Can you think of a worse epitaph for a Christian!? I can’t. This should never be the last words spoken over a person who thinks/believes they are a visible Christian. However, I think the point is – is there any evidence supporting your claim of being a Christian? How would others know you are a Christian if you never demonstrate ‘proof’ to support your claim? And… simply going to church twice a year is not a demonstration.
At least periodically, though preferably daily, we need to assess ourselves and by that I am saying ‘judge’. If we don’t judge ourselves – who we are, what we say, what we do, how we do both of them, how we are growing, etc.- how do we demonstrate our acceptance of the gift of salvation? Do we even grow? Before anyone gets totally irritated at me, ‘judge’ is not a bad word. To me it means STOP, look at the fruit from my life. Actually… is there any and what kind of fruit is it? Would you want to give ‘it’ to the Lord who saved you and wants you to live the abundant life as your confirmation of who you are and more importantly – whose?
Let me ask this slightly differently… if you had a job, do you think you’d get paid for not going to work, for doing what you wanted/when you decided to/if you decided to? Plus there is little evidence that you actually are doing that demonstrates you are working? Never forget Matthew 7:21-23. Saying you are a Christian is far from being one. And if you have been born again, I’m not saying you have lost your salvation, but how do you know you are a Christian if you never act according to how the Lord leads, what the Word says?
It’s hard to be a Christian? How do you know? Think about this… and the alternative. When you read Matthew 7: 23 does this apply to you/me? Does it go so far as to question our statement that we are born again. What proof can we offer that tells everyone that you have made Jesus your Lord. Are you following Him? Also remember His statement that His disciples will be known by their love. Your description?
To me the key word is ‘know’. “Depart from me I never KNEW you.” I believe one of the first things we do once we have been saved is to begin developing a relationship with the Lord. Lordship is not a one and done, a ‘ok, thanks… see ya’, it is never cavalier – it is life changing. Do you now express a life that is changing? Even secular sources understand more than many who espouse that they are Christian.
“How do we know that Jesus is Lord? When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, it involves a recognition of His lordship, for the Savior who saved us when we received Him by faith is the Lord Jesus Christ. We cannot and do not receive Him as Savior only. We receive Him as Lord and Savior.”
(Dr. RD Willmore)
Being a Christian is more that making an announcement. It means becoming the person the Lord has always seen in us. I think He always looks at who we can be and what we can do… and is available to us in order to achieve this goal. In this process we can also be available to Him so we can be used to touch other lives. The God of the universe doesn’t wait until we attain some level of ‘perfect’ or ‘worthy’ before He uses us. And, personally, I find that fantastic. There’s a great story (I think by Henry James) that talks about a man who was waiting his whole life to be who he should be. He never attained that ‘state’ so he never touched other lives. What a terrible epitaph.
