Religious but Lost - Professing Christians in Hell — John Musser

Religious but Lost: Professing Christians in Hell

This morning I want to speak on something that's very very important. I want you to please consider taking notes this morning. Because the subject on which I'm going to speak I've been sharing for many years.

But I believe it's more important now In this hour to speak that maybe years gone by See certain doctrines through the years are lost. Through the theological seminars and Bible schools and things like this and This is one doctrine that needs to be taught.

And I'm going to share why in just a moment father. We come to you and Open our hearts Lord God and help us to take the notes diligently father to study this out to search it out. Father we know that Lord God that many today have false hopes of eternity.

Many of them father think that they'll see Jesus father, and yet there's no reality of God in their life. Father if there's anyone like that here this morning. May they realize that they're in a refuge of lies.

That they need to come out and flee to Christ and repent of their sins. Lord those of us that are teachers and preachers and Sunday school workers who lead people to Christ may we Lord God know these truths in Jesus name.

Amen. You may be seated. Now first of all as I've already mentioned I want to talk to you about Religious foot loss or professing Christians in hell the Bible says that Many times we find in Scripture that Jesus said that they confess me with their mouth.

But in their deeds or in their works, they deny me. What does that mean? It's very easy and simple for anybody to understand. They say that they've made a commitment to Jesus Christ. They verbalize the commitment, but their lifestyle or their actions or behind the scenes is Nothing to do with real genuine Christianity.

That's exactly what he's meaning what he means there. Now first of all before we get into this message I want you to realize that I believe that you can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you're saved.

In fact, that's one of the reasons why John wrote first John. Let me read it to you in chapter 5. It's an assurance verse that many people views for many years. These things in verse 13 John says have I written this book the book of first John these things have I written that she?

You for you that believe on the name of the Son of God that ye may think. What does it say? That you may know that you have eternal life and that you may believe on the name of the Son of God. So there's primarily two reasons why I wrote the book is first of all.

So you can really have the assurance of your salvation and secondly that others would come to Christ. But I want you to see over there in verse 18 right in context for we know that whosoever is born of God Sineth not and it literally means to live a lifestyle of sin or anarchy or willful rebellion Against God, they're not allowing Jesus Christ to be the Lord of their life.

That's what it really means. The word comes from the word anarchy or high treason living a life of rebellion. Whosoever is born of God sineth not but he that is begotten of God or born again. He keepeth himself amen, and That wicked one toucheth him not right after giving us a verse on assurance.

He comes right back and says we know whosoever is born of God. He keepeth himself. I believe that beyond a shadow of a doubt that we can know that we're born again. You remember Jesus one day the disciples came to 70 came to Jesus and they were rejoicing they said we cast out demons in thy name and Jesus lovingly rebuked them and said don't rejoice that you can cast demon spirits out of men.

But Jesus said rather rejoice that your name's written in the book of life. So we can know that our name is written in the book of life. And you know how we can know by the spirit that he's given us look over there in first John chapter 4 in verse 13.

Here if I know that we dwell in him and he and us because he had given us his spirit. Did you know that's one of the major? Evidences of being born again. Is that the Spirit of God dwells inside your body and you know it.

It's not think so or hope so or maybe so but God is alive inside of you and there's been a change and We see that I want you to study that out in first John when you have the time because he Repetitiously says that this is the greatest evidence of being born again.

Well, it's love and the Holy Spirit's dwelling inside the body and you know what he's really saying. You can't love without the Holy Spirit being inside of you because the fruit of the Spirit is love and first John says that God is love and So the Spirit of God comes inside of the body when a person is born again, that's what's so unique about Christianity.

I told a man the other night I said, you know, what's different about Christianity than any other religion in all the world all other religions based on works you keeping your salvation or earning your salvation, but Christianity is totally different because Christianity has to do with a person Jesus Christ and Christianity is God coming inside your body.

Giving you the power to live the Christian life because Jesus said and John 15 without me you can do nothing and Paul says he that hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his and. So Christianity is when God when we repent of our sins and we believe that Jesus died and rose again.

