Imagine hearing the preacher saying, “Will the Lord say to you, ‘Depart from me, for I do not know you!’”, over two consecutive Sundays. It happened on 9 and 16 March. I was the preacher for that second Sunday and had been asked to comfort some troubled hearts. As there may be more troubled and silent hearts out there, I would like to share my thoughts in this perspective.

Now, I am not referring to those who have not been serious with their faith and concerned friends have been trying to get them back on track. Then their hearts are suddenly troubled when they hear or read those words. Surely, the Holy Spirit is at work and if you are one of them, then please do something about it. I am talking about those who attend worship services faithfully and serve the church humbly. No one doubts their faith, yet their hearts are troubled after hearing those words. Are you one of them? You are troubled because you fear the Lord may not know you after all. And you may be wondering what else or what more you should do in order to be really ‘saved for heaven’. If so, then you may not have fully understood the gospel of grace, that salvation is by faith in Jesus and not by work. The gospel is where you need to go back to. But I shall not turn this perspective into a CE lesson. Instead, allow me to share my thoughts using analogies to illustrate gospel truths.

Imagine that you are a good father (or mother) and your son returns home after a long time away. Will you not accept him? Even if he had been a prodigal son, you will still know him because you are a good father. And Scriptures tells us that God is the good Father. What about you as a son (or daughter)? I’m not talking about the prodigal ones here. Imagine you are a good son. Will you fear that your good father will not know you? Unless he is suffering from dementia like my mom, your heart is unlikely to be troubled by it. This bond in a father-son relationship is not easily broken even when tested by hardship, trials, or tribulations. Such is the relationship we have as children of the Almighty God when we believe in his Son as our Lord and Saviour. Such is the bond we have with our heavenly Father that we do not fear losing our identity, even when sufferings or doubts come our way. And we know of believers who are suffering but not fearing the worst as they praise the Father to their last breath on earth. So do not fear and let your heart not be troubled, for our salvation is secured because it is anchored on God’s truths and promises.

But you may ask: if this is so, why do preachers continue to warn worshippers about it and cause some to have doubts? Well, let me illustrate with this example:  A man, widowed and without children, operates a canteen in an industrial complex where workers can buy food and return the plates and utensils to the sink if they eat at the canteen. But one worker does not pay and would instead wash any plates and utensils left in the sink. Others soon begin to follow his act, thinking that they will not have to pay as well if they wash theirs. The man finds out and warns them that meals are not free and those caught doing again will be prosecuted. So they ask about the one, to which the man replies, “He eats for free because he is my adopted son!”

In the same way, when we believe in Jesus Christ, God’s begotten Son, we are spiritually adopted as children of God. Others may simply follow our acts of attending church services and serving in various ministries, thinking that by doing so, they too get to enjoy the spiritual and eternal benefits of God’s children. True? What will the Lord say to them on that day? Unless they too believe in the lordship of Jesus, the Lord will not know them on that day. For people can join the church for various reasons, especially when the pastor preaches a gospel that is soothing to itching ears. Pastors in this church dare not preach a gospel that is different to the one passed down by the apostles and will rather warn worshippers about it. You will therefore continue to hear it whenever the passage allows for it.

Now, some of you may also ask: is it not possible to feel convicted that I’m truly a child of God as Scriptures says, saved for heaven and not be troubled over it? We are inherently designed to feel and experience emotions. But feeling is subjective. Let us come back to the adopted son who helps to wash the plates and utensils. It may be that he was adopted when he was a baby and knows the man as his own father. Or he could have been a teen left fending for himself in a harsh world until he met the man who then offered to take him in and thus experienced the man’s kindness for himself.  Or he could have been raised in an orphanage when he found himself adopted by someone he hardly knew because the man had fulfilled some requirements and signed some documents.  

We are adopted when we believe, not when we are babies, and hence it can be hard to know God like we know our own father on earth. And if you have a ‘Damascus Road’ encounter like Paul had, surely you will experience God’s presence more than someone who simply believes the gospel message, filled up some forms, shares his ‘unspectacular’ testimony, and becomes a member of a church upon baptism. Yet for those with ‘Damascus Road’ encounters, some may start their journey of faith with much fervour but only to fall away later when trials and temptations come their way. For they continue to feed on the feeling they had that was once so real and neglect to grow in the Word. Feeling can change when circumstance changes and especially when God is silent and can only be heard in his Word. Therefore, it is important for believers to continue growing in the Word so that they may build a strong foundation and not be stumbled easily. 

As for those with ‘unspectacular’ testimonies, some may go to a church where members often talk about the Holy Spirit in them and would openly speak in tongue. And though they study the bible diligently, they cannot feel the Spirit or speak in tongue and wonder if they are truly saved. Feeling can change when the environment changes and so I once advised a friend to find a church that may help and encourage her to grow in the faith without the constant need for ‘spectacular’ experiences. Therefore, it is also important for believers to be involved in a community of faith where they can be accountable for each other’s growth and well-being. But there are no perfect Christian communities on earth as we are all work-in-progress. While we ought to be willing to change in order for us and the community to grow together, sometimes we may have to join another community to do so. But let us not be quick to do so because we are not willing to change for the better.

Let me recap. We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus and are adopted as children of God. This father-son relationship cannot be broken that we should be troubled over it. But like all father-son relationships on earth, it can however be strained and we should be wary of it. For some, it may be that they are tempted by materialism that causes them to drift away from God. And for some, it may be that they are tested by hardship and suffering that causes them to doubt him. Yet for some, it may be that as they grow older and their world gets bigger, they discover other things or learn new things that challenge their understanding of God. Relationship can be strained but outcome is not that the Lord will not know us but that we will feel ashamed to meet him on that day because we have become like the prodigal son. Therefore, let us walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which we have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. And surely, we will partake of the great banquet on the day of resurrection with joy.