Most Churchgoers Are Cheating On Christ

John 10:1, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.”

Galatians 1:6-7, “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.”

I found this excellent meme this week. I had to change it though. The original meme had the word “Believer,” but I changed it to “Churchgoer.” I changed the word because no one is a believer (born again, saved) who is trusting more than Jesus Christ to get to Heaven. Those who trust in repenting of their sins, or following Jesus as “Lord” of their life, are not saved.

Tragically, a counterfeit gospel is being preached from nearly every pulpit today, and is read in nearly every piece of religious literature today. You will find all of the following embellishments to God's simple plan of salvation, none of which are required to get to Heaven:

1. “Repent of your sins”
2. “Turn from your sinful ways”
3. “Forsake a lifestyle of sinning”
4. “Be willing to turn from your sins”
5. “Put Christ on the throne of your life”
6. “Surrender all to Christ”
7. “Give your life to Christ”
8. “Change your behavior to prove you've repented to be saved”
9. “Become a Christ follower”
10. “Commit to follow Christ”
11. “Invite Christ into your life”
12. “Invite Jesus into your heart”
13. “Give the steering wheel of your life to God”
14. “Live a lifestyle of repentance”
15. “Pray a sinner's prayer”
16. “Walk down a church aisle”
17. “Ask God to join His family”
18. “Run the race faithfully to the end”
19. “Be sorry for your sins”
20. “Commit to do better in the future”
21. “Surrender all to Christ”
22. “Make Jesus the 'Lord' of your life”

You may do all of these things dear reader, and yet never have been born again. Certainly these things have their proper place in the Christian life, but getting saved is strictly a matter of resting in Jesus Christ and His finished work of redemption through Calvary's cross 2,000 years ago (Hebrews 4:10-11).

Are you cheating on Christ? You are if you claim that salvation is by grace, yet you still insist that a person must live a changed life to prove they've been saved. If salvation is truly by grace, then you don't need to start or stop anything to be saved. Eternal life is a free gift from God (Romans 6:23). Salvation is not a reward for the righteous, it is a gift for the guilty.

Sadly, nearly all churchgoers today are living the Christian life without ever having been born again. This is Satan's most effective weapon, conning people into living the Christian life without ever experiencing the new birth. John 3:3, “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” The required new birth is not optional.

A demon's favorite activity is to make religious people feel comfortable in their lost condition. If you are a religious person, but you have never been born again through faith alone in the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, you do not realize just how dire your situation is friend. You are just a breath and a heartbeat away from spending the rest of eternity burning in Hell.

Thank you for reading my ministry blog. To God alone be all the glory.