And we say Lord Jesus come into my heart and he's the one that gives you the divine enablement to live the Christian life. Otherwise Christianity is an impossibility to live apart from the Holy Spirit living within you.

You cannot live the Christian life without God's Spirit dwelling inside your body. It's an impossibility these commands that we have in the New Testament Cannot be obeyed by carnal nature. They cannot be obeyed by Unregenerate man.

Only a person that has God's power being released within them Can live the Christian life and I use my own personal testimony as an example. I prayed the prayer many times Lord Jesus come into my heart.

I pray that prayer many times. In fact as I share my personal testimony that when I was 13 I went to Scrooge Lake, New York and heard some of the greatest preachers that you'll hear in United States of America and I felt the mighty conviction of the Holy Spirit of God and I've made a mental recollection of Jesus Christ.

Well, I believe that he died for me and he rose again the third day, but it was just a prayer without Repentance and I came back from Scrooge Lake, New York and for six and a half years I lived on the streets and drugs and according to 1st John.

I was not born again. You know one man put it like this. I want you to write this down. We had all different types of pastors and you know, I'm an interdenominational evangelist undenominational Evangelist we had pastors of all different denominations some that believe in eternal security.

Some that didn't believe in eternal security and one of the pastors that believe in eternal security said that one of the pastors that didn't believe In eternal security. He said what do you believe in eternal security?

What do you believe about it? This man was so wise. Because he said what 1st John said and Paul said and Jesus said he said there's no assurance in sin. There is no assurance in the Word of God when a person is living in blatant sin.

Because even Paul as we're going to see in a few moments as he Preached to the Corinthians and after leading many of them to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ they were having so many problems of bitterness and fighting and fornication and Party spirit that Paul looked upon that scene and he says I don't even know if you're born again.

We're gonna look at the verses. I don't know if you're saved. He says you've made it a Profession of faith, but he says I don't even know if you're truly born again and if Paul with apostolic gifts and such a mighty man of God and Receiving revelations from Jesus Christ could not discern whether these people had truly made a commitment to Christ.

Repentance, Easy Believism, and Genuine Conversion

And I find that to be the theme of the New Testament. You can't fool around in sin. You can't gamble with sin because of all these truths. John Wesley great Greek scholar and men of God studied these truths and they battled between these two doctrines of eternal security and the security of the blogger believer and all these things for ages great theologians extraordinary men of God and They've battled over these issues but today I believe that we're living in such a day of easy believism and the great preachers of the past Predicted a day where preachers would preach the gospel without repentance.

The great preachers the past they preached they said that one of these days. That there's going to be preaching in America. Well, people will stop believing that you have to turn away from your life of sin to believe Jesus.

And that's the missing doctrine and that's why it's so important in this generation because I talked about these C-rock albums that many of them they talk about Jesus. They talk about God, but nothing about turning from sin.

Nothing about repentance. Nothing about being sorry for your sin. It's just a quick ride to heaven. It's just a really a cheap Ride and they really think of Jesus Christ as some kind of a fire escape and that's all that if God is real that if Jesus Christ is real, then I've made the profession of faith and I'll make it one of these days if he's real.

That's the mentality of many people today. I Want to taste something you can't make a commitment like that to Jesus Christ. It's an all-out commitment. Jesus said when you come to me, he says there is a About-face, it's a military command and Jesus taught it about face you turn from your life of sin.

We find the Ephesians and cautions that turn from idols to serve the living God it's a military term about face repentance. Peter said that God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

Paul when he was speaking to the Ephesian leaders, he was on his way back to Jerusalem. They cried they wept. They wanted him to stay with him for a while. But Paul says I preach with a clear conscience repentance toward God and faith toward Jesus Christ.

And it wasn't until six and a half years later after going through near-death experiences after going through Overdoses after going through so many heartaches seeing that Satan was real the demonic assault upon my life.

But as I got on my knees and said Lord Jesus you have all of me. I Said Lord, I don't want it no more. All I want is you Lord Jesus. I want you to be the king of my life. I want you to be the Lord of my life.

