The Prayer -

Did you say it? Did you say the prayer, the one you meant from the bottom of your heart that invited Jesus in there sincerely? You were moved by the preaching, compelled to leave from you seat and walk that aisle with real tears on your cheeks then.

You made your way to the altar, but listen. That is where you faltered, believing the lie that eternal life was offered right here in exchange for a prayer repeated verbatim.

“Dear God, I know I have sinned. I believe Jesus died on the cross to pay for them.

Amen.”

Right?

You made a decision for Christ that day again, because you have rededicated your life at least five times since the age of 10, but listen, friend. You are lost. You have never
counted the cost to follow Jesus.

I know this is hard to hear, but please just listen for a moment. Come let’s reason. In
whom do you believe in? God? You do well. But the Bible says even the demons believe
and tremble and you all still end up in hell.

Examine yourself. Use the Scriptures.

What is the description of a two child of God and why doesn’t your life paint that picture? And even if you go to church and been on mission trips to Haiti your unrepentant prayers and your good works is your first class ticked straight to Hades and don’t hate me now that I am speaking the truth. I know that I am not the Judge, but I can judge every tree by its fruit.

And where are your roots planted? By streams of still waters or are they caught
up in rocky places? Are you the salt of the earth or has your flavor been rendered
tasteless?

No, don’t waste this exhortation to search the basis of your assurance. Don’t ignore it.
When you are mistaken on judgment day there will be hell to pay for it. And your
conscience which now lays dormant will suffer eternal torment along with your flesh.
You will be weeping and gnashing your teeth in the pit of hell. This is the second death.

But no need to fret, no. Remember, you prayed the prayer. At least that is what that easy believing, disciple deceiving, wolf in sheep clothing, false teaching, so-called leach of a pastor keeps preaching. And you love that lie, because it is too hard to believe and you don’t take the time to pick up your Bible and read to see that God says in order to live you must die.

And no, I am not talking about suicide, but indeed you must crucify the flesh and its
passions and don’t even imagine that it is just a normal moral reform or such an easy
cleaning up of the outside of the cup.

No. It is so much more. It is a life changing encounter with the mirror of God’s perfect
and holy law.

I took a look. Let me tell you what I saw. I saw the reflection of a God hating law
breaker, one that had the audacity to claim Christ as her Savior, but abort the very
thought of his lordship. Of course this violates the First Commandment.

“You shall no other gods before me.”

And that is the very place I demand it. I saw a vile idolater, it is true. No I never bowed to Buddha, but I was the type who created a Jesus to suit my own sinful demeanor. I saw a blasphemer. See, my lips love to praise him, but my brazen sin he shamed on his name which I was so quick to interchange with a curse.
I saw a sabbath breaker. In church he would never find me.

No. I had bought into the lie that the whole weekend was mine to unwind after the work week. And it hurts me to confess this, but nevertheless it is true.
I have dishonored my own father and mother to this day from my youth.
I was introduced to a stone cold murderer, me. I had never been taught that my hateful thoughts were a felony worthy of the death penalty in God’s court.

But, of course, I knew my fornication was as of Satan. That is why I did my deeds in
darkness, not realizing that God judges where your heart is. This means my disgusting
lusting would not just be pardoned.

My heart was hardened by way of sin’s deceit, but there was no denying that I was a
thief. I cheated God and man. I came to understand that one lie made me a liar and that hat one sin against God was deserving of my burning in the eternal lake of fire.

1 Exodus 20:3; Deuteronomy 5:7.

My desires were covetous. If you had it, I wanted it. I was in this and of this world and I was loving it.

Yet all the while I was claiming to be God’s child. And why? Because I prayed that
prayer, because I walked that aisle, because I shed some tears, but I refused to repent of my ungodly lifestyle to turn from my heinous sin to the most precious gem, Jesus Christ who died on the cross to cleanse wretched men from within and he bids you come, broken, with your hands open, clinging to nothing but hope in him.

And then what you will gain in exchange is more than the name Christian, this radical life change. Sanctified living is freedom from sin’s chains.

All of your sin forgiven and a promise that you will reign with the King for he is risen.

Niki Roland