Do We Just Keep On.....Loving Them.....Loving Them To Death?

                 It is certainly not lost....for there is and will always be a genuine remnant in the church that remains true to God's Word....but that which I'll bring attention to here has been marred almost beyond recognition. Every one of us can go through this exercise.....for it is very simple....just take time and think about as many people as we can that we know....family and friends....fellow workers and acqauntances of all kinds....and then consider as best as we are able....if they are part of the redeemed of Christ or not....'saved'....being the long lost word that used to be a staple in evangelicalism.
                 First of all we cannot be certain about the vast majority of these people.....and we all know that we cannot judge....but have we ourselves in the church become as 'woke' as the most woke of those who cause so much havoc in America today? By that I mean....do we like they....deny that there are any real objective truths in life....that everything must be subject to anyone's personal and biased interpretation....so much so that we can no longer even look at someone that we know....who may not have ever over decades uttered one word of faith....nor ever opened a Bible....and say that they are certainly not....Christians?
                 Am I complicating this? Let me try again....can we or can we not look at someone....someone who we are at least very familiar with their lives and their stated beliefs....and take a position on whether it is obvious that they are....saved....or obvious that they are not saved....or even likely that they are saved....or likely that they are not saved?
                What has been lost in evangelicalism today....and in the church....is that salvation is no longer the primary issue. That one must be....'born again'....(now an archaic phrase in our minds)....is often considered judgmental....legalism....as we simply take the position that God will have mercy upon whom He will have mercy....who are we to make that decision? There are more important issues for the Christian to focus upon. Where is America going for one? Where is the economy going for another? Who will name future Supreme Court judges? And since salvation is no longer the primary issue....the cross is no longer the center of Christianity. Freedom and liberty are!!!
                Each and every one of the redeemed of Christ....all of us....were dead spiritually....heading to perdition....forever....whatever 'forever' may be. We deserved absolutely nothing as to having eternal life. We were dragged to the gospel....our hearts regenerated....no longer dead....born this time from above! Our eyes were opened. The glories of Christ revealed....even though still under a veil. All of this was bestowed upon us for no other reason than God choose us to have mercy upon....whereupon we were regenerated....then we believed.
                So here we are.....alive....aware of our blessings....what else are we to do then to look around.....at all the people....family and friends....fellow workers and acquantances of all kinds....and at the very least....tell them of the mercy and forgiveness bestowed upon us....that is offered to them? Anything short of that is evidence that our own salvation had not translated to a passionate love that others might be saved also.....or it may be that we do not even realize what happened to us....or it may be that we ourselves were never saved....fooled into thinking that we were. We cannot just say....'oh there is nothing we can do'.....or....'well we have to just trust in God.' Trust in God? What about all the warnings in His Word.....everywhere.....alarms.....commands to go into all the world.....where is our trust in God here?
                "The grass withers".....we remember that phrase do we not...."the flower fades." Life is short. It is not about us! Are we to blithly accept the salvation given to us....and then go about with our own business? Is this world not as a sinking ship.....with no lifeboats but one....Christ....who has told us that one must be born again to enter it? Let us for a moment take ourselves back to when we were lost. Please do this....we are lost....we cannot see Christ....we have no ability to choose Christ even if we could see Him. Christians around us....even our children or our parents....or our spouse....just treat us with....love. They don't plead for us....they don't even ask us questions on what we believe....for God has it all under control. They just go on....loving us....to death.
                  Would not this vision of life again without Christ not make us cry out....."Lord....never let me go back....never take Thy hand from upon me....not even for a second.....never put me in that situation again....rather enliven me....give me a passion for those right next to me of whom I cannot be sure that they know Thee.  Let the world reject me....let my loved ones think me a fool....only do not let your Holy Spirit leave me! Animate me Lord! Drag others in also. Pluck them from the waters....or from the fire! Use me Lord! Never let me forget that from which Thou saved me! Let me never stop praising Thee! Let me not dally while in this world! Let me not fall asleep! Keep me vigilant! Bring my loved ones into Thy kingdom! Give me words! Open their ears! Confound the spirit of this age! Awaken our pulpits....have mercy on these sleepers....thus having mercy upon us also....and do this all for Thy Glory alone....and for Thy great and blessed and powerful name alone!