#1930 Betwixt and Between

#1930

Betwixt and Between

Spurgeon's Morning by Morning, January 8
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Almost saved!  (Charles Spurgeon)

"Then Agrippa said to Paul: You almost persuade me to become a Christian." Acts 26:28

To be almost saved--is to be altogether lost!

There are many in Hell who once were almost saved--but who are now altogether damned!

Think of that, you who are not far from the Kingdom. It is being in the Kingdom that saves the soul--not being near the Kingdom.

"You are not far from the Kingdom of God." Mark 12:34
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You may want to read the puritan Matthew Mead's powerful and insightful short book, "The Almost Christian!"

Addition by Dr. Morris:

Your writer, a committed-concerned-convinced Christian, a man with many warts-flaws-sinner saved by grace, has one child, a son, a PhD professor at one of the world's largest seminaries, SBC Southwestern, Fort Worth, Texas.  We often talk about the struggles-challenges of the twenty-first century church.  I really do not believe the average ministerial student realizes the commitment he has made to God.  I firmly believe that more church members are responsible for the unsaved-unbelievers outside the church than those who are saved-who actually believe the gospel, every ever bring to God's throne of grace through repentance.  This is so obvious, during the years I attended worship services, church members dragging into the church house late, after the services had started.  If enthralled by the holiness of God-the righteousness of Jesus, they would be there early, anxious to participate in true praise and worship.  I have been blind a very long time, but I am told that some pew warmers sit and play games on their cell phone, while the sermon is being preached...that some members must nudge them when the communion trays are past.  One church member told me that she had never participated in the Lord's Supper at her church.  I knew of one women who left the baptistery pool and went uptown to the movie house...not even staying for the Sunday night evangelical service. 

It all gets down to this, in a world of interneting in school (from junior high to the university), "Making friends and influencing people" (Dale Carnegie).  Spending much of our time NOT wanting to be different but rather, wanting to be accepted by everyone in the competitive and social world.  Church members have become as indifferent toward the salvation-redemption afforded by God through our Savior as those who do not want anything to do with God or his holiness.

I dare you to ask any person, at any funeral-anytime, about whether the deceased is in Heaven, "Everybody talking 'bout Heaven ain't going there."  There will be no sin in Heaven, and we can certainly believe that those who cannot stand to be in church or around church people here on Earth, would be very bored and disgruntled there, especially after the first "ten thousand years". 

About seventy years ago, I was still in high school, one well known tent evangelist would come into Eastern North Carolina, with his large tent (Rev. Dr. Oliver P. Greene).  He was strictly an evangelist with a national radio program from Greenville, SC (The Gospel Hour).  My parents were great followers and supporters of Reverend Greene; it was an enthused music and ministry evangelical effort.  The tent was usually jam packed.  It was always strange to me that a man, such as Billy Graham who started out much the same way, was preaching sins ruin and Christ redemption.  I knew many "fringe" church members who became saved at this meeting...some well known professional people, such as a dentist friend of mine.  It was always strange to me that the large church pastors in the cities where he "pitched" his tent would never support his efforts, never attend.  But, they did admit people who were saved at the tent meeting for membership at their church.  You would think that if a minister, called of God, was interested in keeping just as many people out of Hell as possible, ALL would have supported this ministry even if originating under a tent.  I believe that the Apostle Paul, to whom we owe most of the New Testament, was a tent maker and preached anywhere he could find anyone who would listen. 

Once, a pastor came to me while I was still in my active professional practice, still speaking somewhere all the time, and asked me how much I would charge to speak at his church for homecoming.  I said, "Oh, Brother Sasser, this young neophyte speaker would pay you folks to listen."