I don’t know about you, but I struggle
with sin every day!
Does this mean that I’m not saved?
I’m definitely not the only person
who every thought this. It was such a
big topic in the early church that the Apostle John wrote his Tests of
Assurance in First John. Here are the three
tests:
- · Doctrinal 2:18-27, 4:1-6. You must not deny Christ.
- · Moral 2:3-6, 3:4-10. You must keep the commandments.
- · Social 2:7-11, 3:11-18, 4:7-21. You must love your brothers.
To me, “Loving your Brother”, is
probably the hardest of these tests. It
is so hard to love the jerk next door. Can you
imagine having to love the drunk driver that killed a member of your family? The best I can say is that I am not perfect,
but am on my journey to accomplish this ideal.
Keeping the Ten Commandments is not
easy. I’m pretty good at not stealing or
murdering, but I could use some help in not coveting. I just have to accept that Jesus was the only
perfect person and that I will always be struggling to emulate Him.
How many times does someone ask you,
right out of the blue, do you believe in God?
I must admit that I have been asked this question or one just like it
when I least expected it and sometimes I stumbled to come up with the right
answer.
I have often thought that if it is
so hard for me to answer that question in a socially awkward situation, how
hard was it for Rachel Joy Scott to answer that question at Columbine knowing
that she was basically writing her own death sentence by not denying
Christ. She was the first person to go
to sleep at that school and I am sure that she woke up in heaven.
I can only pray that I will have the
courage to answer that same way if every faced with that horrible situation!
I find comfort that the Apostle John
took the time to address the subject of my salvation. I’m definitely not perfect, but I am saved!
*****
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