Welcome to the Whyte House Family Spoken Nonfiction Books podcast: Black History Month edition episode #56. Today we are reading part 2 of Chapter 2 of the book “From Glory to Shame: The Rise and Fall of Black America and How She Can Rise Again” by Samuel L. Madison.
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Three Reasons why People are Religious, Church-Going and still on their Way to Hell
As I further examined this matter of how people are oftentimes religious, yet not biblical, I can think of three reasons as to why this is so:
The first reason why so many people are religious, but are not biblical in their position, is because many of them are just simply not truly born-again Christians. Many of the people who are packing our church pews for a Sunday morning worship service are going to church because it affords them a fashionable lifestyle, and not because they have a personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. These people have equated the act of being in church as synonymous to that of being a born-again Christian. It is in vogue today to become a member of some church and to participate in the religious activities and services of that fellowship such as singing in the gospel choirs, teaching a Sunday School class, becoming a member of the Usher Board, and all such practices they believe will provide them with a salvation of good works. Thusly, these people are indeed religious but they are not biblically saved, and therefore have not experienced a change in their spirit and mind. A person who has been truly saved will be changed and renewed in his way of thinking, and would eventually desire to live a life of godly conduct (II Corinthians 5:17).
The second reason why people are religious, but are not right with the Lord, is due to a lack of biblical conviction in their lives.
There are many people who have adopted a religious lifestyle based upon what others believe about traditional Christian practices. Being a Christian to some people simply means adopting a lifestyle of abstaining from drinking, smoking, gambling, and not engaging in any devices that have sinful connotations. However, anyone who knows much about authentic Christianity, knows that although these are vices that one should not indulge himself in because they are unhealthy and unrighteous, yet the cessation of any or all of these vices cannot be used as a means of achieving one’s salvation. If indeed one refrains from using these vices as a means of earning his salvation, his reform will most likely be short-lived because it would be energized by the flesh and not by the power of the Holy Spirit. Biblical conviction is formed by the Holy Spirit acting upon the Word of God in our lives. The Bible says in Psalm 119:9-11: “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”
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Thank you for joining us for this episode of Whyte House Family nonfiction books. You may purchase a copy of this book and any other Christian nonfiction books read on this podcast from Amazon.com.
Now, dear listener, please know that God—the divine Author of all things—wants to write a great story with your life as well. But first you must give Him the pen by trusting Him with the life He gave you and surrendering your heart to Jesus Christ as Savior. Here is how:
- Accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 7:20: “For there is not a just man upon earth that doeth good, and sinneth not.” Romans 3:23 reads: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
- Accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”
- Accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” The Bible says in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
- Accept the fact that you cannot do anything to save yourself! The Bible states in Ephesians 2: 8, 9: “For by grace are ye saved through faith: and that not of yourselves: it is a gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
- Accept the fact that God loves you more than you love yourself, and that He wants to save you from hell. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
- With these facts in mind, please repent of your sins, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and pray and ask Him to come into your heart and save you this very moment. The Bible states in the book of Romans 10:9, 13: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Dear friend, if you are willing to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, please pray with me this simple prayer: Heavenly Father, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I now believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
If you believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the cross, was buried, and rose again, allow me to say, congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour! For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
May God bless you until next time.
BCNN1 WP 