August 17, 1997 (Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061-0368, fbns@wayoflife.org) - The following is from the book How Can I Except Some Man Should Guide Me? A Plan and Program for Bringing Children to Faith in Jesus Christ, Pastor Kerry James Allen, Copyright 1996, Fox River Baptist Church, Box 1094, Oswego, IL. 60543. We published a review of this book on July 19 entitled "Salvation Instruction and Scripture Memorization for Children." It is at the End Times Apostasy Online Database under the section on "Family." The following is Chapter 9 of that book , used by permission of the author—

"And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: Depart from me, ye that work iniquity" (Matthew 7:23)

"But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation…" (Hebrews 6:9)

Charles Spurgeon once said that the devil is such a master of deception that he can make men dance upon the brink of Hell as though they were on the verge of Heaven. So it is. Jesus utters a most sobering statement in Matthew 7 about a large group of religious people who express a great deal of surprise at being judged and damned to Hell. Why? How could a person not know they were not saved? Notice the passage:

"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say unto me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity" (Matthew 7:21-23)

The goal of this book is to help parents avoid the tragedy of a child’s empty profession, which will eventually lead them to the horror of Matthew 7. God forbid that any of our children would be lost, and consigned to the fires of Hell, and let it not be due to our carelessness! We must exercise all the precision and care that a brain or heart surgeon would, and a thousand times more, for we are dealing not with finite bodies, but with never dying souls! God help us!

Undoubtedly, many of the "many" will be religious and somewhat moral, but lost people, nonetheless. Many of these people will be relying on a profession of faith while very young, howbeit a faulty one.

There are a great host of people both in church and out, who will be discovered on Judgment Day. We don’t mean to sound mean spirited by casting doubt on the sincerity of some childhood professions, but there could be many in the "many" who could eventually be lost for the following reasons:

PARENTAL PRESSURE

What well meaning Christian parent doesn’t want their child saved at an early age? In their zeal, how-ever, to bring this about, many a sincere parent has encouraged a decision that was neither understood by the child, or in some cases, not even remembered. Pushing a child into simply praying a prayer before the

Holy Spirit has given light is an exercise in futility, and gives a child a false sense of security. Parents must be sensitive to the Holy Spirit, and His moving in the heart. A child will say anything to satisfy a parent they love.

PEER PRESSURE

Undoubtedly many a child goes forward at an invitation at church or a Christian camp because "it is the thing to do," and who wants to be the odd ball? If they were not truly saved, they are then pressured to live a lie, because, after all, who wants to admit later that they are really lost, and swallow their pride before their friends?

DESIRE FOR REWARD

A multitude of young people have been truly saved in Sunday Schools and backyard Bible clubs through the sincere efforts of well meaning laborers. But what about the ones who came simply to get whatever rewards and enticing promotions that were offered, and then equated that decision with salvation? Even Jesus rebuked those who followed Him just for the "fringe benefits." ("Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled" John 6:26.)

OVERLY ZEALOUS SOUL WINNERS

In my early days of soul winning, I’m afraid I produced a number of "my converts" rather than His converts. Many times in our desire to bring others to Christ, we may find ourselves pressing too hard for a decision, when the person just isn’t ready. Please don’t misunderstand. I pastor a church that practices confrontational evangelism, but we must allow people to say "no" if they mean "no." Persuasive salesmanship can generate the intended outward response, but not necessarily the required inward response. Being pricked by God is different than being pushed by man.

LACK OF UNDERSTANDING

In Matthew 13, Jesus emphatically stated that a person could not be saved without understanding. ("When anyone heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart" Matthew 13:19.)

GENUINE CONVERSION

[There is a sense in which] salvation is a process. But, you say, aren’t people saved instantly, in a moment of time? Yes, that is what the Bible teaches. However, if you read the following passages, you will see a process before the decision for Christ is made involving sowing, watering, and then reaping.

"And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labor: other men labored, and ye are entered into their labors" (John 4:37-38)

"So then neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor" (1 Corinthians 3:7-8)

If these passages teach anything, it would seem that most are not saved the first time they hear the Gospel. One veteran evangelist surveyed several thousand of his hearers, and found that the average person heard the Gospel nine times before they accepted Christ! It is your job and mine to sow, water, and reap. But remember, you are only part of a process that takes time. You can’t force things in the spiritual realm to ripen more quickly than God will allow!

