In the Camp of the True Believer
He that is
of God, hears God’s Words. Those who are
of the Truth hear His voice. John 8:47a ; John 18:37b
This is a strong
and potentially condemning statement.
Many would, even before finishing reading this statement, be in the throes
of developing an argument that excuses them from any condemnation. Interesting, in that the statement makes no
specific accusation. And even before the
completion of the reading of this recent statement, maneuvering has begun again
in the minds of some. It’s basic human
nature. Please read on and do not stop.
Fear not
gentle folk, for there are two more statements I can make that should assuage your
fears.
1.) You are not alone
in this for we all do this when we begin to suspect that we have made spiritual
and intellectual “camp” in the wrong spot.
I Corintians 10:13.
2.) God would not have
you to be ignorant in such matters.
Whether you be not yet of the fold, or simply a little distant from The
Shepherd, either way, The Good Shepherd would want you to be of the fold and in
the proper place. II Peter 3:9 ; Luke
19:10.
Now the
greatest challenge to this is NOT getting into the fold or getting you back to
the Shepherd. The greatest challenge is
getting your mind and heart into the light of understanding. Knowing that you are not of the fold, or
knowing that you are not in proper proximity to The Shepherd; these are the things that must first be
arrived at.
At this
point, I need to caution you. You see, I
too have often “fortified” my position in defense of where I had “camped”. At times, I was afraid God would be so
terribly restrictive if I gave Him ALL of the control. At others, I simply liked the location and
decided what was best for me. Each of
these is a Lordship problem and can either be due to lostness, or
backsliddeness. (Admit it! You were beginning to “fortify” again, weren’t
you!) The only thing that God can’t do
in His relationship to you (Cannot because He will not, and not because He is
too weak or insufficiently clever.) is to
forcibly overcome your resistance to Him.
Furthermore, such resistance places you in peril, because there is no guarantee
that He will continue to seek you.
Isaiah 55:6 ; Luke 13:24. You see,
it is possible for you to “camp” outside of the fold or out of position within
the fold and never recognize your error.
This error could go unrecognized until your death when you wake up
condemned to hell or ashamed of your service.
Now, this is where the caution comes in.
By “camping”, you resist The Light and without The Light, you are very
likely to be mistaken about your locale.
Sadly, some will be deceived and have never entered the sheep fold!
Satan is a
masterful opponent. He makes illuminated
maps and glow-in-the-dark compasses. As
long as you fortify your “camp” and refuse the unction of The Spirit, as long
as you refuse The Light by resisting The Shepherd, you are in danger. And if one belongs to The Shepherd already,
can one truly “camp” and ever refuse to move?
I think not!
The good
news is, well, The Good News! You need
only to observe the ABCs of salvation.
A. Admit that you have sinned.
“For all have sinned, and come short of the Glory of God.” Romans 3:23
B. Believe that Christ died for you. “But as many as received Him, to them gave He
power to become the children of God.
Even unto them that believe on His Name.” John 1:12
C. Confess that Jesus is Lord of your life. “That if thou shalt confess with thou mouth
The Lord Jesus, and believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the
dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the
heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made
unto salvation. Romans 10: 9-10.
That is to
give all rights to your life away and make Jesus the irrevocable Lord of your
life. Will you please do that
today? There are no “magic words”, but
here is a sample prayer that conveys the right ideas:
Lord
Jesus, I’m a sinner, but I am sorry for my sins. I want to turn from my sins; I am willing to
begin a new life with your help. Lord
Jesus, please come into my heart and life right now. From this moment forward, my life belongs to
You and You alone. I will love You,
serve You, and tell others about You, and trust You to live Your life through
me. Thank you Lord for coming into my
life and for forgiving my sins today.
Amen
