I have visited quite a number of churches in my time as a disciple of Jesus. Many have wanted to know where I lived or where I worked or how old I was or where I attended church, but sadly few ever asked me the most important question one could have asked me, “Are you born again?” Recently I visited a Baptist church and I was thankful that one older gentlemen came up to me and stuck out his hand as he asked me, “Excuse me son, but are you born again?” I replied that I was indeed saved and I thanked him for asking me and then commented that few had ever asked me that question as a visitor in a church. He replied, “That is why we are here; otherwise we are missing our point.” I agree.
This past week I visited three churches. None of them asked me if I were saved nor did they ask my family. I could have been anyone visiting their churches but here I am, saved, yet no one asked me if I was born again. At one church I sat behind a young man reading his Bible and I put my hand on his back and asked him if he was born again. He said, “Well, I was saved when I was a boy, but I have been living for Christ this time around about three months.” I asked him again, “Are you born again though? Have you come to a place in your life where you have been convicted by the Spirit of God that you are sinner in a need a Savior and have you repented of your sins, and is Jesus Lord of your life tonight?” He said yes.
So many in the Church I am sure are not saved. Perhaps they are Arminians or Calvinists or whatever but they are not Christ’s. They go to church thinking that they will go to heaven because they are good people or because they teach the Sunday school class for children. Or perhaps they have attended Bible college or perhaps they are even in “the ministry.” Yet are they truly born again? That is the main issue pressing the Church. We have so many in the world who need Jesus, but there are so many among us who have not truly been converted by the Spirit of God. They are those in Matthew 7:21-23 who never have known the Lord. They know about Jesus Christ but they don’t know Him (John 17:3). They can quote a few Scriptures, sing a few songs, and they know when to say “amen” but they are lost. They are dead in their sins (Ephesians 2:1-3). They have not repented of their sins (Matthew 3:8; Luke 24:47; Acts 2:38; 3:19; Romans 2:4; 2 Corinthians 7:10). They have been baptized in water but not into Christ (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38, 41; Romans 6:1-4; 1 Corinthians 12:13). They are not bearing fruit in keeping with repentance (Matthew 3:8; Acts 26:20; Galatians 5:22-23). They don’t have that Spirit assurance that they are truly redeemed by the grace of God (Romans 8:15-16). They have good works but they don’t recognize that good works do not save us (Ephesians 2:8-10) nor keep us (Philippians 2:12-13).
I believe that we should weep before God for the lost among us. How few actually know Christ. Perhaps they have prayed “the sinner’s prayer” but they are not saved from their sins (Matthew 1:21). Perhaps they attend the visible church but they are not part of God’s Church (Acts 2:47). Perhaps they read their Bibles but they don’t live their Bibles (James 1:22-25; 2:14-26). Perhaps they claim to know God but by their actions they deny Him (Titus 1:16). Perhaps they claim to have once known Jesus but they have forsaken their first love (Revelation 2:4) and have returned to the world (2 Peter 2:20-22). How we need to pray for the lost in the Church and we need to ask people among us that all important question: “Are you born again?” (John 3:3-7).
[Link to original post and comments at Roy Ingle’s website.]
