Judging the Heart

     I came to a horrible realization the other day: Not everyone is saved. As much as I would like everyone to be saved, they are not -- not everyone I know, not even everyone in my family, is saved and will go to heaven. I recall an argument with a dear friend of mine... let's call him "Bill."

Bill: Everyone in my family is saved.

Me: But the actions of some people in your family don't bear any fruit. Maybe some aren't saved.

Bill: You can't judge their hearts. They're all good people.

Me: You're right, only God can judge their hearts, but I can judge their actions. They may do good things, but that doesn't indicate salvation. And some of them don't bear any good fruit at all.

Bill: I know for a fact that as a part of this family, everyone is a Christian.

Me: You just said, 'Man cannot judge the heart." Isn't that statement a judgement in and of itself also? I cannot judge their hearts and say, "They are not saved," but you cannot judge them either saying, "They are saved."

Bill: I'm not condemning them!

     Then I realized the opposite was true. My friend Bill refused to acknowledge the very real possibility of some people in his family not being born-again Christians. Because of this, he was the one condemning his family -- condemning his family to the possibility of going to hell for all eternity. How is this so? No one witnesses to a person who they think is saved. By refusing to take any action on the possibility that there may be lost members of his family, Bill is doing the equivalent of condemning them to hell -- he is withholding the life-giving message of salvation from those members of his family.

     Now, this does not mean that if one is uncertain of someone's salvation they must beat them over the head with a Bible until they repent. But it does mean that one must make an effort to be a witness through words and deeds. Make your life a living witness (it should be already because of the light we Christians hold within us regardless of if we're "trying to reach" somebody.)

     This whole experience, made me realize it is safer to assume someone is not a Christian until they have thoroughly -- through words and actions -- proved themselves to be one. Otherwise, I will be lulled into a sleepy state of being a non-witness because I won't care who is watching me: "everyone is a Christian, who cares what I'm doing." What makes this even sadder is that it shouldn't matter who is watching me or not; God is always watching me, I should act in a way that glorifies Him because it pleases Him.

     As Christ's messengers on earth, it is our job as Christians to spread the gospel to all corners of the world. This includes the little nooks and crannies in our personal circles and families. We must be living witnesses of God's glory: being both a caring spirit of conviction and a life-giving witness of hope through the power and spirit of Jesus Christ.