Are You In Or Are You Out?

Are You In Or Out

Romans 3:21-26

I was listening to a sermon the other day on the TV and the speaker quoted a theologian from some college somewhere. I don’t even remember the guy’s name, but I do remember what he said, because it sure got my attention.

He was talking about the way Americans had use religion since September 11th

The statement was “Religion is the Drug of the people”

It kills their pain

It helps take away their problems

It is their temporary fix

I think that there’s a problem with Christianity being the drug of the people

I think far too many people are using it to temporarily kill their pain, to temporarily help take away their problems, or for a temporary fix.

Christianity should not be a temporary fix, for Christians it should be a permanent fix.

Maybe that is where the problem is

Maybe some “so called” Christians don’t really know God

Maybe some “so called” Christians don’t have a relationship with God

Let me ask you something then, are they ‘so called “ Christians really Christians then?

Theologians estimate that only 75% of church members are genuinely saved

Billy Graham backs that up by saying that 30% of the people that accept Christ at his crusades are already on a church roll somewhere aw someone who claims to be saved

So if this is true, then most Christians aren’t Christians at all, They are almost Christians aren’t they

They may attend church and Sunday school regularly

They may really listen to all of the pastor’s sermons

They may only hang around with good ole’ Christian people

But where are they in their relationship with GOD?

Or do they even have a real relationship with GOD?

The scary thing is there are people who think because they are good people that they are Christians

That think because they go to church every week that they are Christians

That think because all their friends are Christians that they are Christians

That think because their parents are Christians that they are Christians

That think just because they never do anything wrong that they are a Christian

That they are a Christian and that they are in because of who they are

Can I let you in on a little secret, if you do not have your OWN relationship with God, there is no way to get in, it doesn’t matter if you are a good person

It doesn’t matter if you go to church every week

It doesn’t matter if all your friends are Christians

It doesn’t matter that your parents are Christians

It doesn’t matter that you never do anything wrong

Christianity is not something you can earn, it is a FREE gift that you have to accept

If you want to be a Christian and not an “almost” Christian then you have to be justified by faith or in simpler terms, you have to have your “OWN” salvation

Now to have your own salvation there is a few things that must happen first

First you must admit that you are guilty, you must admit that you are a sinner

See salvation is not like getting set free in a court of law where you have to prove you innocence, here you have to admit to be guilty, not innocent

Let’s look at what I mean by this

Take the OJ Simpson trail for example, he was found not guilty of killing his wife Nicole Brown

Simpson, yet when most of us think that he did

Now for arguments sake lets all assume that he did, but to be set free he had to convince the judge that he didn’t, he could not commit of guilt

Now with God it works completely different than that, to be forgiven or found “not guilty” with him, we have to admit to our sins

Secondly, we must believe that Jesus Christ died on the Cross to pay the debt for our sins

Thirdly, we also have to believe that Jesus arose from the dead 3 days later and defeated death so that we could have eternal life in heaven

Then last of all we have to accept his gift of salvation, that if we admit our sins, believe in Jesus and what he did for us, and accept him as our savior then we have that “Promise” I have been talking to you about

So now that I have explained salvation to you

Do you have your “Own” Salvation, or are you living off someone else’s

Are you a “true” Christian or are you an “almost” Christian

Let me tell you a few differences between a “true” Christian and an “almost” Christian

Almost Christians are acquainted with the Gospel

Christians are messengers of the Gospel

Almost Christians are interested in the Gospel