True Faith or False Hope?
I have a heavy heart as I look at much of the church today. It feels a lot like Israel in Judges after entering the promised land. Drifting. Doing what is right in our own eyes. Many pulpits no longer preach the truth about sin and the need for repentance. Instead, the message has shifted to self-esteem, self-affirmation, and “God likes you just the way you are.” That sounds kind. It is not. Because if people never hear they are lost, they will never come to a saving knowledge of Christ.
We Are Not Good Enough
The message that we are not good enough is hard to hear in a culture soaked in self-sufficiency and self-promotion. Every voice around us says we are enough. Scripture says otherwise.
Romans 3:10: “As it is written: ‘There is none righteous, no, not one.’”
Now, that does not mean we lack value. God Himself bestows our worth. We are made in His image; that is sacred. But bearing His image is not the same as possessing our own righteousness. Those are different categories. The problem runs deep. By nature, we are our own god. We have been told to “Look out for number one.” That message goes all the way back to the garden when the serpent told Eve we could be like God. We were made for communion with Him not competition with Him. To love Him as God. Instead, we chose self.
Living in Defiance
When we lift ourselves up, we live in rebellion. It is a clenched fist toward heaven whether we feel it or not. This is our natural posture since the fall of man. Romans 8:7 tells us:
“The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.”
This is sin and the end of sin is death.
“For the wages of sin is death; but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)
There is hope in that very sentence. Eternal life is God’s gift in Christ. But here is the problem. If the church will not speak plainly about sin and lostness, how will anyone ever know to come to Christ in repentance?
“I Never Knew You; Depart From Me”
Jesus gave one of the most sobering warnings in all of Scripture in Matthew 7:21–23:
Jesus says many will point to their religious activity as proof of their allegiance, but they were never truly His
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name… and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”
That should stop us. Jesus says many will point to their religious activity as proof of their allegiance, but they were never truly His. Not a few. Many. This is inside the visible church. Which means we need to examine ourselves. Have we really turned to Christ, or are we just going through the motions?
Mike Gendron has sounded this alarm in his writing. He warns that many church leaders have learned they can gather larger crowds by softening the gospel and making it more inclusive. The “sinner-friendly” message avoids offense. It also avoids truth. And, as he notes, victims of that compromised gospel can never know if they have true faith or only a false hope. (Article: I Never Knew You Depart From Me)
That is the heart of it. When shepherds minimize sin, they align with the enemy’s old lie. People are comforted, not converted.
Where Are You Hearing Your Gospel?
Be honest with what you are hearing week after week. Is it mostly about how much God wants you to believe in yourself and prosper? That tomorrow will be better because you deserve it. If you don’t hear about sin, repentance, the cross, and the new birth, you are being misled. Find a faithful church that opens the Bible and preaches the truth.
anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire
Revelation 20:15
Does God love you? Absolutely. He loves you so much He refuses to leave you as you are. He aims to conform you to the image of His Son. That begins with seeing just how lost we are without Him.
Why This Matters
Eternity is at stake. John gives us a terrible and holy scene.
Revelation 20:11–12, 15: “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who was seated on it… And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened… And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”
People at that judgment are not measured on a scale of “mostly good” or “pretty decent.” The question is whether their names are written in the book of life. That book holds the names of those who came to Jesus in brokenness, confessed their sin, and trusted in His blood shed on the cross. Not their works. His.
What Saving Faith Looks Like
Eternal life is not about fire insurance. It is a new heart and a new birth that reshapes a person from the inside out. The Spirit opens blind eyes, grants repentance, and draws us to the Son. Christ’s call is effectual; His sheep hear His voice and follow Him. Real faith clings to Christ alone. It endures. It bears fruit over time. Not perfection, but direction.
- We confess our sin and our lostness.
- We turn to Christ, trusting His finished work through faith.
Romans 10:9–10: “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
A Gentle but Urgent Call
If your conscience is pricked, do not push it down. Ask the Lord to show you the truth about your heart. Open the Scriptures. Read the Gospel of John. Read Romans. Find a church that preaches the Bible clearly and without apology. Talk with a mature believer or a faithful pastor. Call out to Christ today.
And if you are a pastor or teacher, please, preach the whole counsel of God. Tell the truth about sin. Tell the truth about grace. Lift up Christ crucified and risen. That is not harsh; it is love.
God most definitely loves you. He sent His Son to save sinners. Come to Him. Not with your resume, but with your need. He will not cast you out.
