2 Timothy 3:14-17
2019-02-12
by Larry Hatcher
WARNING, DON’T BE DECEIVED
Many times I have written about salvation not being a single event in one’s life. A walk down the aisle where one might acknowledge to the preacher or councilors question “Do you believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour” with “yes, I believe in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour” doesn’t necessarily mean they are one of God’s children saved by the blood of Christ. One needs not to be persuaded to be a Christian, one only needs to recognize they are a lost sinner in great need of a Saviour.
One can be a moral upstanding member of the church, who is faithful in attending God’s house and go to hell. I guess I stress this so much because I once walked down the aisle and said these very words that “I believe in Jesus Christ” and was baptized and joined the church and faithfully attended the house of worship. I even studied the word of God most every day.
It would be many years after my so called conversion before God began dealing with my heart concerning my condition. You see, I faithfully sat under the true gospel for several decades without ears to hear (Mat 13:8-9) of which I gained much head knowledge with no inward lasting signs of being sanctified or holy (1 Cor 1:30).
After many discussions of my back surgeries and living in much pain with thoughts of not wanting to live another day, God sent a friend my way to ask me “have you examined yourself, are you saved?”. It was with these words that I began seeking my God and Father crying out begging Him with the words “Lord if I’m not yours, make me yours”.