I believe that you died. I pray that prayer so many times without repentance. I said Lord, there's no strings attached. You have it all Lord Jesus. I yield myself unto you Lord Jesus come into my heart and give me the power to live for you.

I Was transformed that day. I've never been the same. Six months after that I was called into the ministry. I had immediate power to be able to turn away from the drugs to consistently leave them alone.

I'll never forget that. I did go back on marijuana for a short period of time and it made me sick. God delivered me from the alcohol. He delivered me from everything. In fact, I started loving the things I used to hate and hated the things I used to love.

I Was loud squealing music three four or five hours a day I'm laid down in my bedroom with my rock guitar in my hand and put those things by my ears under the influence of drugs and Now God gave me a desire for the old gospel hymns and for music and in the church, you know something I was always the first one in the church and the last one out my dad sometimes he had to really work on his patience because he'd take me to the services and I would always be talking with everybody and about an hour after the service I'd be talking to the preachers and to the people and asking them questions.

Will you say how can you count from that apart from God? Supernaturally coming inside of a person's body and giving a young man to live the Christian life. How can you account for that six years without a haircut down to my middle my back on drugs burnout?

And all of a sudden to not only that but I had an insatiable desire for the Word of God. All of a sudden the scales failed from my eyes and for the first time in my life I could really understand the Word of God.

Before that time I'd read in the Gospels and I understood a little bit about the basic Fundamentals as Hebrews tells us that they've tasted of the world to come they know a little bit about the tribulation hour Unbelievers, even though that I knew that.

And yet when Christ came into my heart It was just like someone took scales from my eyes and this Bible became a living word. It was a living word. It wasn't just like a newspaper in some novel. It was breathing and pulsating with a life of God.

I look at that and I said I've never seen that before. I read and for hours I begin to memorize the Word of God and pray and seek God and want to win souls to Christ. That was my desire to serve the Lord Jesus Christ.

James on Faith and Works

But there's a lot of people they make professions of faith, and I don't know what's going on. They say they've received Christ. They prayed the prayer. Well, I want you to see something that God's Word speaks about that very very.

Clearly, let me read to you from James James. It says We'll find it down here over there in James Chapter 2. James chapter 2 now watch it. I want you to see in just a moment I'm going to share with you that every New Testament writer either directly or indirectly Encourages readers and hearers to examine themselves to see whether it be in the faith every one of them.

You can I have made a lifetime study of this subject. I See it everywhere. Just like the renewing of the mind seminar. I See Jesus. I see John the Baptist. I see Peter and Watch it in James every New Testament writers.

I've already mentioned either directly or indirectly Encourage the readers. I just like to ask if the children could please just stay in their seats. Until we get done because that disrupts so much if we could could just hold down on some of these things.

James chapter 2. It says there in verse 14. What doth it profit my brethren though man say that he have faith and have not works? Can faith save him now, what is he talking about? The Bible says in Ephesians 2 8 9 4 by Grace, are you saved through faith?

That not of yourselves. It's the gift of God not of works lest any man should boast for we are his workmanship Created unto good works in Christ Jesus. So is it through faith and he's not contradicting Paul in any way because it says in Titus chapter 3 5 and 6.

Not by works of righteousness, which we have done. But according to his mercy saved us by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost. We talk about the crucifixion scene as we did last night a little bit.

Christ’s Atoning Death and the Gospel of Grace

Jesus was battered and bruised beyond human comprehension. He paid the price you cannot eat to earn your eternity. Christ paid the full price when his face was so battered that you could not even tell there's a man Isaiah 42 and verse 14 as many as were astonished at thee his visage or his face was so marred more than any man.

All of his bones were out of joint psalm 22 his body was mutilated and he paid the price for our sins. It says in Isaiah 53 it says He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities.

The chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes. We are healed all we like sheep. We've gone astray. We've turned everyone to his own way and the Lord had laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Our sins were laid upon Christ all of our sins and so he bore our sins and so you cannot earn your salvation. And so James is not in any way contradicting the teachings of Paul. But what he's saying if you're truly saved, there'll be a lifestyle now watch it verse 15.

