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So, would we influence them for their own & our good or would we
allow them to influence us & change our God honoring priorities? An
apparently discouraged psalmist in Psalm 73, feeling outnumbered
literally rises from the canvas like a boxer after being knocked out cold & continues
his spiritual fight. In the course of the Psalm, though we see him safeguarding himself
well spiritually, he does not influence the 'nominals' for good. Ofcourse to his credit, we have to
acknowledge that some are incorrigible, as may have been the story in his case. However as for us,
let us be active soldiers/fishermen in this battle of resisting nominal Christians & then doing
what a layman would call improbable ‘winning them over to the Lord’
(Jude: 1:22,23), being as we
are in a disadvantageous position…numerically. Given His Character, God would like His Children
to work in that position only. In a mortal combat long long ago, was He on the side of poor,
little, shepherd boy wielding a sling or was He on the side of the mighty, well-equipped giant?
Only that in this Battle, Davids’ would have to win over the souls of Goliaths’ also to Him? Now
that’s difficulty with a Capital ‘D’. Take heart,
because amongst these apparent Goliaths there may some be Sauls’ to –be-
Pauls’ who would subsequently do a yeomans work for the Lord?
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So, rather than wallowing in self-pity at this God-permitted/devil imposed problem
(I hope none of us are doing it), let us view it as a challenge. Why, the first good
thing to emerge out of this is that our Churches have also become mission fields for
us to ‘labour on’/lakes for us to ‘fish on’.
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Now permit me for a while to switch back to the bigger subject of the ‘Nominalism & Cosmic battle’ & dig deeper .…
As much as, we would like to say that God put his reputation on the line in the story of Job,
in the same breath do we care to acknowledge that Satan too put his on the line in the same
story & observing from Job’s sometimes bitter reactions, was not far from victory.
Let me go on (Hey! has this writer switched his loyalties or what?) …while reiterating that God is
fielding us His soldiers to meet the ones of the evil ones hoping we would successfully resist &
also win them over to His side, in a battle which is a part of the Greater Cosmic Battle, let us
also in all fairness acknowledge that the evil one, though at an numerical advantage as the nominal
ones outnumber the genuine ones’ is also in one way playing the game fair (in this context at least)
by fielding his soldiers knowing all too well, that should they lose* in their battle & go over to
the God’s side, he would be losing them for ever. Now let me shout from the rooftops,
his fairness or not in this context apart, his very act of going or even thinking against against
the Sovereign, Creator God (Creator of the fallen one also) was, is & would remain unpardonable.
I am through & through my great Heavenly Father’s advocate, who saved me from dark, world of Sin,
23 years ago. Our Lord is the greatest, is the greatest , is the greatest...All glory to Him
forever & ever.
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*Some may remain static, after failing in their efforts but some would definitely
go over to God’s side.
Here let me recite an interesting true story. A nominal Christian boy who was never a serious Church goer started
attending Church regularly with the sole intention of having as many girlfriends as possible. However, on meeting a
Christian girl & failing in his many efforts to seduce her, in due course impressed by her strong Christian
testimony, his life eventually turned upside down or should I say right-side up & he became a Christian. A case of
the poor devil losing one of its soldiers to the Lord. A case of that Christian girl, roping in a shark.
While still being in the job of sizing up our enemy Nominalism, let me turn your attention to
yet another related topic
- Do nominal Christians know, they are on the Devil’s side :
Here, I am not talking of the ‘Nominal ones in Ministry’( e.g.. sons of Eli
1 Samuel 2:12-17) .
They are the very definition of a shark. They have deceived themselves to the core & know for
sure that they are on the Devil’s side. No, I am not speaking about them here. In this
context, I am speaking of those hailing from law-abiding, self-supporting, mostly respectable
families of the Church. Some may even have a godly heritage.
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Majority of them however are sadly blinded by the devil who has sold them a subtle lie that those who profess to be
‘Born-again Christians’ are an eccentric & a fanatical lot with exaggerated notions about topics such as holiness,
God’s righteousness, Judgement, after-life etc. As for those with a godly heritage, he would sell a lie…
‘With such a holy Grandpa/Dad, do you need more qualifications to go Heaven? Can you ever go to Hell?
Where is the need to be ‘Born again’ & all that ?’ How sad! Having never understood God’s character,
as they are not mostly the ones who go through the Bible thoroughly which alone is the ‘True Eye opener
& a window to peep into God’s Character’*, they seem content to toe the line of moderation. ‘This far,
shall my righteousness, holiness go & no further’, they say whereas God seeks nothing less than a life
changing transformation (irrespective of our heritage) followed by our character being conformed to His
Son’s Character(II Corinthians 3: 18/Romans 8:29). That there is no moderate Heaven to enjoy or
moderate Hell to endure, as we complete our life’s innings, in this world is...an anathema to them.
They are blinded to the fact that hellfire can be as real as the joys of Heaven. Even, if they
vaguely acknowledge the existence of them again the devil pulls wool over their eyes on their urgent
need to repent & seek God’s forgiveness. They reason, ‘Let me think of God seriously. …later’.
This ‘later’ can be as near as tomorrow or as late as deathbed in the old age. As long as devil
can make them think of handing their lives to God, anytime other than ‘NOW’, it has them in its
wicked grip. This ‘NOW ASPECT’ is going to be crucial, permit me to say, to our battle/fishing plans.
* How true the saying that ‘Either Bible will keep you away from the devil or the devil
will keep you away from the Bible.’ I too was like them once, blindly ignorant to the fact
that there cannot be any neutral ground in this world. If I am not with God, it naturally
means I am with the evil one. This dawned upon me, only when I accepted the Lord.
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