Wake up, believers! Time is short!

This may be a hard message for some, and I don't mean it to be. I wish I could be the one who writes posts about God's love and mercy and grace and how He works mightily on our behalf and answers our prayers, etc. Sometimes He allows me to write about that. (Those posts get the most views, by the way) But usually when I pray about what He wants me to write each Monday, He answers me with a hard message.

God has give me a passion for the church, for His people. I typically don't preach to unbelievers, neither through this blog or in my books. I believe the church of God is in as much eternal danger as most atheists, maybe more. I believe we've gotten way off track (most churches, not all) from what the Bible actually says. We've softened the Word of God, taken away its power, and made it into a social club where God wants to bless us and everyone gets to heaven if you believe in Jesus.

Then I read Scriptures like this:

Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him,  1 John 2:4

Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. 1 John 2:6

If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him 1 John 2:15

No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. 1 John 3:6

No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God 1 John 3:9

We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him. 1 John 5:18

 Now before you start to freak out and worry, this cannot possibly mean that Christians never sin. That's an absurd statement. God knows we have a fallen nature and will probably commit little unintentional sins all day. Even Paul said he did the things he didn't want to do!  When it says "practice of sinning" (I looked up practice in the Greek) it means to do on purpose, to cause, to act. In other words, this is a believer who purposely sets about sinning every day. It could be something as simple as lying to someone, to sleeping around, watching porn, or stealing from your company. Sinning is a lifestyle for them. John is saying that if you are truly born again and have God's Spirit in you, you won't be able to purposely make a practice of sinning.

I've always been told that it's wrong to judge whether another person is saved or not. I mean, we don't see their hearts, only God does and only He knows whether they belong to Him or not.  But as I was reading 1 John this week, I came across this Scripture, which only adds to the ones above.

This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister 1 John 3:10

These are tough statements, aren't they?  And they aren't just found in John. Similar statements are spread throughout Scripture.  

Then why do we see so much blatant sin in the church? Half the confessing Christian men are addicted to porn, the divorce rate is just as high as outside the church, couples are living together, people are going to clubs and bars...etc. In all honesty, most of the church is so entangled in the world and so in love with the world, you can't tell if they are Christians or not. Why? Because they've been told a lie. They've been told that you say a prayer, believe in your heart that Jesus is Lord, and voila, God's grace covers the rest. All their sins, past, present, and future are forgiven.

These are the people I'm writing this post for. Wake up! Read your Bible for yourselves.  Time is very very short. Jesus is coming for a Bride who has made herself pure, a Bride who has made herself ready, who is living for Him and looking for His coming. He is NOT coming for a bride who is being unfaithful and flirting with sin and the world. 

For those of you who say we don't have to do anything after we become Christians, that salvation is not by works, but faith alone. For those of you who believe we have zero responsibility in keeping our salvation, I leave you with these verses, which clearly say that the bride must make herself ready and purify herself. God doesn't do that for us. He helps us, but it is OUR responsibility.

But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. Matthew 25:10

Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Revelation 19:7

But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. 1 John 3:3 

Please know that I love all of you and my ultimate prayer and desire is for you to know the Lord Jesus and follow Him with all your heart. Only then will you find fulfillment in this life and glory and joy in the next.

If you are purposely sinning on a daily basis. If the world and the things of the world occupy your time, thoughts, and money. If you rarely think about God or talk to Him or read His Word, please stop playing church. Please get serious about God. As I said before, time is so very short. 

For those of you with loved ones who fit the description of these verses (I have them too) pray for them. Pray and fast and pray again and never stop. God hears and answers and He can draw them back. Nothing is impossible with Him!  Just believe.....