If a brother or sister be naked or destitute of daily food and one of you who's a professing Christian. You say to them be pardoned peace be warm be filled notwithstanding. You give them not those things which are needful to the body.

What does it profit you say? You've got Christ and you see people that are hungry and naked and they have needs. He's saying that giving is one of the evidences here of being born again. Even so faith that they have not works is dead being alone.

He says in verse 18 yay. This is the half-brother of Jesus and You're Jesus preach these themes repetitiously, I Believe there's going to be a lot of people in heaven that we didn't think will be in heaven.

And there's a lot of people's not going to be in heaven that we thought will be in heaven. Yay, a man may say thou has faith and I have work and James says show me thy faith without thy works. And I'll show you my faith by my works.

He said I'll show you that Jesus Christ is a reality in my life. You can look at my life. It's an open epistle. Verse 19. You believe that there's one God and almost we can almost think of this. It almost sounds a little sarcastic, but it's not he preached in love.

You believe that there's one God. You do well, but demons also believe in tremble. He said you think just because you believe in one God. You believe that Jesus died and rose again. I want you to know.

James says the demons of hell know that Jesus Christ is God and they know that there's one God. But will thou obey man that faith without works is dead. And what he's saying is if you don't have a lifestyle to back up your profession.

Let's just take the Word of God for what it says. It's dead. It's dead. You don't really have the new birth. You don't really have the regeneration of the Holy Spirit. It was a sham conversion. That's what he's saying and I want to prove to you beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Jesus’ Teaching on the Narrow Way

I'm going to give you some scriptures now. I want you to turn with me if you'd be ready over there in the first Corinthians chapter 15. Now again, we see the words of Jesus constantly. Jesus taught people.

Jesus said whatever happened to this verse anyway, people used to preach on this. I used to read sermons on this all the time. I haven't heard anybody quote this scripture in years. Apart from my reading this scripture every time I mentioned this message Jesus put it like this in Matthew he says straight is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth on the life and Few there be that find it.

But he said broad is the gate that leadeth to destruction and many there are that go in there at Jesus said it. He's the eternal living God. He's the Word of God he's the embodiment of truth and Jesus said straight is the gate that leadeth to life and Few there be that find it, you know all in his parables Jesus kept on saying few there be that find it.

In fact, Jesus so preached this theme. Constantly repetitiously that one day one of his disciples came to him. You just stay there in first Corinthians and I'll read from Luke. I want you to write the reference down if you would and Luke chapter 13 Jesus so constantly taught this theme you see because Jesus was preaching to a religious generation.

They all professed that they know God. But they said that they had the external I see they had it mixed up. They had the works without the faith the children of Israel. They were ignorant of the righteousness that came by faith and now James is talking about people that say they've got the faith, but there's no works and The faith in Christ comes first, but Jesus repetitiously taught this thing and that's why one night He spoke to Nicodemus late at night and Nicodemus said we know that your teacher come from God and and Jesus said You must be born again all that religion is not going to do you any good you must be born from above.

Born in your spirit. And you know something dear friends. I see people in revival crusades. That make commitments as Christians as professing Christians, and I believe that some of them are receiving Christ.

I Really do because they've never repented of their sins. Because we have not been taught this doctrine of this generation, and we've not studied the Word of God diligently in this area. We have not So loud the Word of God to dwell on us richly to see that this is a theme of all the evangelists in the New Testament.

It's the theme of James and we see in the Hebrews whole chapters are given to it. We see it Interwoven throughout the New Testament one of the most prominent themes is Apostasy. What is apostasy. Apostasy is we're going to see according to John is People who make a sham conversion, but they were never truly born again.

But they believe they say that Jesus was God. They said that they believe the gospel. But they go out and then they turn away from God. John says they were never born again in the first place. I'll give you the reference don't turn there because we're going to read from Corinthians 1st John 2 19 they went out from us.

