It’s good to remind ourselves that the church has historically maintained a changed life is the best evidence of a real relationship with Jesus (given that God is the only One Who can see with absolute certainty into the human heart.) Someone who claims to know Christ and yet never repents is deceived (Matt 7:13-29)

Jesus accepted all sinners. But He also called (and empowered!) all of them to leave their life of sin.

The locus of Christ’s redemptive work is His dealing with our sin. He died for our sin. He frees up from the deadly bondage of our sin (John 8:36). And He empowers to walk away from it. The touchdown for one seeking to follow Christ is repentant faith. That should always be our goal in gently and gracefully pointing others to Christ. Always.

The more we know Jesus, the more uncomfortable we become in our sin. If we’re comfortable in our sin - and stay comfortable with it - we don’t know Jesus.

If we hold only to a social gospel that never calls people to repentant faith, we deny Christ. We love people. But if we truly love them with the love of Christ, we must eventually must call them to repentant faith. Otherwise we’re like the few survivors in the Titanic’s lifeboats waving at and wishing well those still standing on the deck of the doomed and sinking ship.

Bob
Fides Quaerens Intellectum

Bob Pratico
Fides Quaerens Intellectum
(my Sojourn blog)