I will not tell you that in 21 years of salvation I have not ever doubted my salvation. I would doubt that very many Christians could say that. It’s our nature to doubt. Thomas didn’t have the market cornered on it.
But what I can say, it that the Holy Spirit did not allow me to live in that state very long. A friend posted on Facebook this morning the story of the conversion of John Wesley. As I was reading through his testimony, and the question his dad posed to him on his death bed “John, do you have the inward witness of the Holy Spirit?” I wanted to shout the glory down! And oh, how I wished that during the 34 years of my unsaved condition, someone had asked me that question. They did not.
And when I finally heard it, I knew I did not. But for a while, pride would not allow me to explore it further with those who had asked the question. I had been brought up in church, I had taught Sunday School. I had lead youth. How could I confess that I did not have an understanding of what seemed to be such basic information in the Christian realm.
NOT SO BASIC ANY MORE
In a 2009 Barna Survey, fifty-eight percent strongly or somewhat agreed with the statement that the Holy Spirit is “a symbol of God’s power or presence but is not a living entity.” More than half of those surveyed! I realize that surveys can be somewhat misleading because of where the survey took place and who exactly was surveyed. But for some reason, I’m not doubting the results. I’ve been in the presence of too many professing Christians that just don’t bear any witness of the Holy Spirit. They go to church a dry and come out dry. Nothing changes.
When I got saved. I CHANGED. I felt fire in my soul and it hasn’t gone out for 21 years. So what happened to those who don’t feel it?
NOT SO BOLD ANY MORE
Matthew 24 states it well when says verses 11-12
And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
The testimony of the Christian faith has been so tarnished by false preaching and false professors that even the true believer can see their fire go out if they’re not very careful on who and what they allow their mind to be exposed to.
I was watching the show “The Voice” last night and was so frustrated with the “professed Christian judge” on the show who cursed more than the other three non-professing judges that I was nauseous. I started routing against her. One might wonder why I continued to watch the show… I ask myself the same question. And I’ll be asking myself the same question next week, but it boils down to the fact that I love listening to the singing, and the few Christian testimonies from contestants as well as the singing tips from the judges, I glean what I can from their skills for my own music ministry.
But it’s the mentality that you can live any way you choose and profess Christ that has caused the Holy Spirit not be felt or believed upon by many in the church. Couple that with many churches no longer preaching the blood as necessary for salvation, and you can see the problem with their belief in the Word of God. The blood is on the pages of the bible from Genesis to Revelation.
NOT SO BURDENED ANY MORE
Before I was saved, I had heard just enough about Armageddon to scare me to death and pray for life. I didn’t understand it, but I feared it. I don’t know if I believed in Hell, but I feared it. And when I discovered the truth that there was a Hell, and that a child of God would be saved from it as well as Armageddon, Lord have mercy, I had such peace and gratitude for what the Lord Jesus done for me on the cross. I also became very aware that many of my family and friend would not escape, if they too did not become saved by the blood of Jesus. I was so burdened… I was sure Christ would return the next instant. But over time, when He delays His return, my burdened waned as well. It’s a great lie when you hear… there’s still time.
Perhaps, perhaps not. We need our burden restored and the only way that that is going to happen is to get our relationship with the Lord restored and stoke the fire within us.
NOT SO BROKEN ANY MORE
We need our heart broken the way Christ’s is broken every day by the lack of concern for His children. We need to ask ourselves again and again do we feel and do others see in us the inward and outward witness of the Holy Spirit?
