I don't even know where to begin. What has happened to Christians these days? The majority of them are either "Brylcreem" Christians (a little dollop will do ya!), or the far worse "Burger King" Christians (Have it YOUR way!)
Brylcreem Christians are those ho-hum, lukewarm, "Christmas and Easter" Christians who only know that they are Christians, and not much more. Nor do they care to know much more. They lead hypocritical lives just as spiritually dead and sinful, if not more so, than unbelievers. In fact, they are the alibi of the unbelievers and the reason many of them don't believe in Jesus. There are a lot of Christian families today where the parents out-cuss, out-smoke and out-drink the worst sinners out there, never go to church, never offer their time or energy to others, even cheat on each other occasionally, and then wonder why their sixteen year old sons are dropouts and their sixteen year old daughters are pregnant. Bring any of this up and you get that tired, worn out defense that's slung around so liberally today, "Only God can judge me!" I'd like to remind some of these people that such a defense is going to be useless when standing in front of Jesus. The only reason they can lob it about so carelessly NOW is because the day of judgement isn't here yet. And speaking of Christmas and Easter, Brylcreem Christians might like to know that even the two seasonal table scraps of acknowledgement they give to God are worthless, as both of those holidays are purely pagan traditions denounced by God in the Bible (Jeremiah 10: 3-4) and (Ezekiel 8:16). Are these Christians going to hell? No. No one who has truly believed in the gospel of Jesus and asked him to save them with his shed blood is ever going to be able to sin their way back into going to hell. (Please go read the article, 'Once saved, always saved? You better believe it!') However, as Christians, we CAN mess around and fall ASLEEP (Romans 13:11). When this happens to us we wake up years, even decades, later, realizing what a nasty wasteland our life has become, and this is what has happened to a LOT of Christians out there. I should know. I was asleep for over twenty years after being saved.
That brings us to the Burger King Christians, also called "Matthew 7:21-23" Christians. This brand of Christianity is even worse than Brylcreem Christianity, and the reason I say that is because it isn't Christianity AT ALL. Unlike Brylcreem Christians, who at least KNOW they aren't the greatest Christians in the world, these supposed Christians avoid such guilt by trying to adjust God to match their sin. Here's your litmus test: If you believe there are more ways to heaven than through Jesus, if sinning your heart out doesn't bring you one ounce of remorse, if your wicked lifestyle brings you prosperity and is never visited by discipline at all, if supporting utterly godless agendas such as homosexuality, abortion, other religions, or anti-Israel sentiments doesn't bring you even one pang of conviction, you, sir or ma'am, are in very dangerous territory and you'd best be making sure of your call to salvation. The God of the Bible does not change to meet our rules. He does not change to accommodate the views of our new, cool, godless friends we just made at work. WE change to meet him. And if someone were truly a Christian, they'd have the Holy Spirit inside of them, convicting them of that (1st Corinthians 2:10). Only someone who doesn't have the Holy Spirit inside will think otherwise (1st Corinthians 2:14). Sure, we all sin. David said his sin was always before him in (Psalms 51:3), and Paul said he constantly did the things he knew he shouldn't do in (Romans 7:19). But they said those things because they were tormented by their sin, not comfortable with it, not at peace with it, and not under the delusion that God has adjusted to accommodate it. In (Hosea 7: 8-15) some of the Israelites are described as an unturned cake because of their double-minded service to both God and their sin. What happens to an unturned cake? The analogy is clear: You're going to get burned. If you seriously think that God makes a special, personal allowance for your sin, I would question who your god is, because there IS one god that will happily let you "have it YOUR way," and his name isn't Jesus. Following the King of Kings will get you home safely. Following Burger King will get you flame-broiled.
If you're bristling because this is describing you, I would read the following verses very carefully:
(Matthew 7: 21-23)
21. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in the name cast out devils? And in thy name done many wondrous works?
23. And then I will profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
