Charles Pogue
What if you saw a sign on the front door of a home which said, “No solicitations no religious discussions”? A lot of people have one that says no solicitations, but no religious discussions? Surely that sign is on the door of the home of an atheist or at least the door of the home of a closed-minded denominationalist, right? No, it is affixed to the door of the home of a member of the church who lives in Central Texas. No religious discussions? I am afraid a lot of members of the church nowadays have that attitude even if they do not have the sign. Do you care?
A husband and wife had just moved to a new town. There was only one congregation of the church there, and they had heard some very bad reports about it. One of them says to the other, “Okay, we will go there, but if there is anything you see that you object to, don’t talk to me about it.” The other replies, “sure, no problem.” You know what I am thinking? I am thinking that the body of Christ is getting loaded down with people who do not care. They do not care about their own souls or for the souls of others. They don’t care about being right with God; they just care about fitting in.
Jesus gave the apostles the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19,20; Mark 16:15,16; Luke 24:46,47). We are still under that commission today even though some, including some prominent names, deny that we are. Some would even reword what Jesus said to, “go into all the world and keep your mouths shut.” Maybe they would hang a sign around their necks, “no religious discussions.”
Through His apostle Paul, Christ told the church in Corinth, and us by application, “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates” (2 Cor. 13:5). The same apostle warned Timothy and us that some will depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils;” (1 Tim. 4:1). The apostle John gave the general command, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they be of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1). Some would change John’s instructions to try the spirits but don’t say anything about those false ones. Don’t join them, but don’t expose them either. So much for reproving, rebuking, and exhorting, wouldn’t you say? So much for caring!
So many have the problem of not caring. They do not care if they and the rest of the world are lost. They care about going along to get along, but correction belongs to someone else, if it belongs to anyone at all. And talking to the lost? Leave that to the elders and the preacher. Come to think about it, maybe just the preacher.
That sign on the front door we mentioned ought to read something like, “Come on in, let’s talk together about our souls.”