But they were not of us even from the beginning. They were not born again for they had been of us. They would have no doubt continued with us, but they went out that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

They all claim to believe that Jesus was the Messiah. John the Apostle says and they went out from us. They went out from our churches. They went out from our fellowships. But they were not all of us for if they had been us if they were truly of Christ and truly born again They would have continued with us first.

John 2 19 and So apostasy and many people they just have a mental recollection. What I'm working on for a number of years is the pre salvation ministry of the Holy Spirit. I think a lot of people equate this with salvation that the Spirit of God works in a person's heart and Reveals to them that they need Jesus Christ.

But I believe that until you repent of your sins that the Holy Spirit will never come into your body. Until you repent and believe and receive. And I believe that there's people because they've had some kind of a religious experience or an emotional experience.

That they think that they've received Christ. That is not the evidences of receiving Christ. The evidence is fruit. Jesus said by their fruit she shall know them. And Peter said the same thing as we're going to read the scriptures in just a moment.

False Professors and the Closed Door

And as we're going to read now for just a moment, but Jesus said this. He's so taught this theme to the people. He went out to the cities and villages teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. And then one said on him Lord are there few that be saved.

And he said unto them strive to enter in at the straight gate for many. Many not just a few many I see unto you will seek to enter in and shall not be able. When once the master of the house has risen up and has shut the door.

You begin to stand without and to knock at the door saying Lord Lord. They're not atheist skeptics or infidels. They call Jesus Lord. Open unto us and he shall answer and say I know you're not who you are.

I don't know you and. Then Jesus said you shall begin to say we have eaten and drunk in your presence. And you've taught in our streets. But he shall say I tell you I know you're not who you are depart from me you workers of iniquity.

There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God. But you yourselves thrust out Jesus is talking in prophecy here.

He's going to be the one that's at the white throne judgment of God. These people are going to come and they're going to use these excuses. We've eaten and we've drunk in my presence. We've listened to your teaching.

Now look over there very quickly just hold your finger there in 1st Corinthians if you would put your title your Card there or something like that a piece of paper, but I have to have you turn with me to Matthew chapter 7.

This is so important that you see that just keep that verse over there in 1st Corinthians because many times. It's hard to find that book of the Bible New Testament. Unless you're familiar with it. I Want that you're going to stand before you're not going to stand before false prophets and teachers.

And you're not going to stand before the radio preachers and the television preachers and all the books that you're going to read. The Bible says that this is what we're going to be judged by the living Word of God.

Like I say, there's so many albums that pulsate this type of easy Believism in order subconscious mind sometimes we say is this real is what he's saying. Is it real? Well, we're reading it. This is the Word of God.

The Judgment of Those Who Call Jesus Lord

This is the inerrant infallible Word of the Living God. Jesus said in Matthew chapter 7 and verse 21 and following. He said not everyone that saith unto me Lord Lord. How he's not talking about a skeptics infidels.

He's not talking about blatant unbelievers. He's talking about people that called Jesus Lord. Not everyone 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 and.

Then Peter said God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. Do you know repentance means that means you come to God? You see you've got to turn away from sin to turn to God.

You see you can't be living for the world and just come to God like this no. They turn from idols to serve the Living God. You see God is in this direction and the world is in this direction. And that's what repentance is all about and you've got to turn your back on the world to turn your face toward Jesus Christ.

That's what repentance is all about and you'll find it repetitiously in the New Testament and There's many people that have never done that. They've never come to the point when they said Lord. No strings attached.

I'm here. I'm yours Lord Jesus. I'm yours. I turn from my sins. You see the Bible says whosoever shall believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ Shall be saved. He's God. He's Lord. He's not someone that you just take and maybe occasionally obey his precepts and commandments.

And maybe every once in a while go to know you receive in the Lord of heaven and earth. You receive in the monarch of the universe. When you receive Jesus Christ you receive in the master of the universe and That means that I am giving over the reins of my life to this eternal God and for people to think that they can Invite Jesus into their heart just for a ticket to heaven and then live a life of sin and blow the smoke in God's face they're being deceived.

