A Church Member but LOST 
                by Donald MacDonald 

"Not everyone that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of 
heaven" (Matthew 7:21). 

Jesus said, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me" 
(John 10:27). 

Many will rail and cry in that day when they hear the all righteous Judge say, 
"I never knew you: depart from Me" (Matthew 7:23). 

What a tragedy! Your cry may be, "What did my church do for me? Where are the 
pastors I sat under? I assumed they were the true messengers of God. They 
didn't say, "Ye must be born again." They merely asked me to join the church. 
They never mentioned the need of salvation, but always stressed church 
membership. Now I am told, "Go into outer darkness, I never knew you." Yes, 
going to hell, though a church member." 

Your experience can be the same as thousands of others who trusted in church 
membership, but who at one time or another realized that Christ, not the 
church, went to the cross, suffered and died for them, and realizing that, 
they said, "Lord, be merciful to me a sinner, and save me for Jesus' sake." 

There is a false belief among those who have never accepted Christ that death 
is the greatest tragedy. This, of course, is NOT true. The greatest tragedy 
will be witnessed at the Great White Throne Judgment, when those whose names 
are not found in the Book of Life with the redeemed are cast into hell's fire 
forever. 

"It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment" (Hebrews 
9:27). 

Physical death is bad, but spiritual death means punishment through eternity. 

"All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Yes! Even 
church members. 

"For the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). Yes! But John 3:16 says: "God 
so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever 
believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." 

Romans 10:9, 10 also says: "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord 
Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the 
dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto 
righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."