during church service and that the priest talks highly of it. But he doesn’t read it himself.

I asked if he owned a bible. He said his wife probably owned one, but he wasn’t sure where she kept it. I asked if I sent him a bible if he would read it, and he started talking about needing to make time as his kids got older so they might know about the bible. Blah, blah, blah. It was clear that he had no intention to read it nor did he have any desire.

Let’s face it, lots of people go to church regularly to feel good. Life gets hard, so they stop in and get a shot in the arm, so-to-say. They may even stop in more often than the regular Sunday morning if there is occasion or they feel the need. They may say they believe in Jesus, but is this what it takes to have saving grace? It may be the church’s tradition to teach that infant baptism is all one needs, that and to go to church and observe particular traditional ceremonies and so on.

Is my friend indeed saved, as he thinks he is? What will happen to him on Judgment Day? Which group will Jesus sort him into, the goats or the sheep?

This is no small question, like wondering why the sky is blue instead of orange. A question one can ponder and then easily dismiss entirely as some new curiosity grabs our attention.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correcting, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

It seems to me if there isn’t a burning desire to connect with God’s direct communication with us, then there likely isn’t the Holy Spirit inside that is reaching out to it. Now, someone will be quick to chastise me and tell me not to judge, that it is God alone who knows a man’s heart. Yes, that’s true, God alone knows; but God also gives us much for us to discern and distinguish spirits, whether from God or from Satan. In fact, he warns us to do just that.

It is my opinion that much of church as we know it is simply for social purposes, for the same reasons people go to the saloon.

We are behind enemy lines, folks. Don’t forget that. And our Savior is near. Very near.

Father, let us mull these things over. Amen.

Copyright © 2020 Scott Powers