Prayer Journal

Thursday, December 4, 2003

Know someone like that? Scripture says that some people who profess to be a Christian, will hang around other Christians, talk like them and even act like them at times. But are they real or fake? Will they spend eternity with Jesus, the Divine Truth Detector, whose scrutiny they must pass by to get to heaven? Or will they be one of those who the Lord says of them, "Depart from me into eternal punishment for I never knew you." (Mt 25:41-46; Lu 6:46)

In this day and age, a copy of something can be made to look so authentic, it can easily deceive the expert. In addition, it probably won't be that long before we see clones of people. Can you imagine the frustration that cloning will bring to our legal system? A jury is assembled and evidence is presented that along with eye witness testimony and DNA matched evidence makes for a good tight case. Or does it?

Billy Graham once said that 80% of those professing to be Christians are probably faking it. I think that estimate is too "high." I think it's more like only five percent (or less) of professing Christians are authentic. That means is that standing in church with 95 other people singing "Amazing Grace," only five out the entire bunch have a personal relationship with Jesus that will stand the test of salvation.

You're probably thinking such an alarming statistic is a product of our sinful generation, right? Not necessarily. The first century church had to deal with the same problem.. In Acts 8, Philip went to Samaria and preached the gospel, healed the sick and exposed sin and removed demons from many people with visible evidence we call signs and wonders. Look at verses 4-14 and you'll no doubt see in Samaria what most of church congregations look like today: Plenty of professions, baptisms and good works leading to a good ecclesiastical reputation, but little praying, repentance and confession. Read on and you'll know why.

There was one man in Samaria named Simon who did magic to impress people, a fact that won him quite a great reputation and following. But when Philip spoke the gospel truth, even Simon listened to him. Scripture tells us that many people, (including Simon) believed the gospel, made a profession of faith in Jesus and were promptly baptized. They must have started acting saved because their reputation spread all the way to Jerusalem where the disciples heard it and sent Peter and John to check it out. After all, you don't a city of fakes to give credence to the false claim made by the Jews about the gospel.

When they arrived in the city and found a great number of professing believers, Peter and John prayed for them asking God to give them the Holy Spirit. Scripture makes a special note that even though the people professed Jesus with their lips, followed him in Believer's baptism and even cleaned up their life a little, the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them. They had been simply made a verbal profession and been symbolically baptized before. Now, Peter and John would lay hands on them and they would receive the Holy Spirit.

Were the people saved before Peter and John arrived? Simon was in that group. Was he saved? The apostles noted that Simon was still bitter and captive to sin; they continued to preach and counsel him, but we just don't know about him. All we can do is speculate while considering what we do know by the rest of the Bible that deals with the issue of salvation.

Are you like the Samarians before they received the Holy Spirit? You talk a good talk, but how's your walk? It's said, "if it walks like a duck and it quacks like a duck, it must be a duck." Well, knowing some duck hunters, I've heard they have pretty good decoy ducks, used to lure the real ducks into range of the hunter's rifle. If a fake duck can easily fool a duck, what does that say about fake Christians?

Are you a profess-ER; that is, do you claim to know Jesus? Then, are you a possess-ER? Here's what I mean: Is there evidence in your life that the Holy Spirit is living in you? Do you make excuses that seem to conceal the fact that you know "who" the Holy Spirit is, but have yet to "receive" Him. Have you ever thought that the reason you have no fruit in your life and no conviction for sin is the fact the Convictor has yet to come into your heart and take up residence?

Just Thinkin'... WebServant

Scripture comes from the Holy Bible, New International Version; (c)1978 by New York International Bible Society

Copyright © 1998-2003 James R. Green and Prayertower Ministries
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* My spouse
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* The sick
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