Of course, the benefit of this program is working with one person through the entire process, right down to repentance and acceptance of Jesus Christ as Saviour. This involves the complete cycle of sowing, watering, and reaping.

The goal of the winner of children should be to begin early, saturating their young minds with Scripture, allowing the Holy Spirit to illuminate His Word in their hearts and to draw them to a rock solid decision. Anything else may be based on sincerity, but sincerity doesn’t always result in salvation.

Dear reader, you have a young person you are concerned about, a plan in your hands to assist you as you seek to win them, and hopefully, a burning heart to accomplish this task. Pursue! (And he answered him, Pursue! (1 Samuel 30:8).

THINK ABOUT IT

My friend, what about you? Before you attempt to bring someone else to the feet of Christ, have you been there yourself? Why did you come? Parent or peer pressure? Rewards without repentance? Or, a genuine moving of the Holy Spirit upon your darkened mind by the application of God’s Word? Will your profession stand up under the examination of the all seeing and all knowing God?

"Examine yourselves whether ye be in the faith ..." (2 Corinthians 13:5)

Up until this point, we have been assuming that the reader is a born again believer in Jesus Christ, with full assurance that he or she is a child of God. We are not saved by our works, but when we are saved, our life will certainly reflect that decision by our good works. ("Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone" James 2:17.) Do you have total 100% assurance that you possess eternal life, and if someone asked you to prove it to them from a Bible, could you do it?

DO YOU SHOW EVIDENCES OF SPIRITUAL LIFE?

Following are ten evidences the true believer in Jesus Christ possesses, all from the epistle of First John. These are what Jonathan Edwards called "holy affections." Please read these pages, and ask yourself how many of these are manifested in your life. If you don’t have that kind of evidence and assurance, please seek someone out who can help you, or give us a call.

"But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you ... and things that accompany salvation..." Hebrews 6:9

SUBMISSIVE RESPECT

"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (1 John 1:8)

Do you respect God? Is your opinion just as important or even more relevant than His? Are God’s pronouncements authoritative in your life? Is Jesus Christ your Lord?

SCRIPTURE OBEDIENCE

"But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him" (1 John 2:5)

Do you read the Bible daily? Do you read the Scriptures seeking to obey what you find? Are you in rebellion against God’s Word or in submission to it? Do you love the Bible?

SOCIETAL REJECTION

"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him" (1 John 2:15)

Do you love the world, your money, and your possessions? Do they mean more to you than Jesus Christ and His approval? Would you be willing to give up all for Christ?

STEADFAST FAITHFULNESS

"They went out from us, but they were not of us: for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us" (1 John 2:19)

Are you faithful in regular fellowship with God’s people in a local church? Are you able to be sparse in church attendance for weeks at a time without any real guilt about it? Do you long for fellowship with the saints in the assembly?

SECOND COMING ANTICIPATION

"When he shall appear, we shall be like him: for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure" (1 John 3:2-3)

Are you living in the daily awareness that Jesus Christ will return for His own? Are you eagerly looking forward to His coming for you? Does your daily life reflect the fact that He may come today? Are you ready to meet Him at any time?

SIN SENSITIVITY

"Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God" (1 John 3:9)

Does your sin bother you? Do you wish you sinned less than you do? Are you sinning less now than when you first made a profession of faith in Christ? Do you enjoy your sin, or does it affect your happiness? Do you realize God sees all sin?

SIBLING LOVE

"We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death" (1 John 3:14)

Do you love other believers in Jesus Christ? Do you enjoy being in their company, or would you rather be with the people of the world? Are Christians your dearest friends?

SUPPLICATIONS ANSWERED

"And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight" (1 John 3:22)

Do you pray? Can you point to specific answers that could have come from no one but God? Do you find yourself conversing regularly with God as a trusted friend?

SHARP DISCERNMENT

"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world" (1 John 4:1)

Do you find it easy to sort out the claims of various religions? Do you see all religions as the same? Do you understand the doctrine of Christ? Do you believe Jesus Christ is God?

SPIRIT AWARENESS

"Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit" (1 John 4:13)

Do you have a conscious awareness that the Holy Spirit of God lives in you? Does He teach you things from the Scriptures on a regular basis? Does the Holy Spirit convict you when you sin, or can you sin with abandon?