It is indeed interesting how great care is taken when a famous person who was a hedonist becomes a Christian, how cautious we are of their confession. The first response that we pronounce is one of doubt. Really? Have they really been saved? Or we say, well, time will tell if their confession is genuine or not.
It is indeed interesting how this great care is taking to ascertain whether their faith is genuine and thus we scrutinize their actions and magnify our eyes on them to search them thoroughly. But do we cast these inquisitive eyes on ourselves and on the regular guy who professes faith in our Sunday services? Are we first being diligent to confirm our calling and election? 2 Peter 1:10.
When that lady walks up the aisle of the church to give her life to Christ, are we first to doubt in our heart if her confession is genuine? Most likely not and we perhaps think nothing of it. But if we hear news of a famous person who has given their life to Christ, we are immediately suspicious. We ought to have a more balanced view and apply the same principle to each one, namely that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved and also that we are to work out our salvation with fear and trembling.
Indeed not everyone who says Lord, Lord will enter into the kingdom, but only those who have done the will of the Father.
Indeed we can be assured now of the certainty of our salvation, but time will also be a great revealer of those whose faith was genuine.
K.Oni
QUESTION:
Why does the Bible ask people to repent and believe if they are unable to respond?
ANSWER:
That's an important question... As R. C. Sproul once said, "God is not going to negotiate His holiness to accomodate us". As fallen creatures God does not lower the bar of his holiness He still requires of us to obey his comands perfectly, even though we are morally incapable to do so. Our inability does not alleviate responsibility, including our responsibility to obey the command to believe. Fact is, fallen men are unable because they are unwilling. By nature they are hostile to Christ.
Perhaps think of it like a farmer planting crops. He casts seed after plowing up the fallow ground, but nothing will happen to the seed unless the blessing of rain come down from above. The seed is not sufficient to produce life by itself without the proper conditions. Likewise, we cast the seed of the gospel into the hearts of men, but unless the Holy Spirit plows up the fallow ground of their hearts and "germinate" the seed of the gospel, no fruit will come forth. We call men to repent and believe, but their hearts are willful and hard. Only the Holy Spirit can disarm the hostility and quicken them to life (John 6:63, 65). We plant and water but God causes the growth. (1 Cor 3:6) Only as the Spirit gives us a new heart do we see the truth, beauty and excellency of Christ in the gospel.
God calls all men everywhere to repent and believe the gospel but they reject the message...but to those who are inwardly called through the message, salvation.
Paul said,
"we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." -1 Cor 1:23-24