Ronald David Bruno
Well-Known Member
I have been very judgmental in my life, but was it always against sins. We don't condemn them to Hell, write them off as reprobate. We just don't know what God is going to do with them. I'll avoid people after a certain point and figure God will deal with them.The church seems to be dropping the bar lower and lower generally so it makes me wary. Being a Christian is due to an act of the Holy Spirit when He gives us faith not of our own that no man may boast. It isn't due to an act of man or a cultural upbringing or a mental decision someone makes with their carnal mind. It is deeper than that. No we don't always know someone's heart but we can discern their fruits and their testimony. To begin with perhaps we can discern whether this person testifies to the LORD bringing about a change of heart and life, or does he only testify about himself and/or wife and what they decided/chose to do or believe. There are superficial conversions and tares among the wheat so there is a need for wisdom and not to be naive.
We are all sinners but "the bar" is set based on whether a person believes that Jesus died for their sins, was burie and rose from the dead on the third day.
Remember in Revelation _ the 1st century _ 5 out of 7 churches had problems. Read chapters 2 and 3. A faithful church, a loveless church, a comprisong church ( with Satanic doctrines), a persecuted church , a corrupt church ( with a prophetess who sexualy seduced men), an almost dead church and a lukewarm church. God still gave them warnings and opportunities to repent. And He will deal with His own, chatise us and judge those who are not His. I comfort in His sovereignty. My mom, who believed in reincarnation, astrology and aliens for most of her life. She was a rebel at heart, a feminist and on her own path. Just days before her death, she miraculously turned ti Christ and started singing about Him. She said He was always there, His hand was on her shoulder ... we were all shocked. I spent 30 years chipping away at her beliefs and just about lost hope.
We just don't know what God isb
doing - if they are in His list.
My father was an atheist all his life, my brother still is. My father two years before his death made his peace with God too. I think he was more angry with God for taking his father's life when he was a boy. He prayed for His life on his knees and God said NO. So he decided their wasn't a God.
I think when we get to heaven we will be surprised to see many individuals that we would not expect would make it. I don't expect my brother will - maybe I'll be surprised?