Book 1 of Musings I Don’t Know You!

The Lord Jesus knew there would be wicked people who would be active in Christian work. This is why He warned those who prophesied in His name, drove out demons, and worked many miracles, that He did not know evildoers and would drive them from His Presence.

According to the four Gospel accounts, the Epistles of the Apostles, and the Book of Revelation, God wants people to be righteous, holy, and obedient to God. The Apostle Paul went so far as to tell the believers that if they lived according to their sinful nature they would not inherit the Kingdom of God.

Yet today we do not hear much preaching about living righteously but about the grace of forgiveness, about going to Heaven to live forever, and about how we soon will be caught up to Heaven to avoid suffering and the rule of Antichrist.

There are sundry other topics that are stressed, such as the need to get other people saved, the benefit of giving liberally to one's church, and how Christians can live a fulfilled life.

The various topics that are preached are based on the concept that once we accept Christ our need to live righteously has been set to one side in favor of believing Christ has saved us.

Our assurance of going to Heaven to live forever is based on the idea that even though we do not behave righteously, Christ has saved us and we have been forgiven all our sin.

The same is true of being caught up to Heaven and the need to get other people saved. The concept is that we have been forgiven and are on our way to Heaven, and we are indebted to other people to tell them about the free ride to Heaven.

But what if the current preaching is incorrect?

What if Christ is more concerned about our behavior than He is about our frequent declarations of faith and our efforts in ministry? What if it really is true that we can prophesy, cast out demons, and work miracles in His name, and yet be driven from His Presence if we are living a sinful life?

I know at least one prominent minister of the Gospel who has a reputation for sending out his workers to persuade widows to make out their wills to him. My own wife was saved in a meeting in which the evangelist, it was determined later, was a fornicator.

How many of today's prominent and less prominent ministers of the Gospel are covetous, dishonest, immoral, or arrogant, and yet are seeking to be preeminent in church work? How many pastors are watching pornography on the Internet?

Is it really true that the New Testament is about godly behavior, or is it about going to Heaven by forgiveness? Which is emphasized, the grace of forgiveness or godly behavior?

I wonder how many are willing to search the New Testament and find out.

Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. Not everyone who says to me, "Lord, Lord," will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 7:20-21)