The Bible says that people hide in what's called a refuge of lies in the book of Isaiah. You see Isaiah talk about talk about this much. He says the sinners in Zion are afraid. Fearfulness is surprised the hypocrites who among us shall devour dwell everlasting burnings.

Who among us shall dwell in Everlasting fire, and he's talking the religious people. He was talking the professing believers. And he said who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings. Who among us shall dwell in eternal fire and Jesus said now watch it in verse 22 of Matthew 7.

He says many do you notice that he uses this word? Look at the parables that Jesus uses. He says many many many many are going to think that they're saved and will be thrust in the hell. That's what he's saying.

And he says the many he's talking about the multitudes of people that had sham conversions that thought they were in the faith. Well, what will wake up to the reality and they'll knock on heaven's doors.

The picture we see there in Luke chapter 13 and we see other verses that they're knocking and yet they cannot enter they shall not be in because they're not going to have the wedding garments on and They don't have a Holy Spirit dwelling within them.

Jesus is going to be the one that's at the white throne judgment of God. Did you know that? Did you know the Heavenly Father has? Delegated all judgment to the son because he died and rose again the third day and you know that the lowly lamb of Calvary Will be the lion of the tribe of Judah and he will be reigning over Humanity and he's going to be the one that's going to be judging the nations.

That's what Revelation 20 says. John said I saw a great white throne and him that set up from whose face the earth and heaven fled away and there is found no place for them and John said I saw the dead small and great stand before God and the books were open and Another book was open which is the book of life and the dead were judged out of those things Which are written in the books according to their works and the sea gave up to dead which are in it and death and hell.

Delivered up to dead which are in them and they were judged every man according to their works and death and hell. Were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death and whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast in the lake of fire.

This is called the resurrection of eternal damnation. Or God reunites the spirits and the souls with men who have rejected Jesus Christ Bodily and they stand bodily before the God that they rejected and this is the God they're going to stand before Jesus look at in verse 22.

Jesus said many will say to me. Underscore that word. They're gonna say to me. I'm going to be on that throne. I'm going to be the one that's judging in That day and the day of the Lord and the day of judgment Lord Lord.

Have we not preached in my name? And in thy name cast out demon spirits and Thy name done many wonderful works and I will profess unto them. I Never knew you you are never born again. You're never saved that they lose their salvation.

No, Jesus said I never knew you. Depart from me. He is at work iniquity. We've seen Sunday school teachers. We've seen leaders a while back. We saw one of the key deacons in the church received Jesus Christ.

Jesus said he's gonna say to these people. I never knew you and yet they're serving God and teaching the ways of God and Even casting out demons and this is why we need to be careful in the New Age movement as I shared the other night.

That they're using some of the same jargon. We use and the music I believe is so detrimental because they it's what they leave out. You see the young people say well, they talk about Jesus. They talk about God.

It's what they leave out. They're so seductive because that programs your subconscious mind if you have some Thoughts here in 1st Corinthians chapter 15. I want you to write these verses down if you would please 1st Corinthians chapter 15 now.

Paul’s Warning to the Corinthians

Remember as I've already shared that Paul had preached the gospel to these Corinthians. Paul had gone there and many of them had a profession of faith. But then Paul left and he received news from the house of Chloe.

Some people came to Paul and gave them a report about the supposed conversion of the Corinthians and these people came up to Paul and he says These people aren't living for Christ. They've got gossip.

They've got slander. There's a young man living in incest with his mother. There's a party spirit. There's jealousy. Everybody wants the same spiritual gift. They won't give. Paul had to constantly tell them to give.

Constantly repetitious, they won't do all these things. And so Paul wrote them this letter and Repetitiously Paul said I don't even know if you're saved now watch it very quickly. Don't miss it. It's important that you see this.

He said moreover brethren, I declare unto you the gospel, which is the good news Jesus died for us and rose again. Which I preached unto you. I'm paraphrasing when I was with you I Would you have received in where you stand you made a mental recollection at least?