Persumptive Christian

According to the Pew Forum, 75% of the people polled believe in an absolute and certain God. (http:// religions.org/portraits) There are 78.4% that claim to be Christians. Of that total, 26.3% claimed to be Catholic and 26.3% claimed to be Evangelical, while 18.1% are a part of mainline churches. (http://religions.org/portraits).

 

Most of our founding fathers all seemed to have held to a particular religion or denomination.  George Washington claimed to be Episcopalian, yet, Thomas Jefferson claimed no specific denomination.  Although Lincoln was raised a Baptist, he held to no specific denomination.  And Eisenhower claimed three denominations—River Brethren, Jehovah’s Witnesses and Presbyterian. President Obama who boasts of his genealogy that traces through the Muslim faith claims to be a Christian, in spite of his admittance that his pastor preached a social (false) gospel.

 

Does living or growing up in the United States assure someone of the innate security of being a Christian?

 

In the Gospel of John 1:11-13, we read, “He came unto his own, but his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”  The most important statement in that scripture is “but of God.”  Man cannot of himself be saved, nor can it be willed by genealogy or church membership.  Neither is geographic location a pre-requisite. Too often, and sadly, we deceive ourselves and our families with the mindset that because we live in a relatively free country that guarantees freedom of religion to believe what we want, thus making our own rules to heaven. 

 

It is also clear from the scripture that there are two groups of people in the world.  There are those that will believe not and those that will believe.  Parents can “will” all they want for their children’s salvation—and they should want that.  And, with a political analogy we can nominate a person and pray--and pray we should--that they are elected but it is God who does the electing in salvation. 

 

Matthew 7: 21-23 says, “Not everyone 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.  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? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”  That will be a sobering day, to say the least, for lot of good people with good intentions.  Yet, the Lord will say “depart from me.”  Good intentions and sincere actions cannot save anyone.

 

A scripture taken out of context that puts the ultimate decision on man is found in Revelation 3:20 where it is stated how Jesus stands at some door and knocks to come in.  In context it is clear that he is talking to a lukewarm church in the last days and not to an unrepentant heart that is incapable of doing any good such as accepting the Savior.  Scripture clearly shows, as in Act 16, how God opens the heart of the sinner unto salvation.  He does not wait, beg, or knock on doors hoping to be let in.  He is sovereign in everything including salvation for the elect.

 

So many Americans believe that because they go to church and read their Bibles on occasion or go through the rituals of a religious service that these all pre-requisites for their admittance to heaven.  John 6 talks about some deep theology as Jesus feeds the multitudes and then refers to Himself as the bread of life.  In verse 65 of John 6 Jesus states, “And he (Jesus) said, Therefore said unto you that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.”  The following verse says that many of his disciples walked no more with him.  And why was that? Doctrine is the great divider among men.  Jesus was telling them that all their goodness and religion was not what it took to achieve eternity in heaven.  He was the only way and only if the Father so chooses.  It is not of our works.  It is not of our genealogy.  It is not of our blood.  It is not because we were born into a certain family or country.

 

Jesus Christ told Nicodemas in John 3:3, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”  Therefore, we should never assume our Christianity for any other reason. 

 

The only thing that a person should be presumptive about is their lost state that is in need of a Savior.