Lost in the Church

I've been involved in an interesting conversation on Facebook the last few days. In this conversation the topic has been how many of those who are church members are actually regenerate, saved people. Many including myself have quoted Billy Graham regarding a percentage, and the quotes range from 50% of church members up to 85% of church members being lost. Problem is, no one can find a source for Billy Graham saying anything like this. However, people like George Barna, Bill Bright, George Truett, W.A. Criswell and R.G. Lee have all been cited of believing at least 50% of those who hold church membership in protestant denominations are indeed lost. So, is their any way to accurately determine how many in our pews are lost and how many are saved? Well, the simple answer is no.

Their is no doubt we have a huge problem in the church. The problem is that many if not most church members look nothing like what the bible says a Christian will look like. Far too many Christians who profess faith in Christ show little or no evidence of a true conversion from unregenerate to regenerate. They exhibit little or no fruit in their lives leaving open the question; Are they really saved? One thing is for sure, they are either carnal or backslidden in their faith, or they are lost. Can we make a certain determination of which though?

The fact is only God knows our hearts. But, I believe we must be sensitive to the fruit which professing Christians will bear. Jesus Himself tells us we will know those that are His "by their fruit." He also tells us we will know those of the world "by their fruit." I guess the question is, will a person who has truly been converted remain in a carnal, backslidden state, or will they eventually, under conviction of the Holy Spirit which indwells all believers turn from their worldly ways and sin to God and His ways?

One thing I do know about God, is He is patient with sinners, even those who are His who are currently living in a carnal, sinful manner. But the bible also teaches us in Hebrews chapter 12 that if we are a true child of God, God will discipline us to bring our hearts back to a right relationship with Him. As one who has been taken to God's woodshed many times in my life, I can vouch for God's loving, albeit many times, tough discipline.

Hebrews 12:7-8 to me are the key verses in this text. It reads, "If you endure chastening(discipline), God deals with you as sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten. But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons." This is strong teaching, for it tells us that if we are indeed saved God will convict us of our sin and we will return to Him. But if we are not saved, then the chastening of the Lord will not be present as the Holy Spirit is not present in us. So who can judge this?

Well, we know God can. But Paul exhorts us in 2 Corinthians 13:5 to also examine ourselves. He writes, "Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?-unless indeed you are disqualified." Are we willing to do this, or simply believe we are saved?

To examine ourselves, I recommend we read Galatians 5:16-26. Here we see Paul through the Holy Spirit give us the characteristics of what an unsaved, carnal person will look like, and what a saved person under control of the Holy Spirit will look like. As we look at these characteristics, will we be honest with ourselves as to which "list" here we truly resemble? If we do bare more similarity to the works of the flesh, rather than the "fruit" of the Spirit, will we ask the eternal question am I truly saved? At the very least we must confess we are backslidden and apart from the will of God.

If the Holy Spirit does indwell us, we will not be comfortable in our sin. We may stay there awhile, but not forever. With God inside of us their cannot help but be radical change in how we view the sinful things of the world, and the holy ways of God. If we surrender to the Holy Spirit we will grow in our walk with Christ and separate ourselves from the ways of the world. Are we willing to take the test of faith, and be honest with ourselves regarding the answer? We need to truly reflect upon the words of Jesus in Matthew 7:21-23. Jesus says here, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, "I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!"

Are you sure Jesus knows you, and that you truly know Him? The answer to this question holds your eternal fate. Are you destined for heaven and eternity with God, or destined for Hell eternally separated from God?