I have good news and bad news: The good news is that some of you that read this article are in the Kingdom of God. The bad news is that most of you are not.
How can I be so sure of that? Jesus said narrow is the way to life and few would find it.
The reason few in America will find it is because the religious system is created to make most of us miss the real Kingdom of God.
The religious system of America informs us daily that it is easy to be a Christian. It says all you have to do is to accept Jesus as Savior and pray the sinner’s prayer. All you have to do is believe in Christ and invite Him in your heart.
Not only that, if you do not know how to pray, the system will supply the prayer for you to repeat, so you can be saved. What a neat little package.
However, this is not New Testament Christianity. It is the western, American version that demands no real commitment to Christ, only a formula that gets great numerical results but little real conversions and rebirths and a revolution of people’s lives.
I am not casting stones. I have operated this formula with hundreds and hundreds of people making prayer professions. My experience is that there is a very small percentage that really intend on serving Jesus. They are really praying to get fire insurance and to miss hell and go to heaven. They do not usually care about Jesus, the church, the word, living a holy lifestyle or the power of the Holy Spirit. They did not pray or bargain for that. All they want is the peace of mind that they can live however they want and still go to heaven because they prayed once upon a time to an all-loving and forgiving savior to whom they never intended to commit their lives.
In defense of them, why should they? That was not what was presented to them. They were told all they had to do was pray the sinners prayer and all would be well. Why then are we dismayed at the large amount of people who purportedly are “born again” and yet live lifestyles that are opposed to that profession. Could it be they are not really in the Kingdom? Unfortunately, the fault lies with us preachers who have not told the whole truth.
I believe our message is wrong. We must once again tell the non-believer that he must have a thorough repentance of sin and throw himself into the life of the cross of Jesus. This is not a one-time prayer — this is a radical change of life that affects everything I am, think, do, want, desire and it is forever. Jesus is the most radical claim on earth. Most Americans want a Christianity that does not interfere too much into their life. Now, mind you, they want to go to heaven but their time is their time; their money is their money; their concerns are theirs; their hobbies are personal; their thoughts are hereditary; their habits are genetics; church is where they feel comfortable; sermons always build their self-esteem and never correct; Christians always just love and never can judge; and their lives are their own business and nobody else’s, especially the preacher.
If our message in America is creating these flabby, sissy-type, Christians instead of lean, muscular, Christianity; what is the real message?
Jesus said to find your life you must lose it. In America, we are trying to add Jesus to the life we want to live. It will never work. We must stop applying the Word of God to our lives and start applying our lives to the Word of God. Jesus demands all of us, not this half-hearted, “I prayed one time or was baptized at seven” once-in-a-lifetime commitment. Let us stop kidding ourselves.
We have led people to believe because they prayed for 60 seconds once and lived for themselves the rest of their life, they are fine. Look, if you do not like the church, the word, the Holy Spirit, holiness, and worshipping God on earth, you will hate heaven. That is why you are not going there. Only people who really like God now, will really like heaven. That is why hell will be everything you always wanted on earth. If you do not like worshipping God and telling Him thanks; if you do not like the Word of God, the Holy Spirit, holy living, and God’s presence; don’t worry. None of that will be in hell. Hell will be all you ever wanted: A life forever without interference from God or those “nasty, Christian, hypocrites” you know. Hell will be void of every bit of the goodness of God. It will be horrible but it will be what you always wanted: No God.
Let us stop kidding ourselves: Only if we give up our own lives and throw ourselves on the mercy of Jesus, can we truly be in the Kingdom of God. However, what a wonderful life. We give up our lives for His life. What a trade! We get to have the presence of God now! We get to experience the power, love, and joy of a risen savior inside of us, right now! The great thing is, we love it because we are truly born of Him and He has transformed us by His life giving blood!
Do you really love what He loves? Congratulations! You are in the Kingdom of God!
SHAWNEE, Okla. —
