Am I Almost a Christian?^*

What is an "Almost Christian"?

1. He wavers between Christ and the World. He would reconcile God and mammon, light and darkness. He depends on outward form but knows not the divine life.
   
2. He is just to all. His justice stems not from his love of God or man, but from his self-love. Dishonesty would spoil his reputation and hinder progress in the world.
   
3. He depends on "negative goodness". He is content with having done no one any harm, even though he knows "the unprofitable servant was cast into utter darkness (Matt. 25:30)
   
4. He is publicly charitable. He makes some charitable contributions but does not visit the sick and imprisoned, or cloth the naked, or relieve the hungry in a private manner.
   
5. He is strictly honest and sober. Both his honesty and his sobriety proceed from self-love, not out of obedience to God, but because he is naturally temperate, or fears damaging his reputation or business.
   

1. A key sign is earnest, fervent prayer. It would be incredible for us to truly believe the wonderful offers of God and not desire them of Him.
2. Faith is content with God as our Judge, our Benefactor, our Master, and our Friend. Faith wants for God to mean as much to us as we do to Him.
3. Faith turns all our principal desires from earth to heaven. … God has made us co-heirs with Jesus Christ. If we believed this, it would continually affect our thoughts and emotions. …
4. James' sign of faith is the surest: "I will show you my faith by what I do" (James 2:18 NIV).
5. A believer does not fret but waits patiently until times of refreshment come. He is no more nervous about next year than about last year.

1. How do you feel about God's commandments? Do you find them good and uplifting?
2. How do you feel about spiritual exercises? Do you find the following activities enjoyable or repulsive:
   • Reading and talking about the Bible?
   • Praying?
   • Confessing?
   • Setting up spiritual goals and plans?
   • Receiving spiritual advice?
   • Taking communion?
3. How do you feel about God Himself? Do you like Him? Do you say nice things about Him to people? Do you ever do anything you don't particularly want to just because you think it will make God happy?

1. Are you ready to leave this world whenever it pleases God?
2. Does your life have a guiding principle? Does it make sense?
3. How much do you really care for yourself spiritually?
4. What do your chief fears and desires say about you?
5. How do you talk about yourself? Are you humble or do you want attention?
6. Do you repeatedly engage in pleasures that are not in your own best interest?

Why am I an almost Christian?

1. False view of Christianity. Being Christian is thought to follow membership in this or that communion, or to follow a morality, or to go with performing duties; not a divine life, a union of the soul with God.
2. Fear of the opinion of others. Some have a sinful fear of being considered peculiar; they love the praises of men more than the honour which God gives.
3. Love of money. Many like the rich young man in Luke 18:18-23 do not wish to give away all to follow Christ.
4. Love of pleasure. Many have too great a love of pleasures and do not wish to "mortify their members" (Colossians 3:5)
5. Instability of character. Many begin in the Spirit but fall away due to instability or fickleness of character; Christianity is a novelty and pleases only for a short while.

1. Keep the sinner asleep in his sin
2. Get the sinner to question regenerating grace (God renews us)
3. Convince him that grace is born in you: in infants
4. Convince him that he is baptized, therefore regenerated
5. Convince him that godliness is only to believe in God's mercy
6. Tell unlearned persons they may be saved without holiness
7. Convince that God is not so unmerciful as to damn all the unholy
8. Christ died for all and will not punish you and him both for the same fault
9. Argue that a loving God would not keep men wondering if they are saved
10. Urge them to engage in pleasures; to speak of the godly with scorn
11. Convince them that a godly life is too hard to sustain; it is vain to try it
12. Give them so many worldly cares to leave no time for saving the soul
13. Keep the converted away from convincing ministers and company
14. Make sin very pleasurable, profitable, or honorable to the sinner
15. Get them to note that the ungodly prosper; the godly suffer in this life
16. Give them prosperity and good health so they will feel secure
17. Get them to note that rich, powerful, and learned people are ungodly
18. Get the sinner accustomed to sin and a hardened heart
19. Get the sinner to delay repentance
20. Tempt the sinner to disbelieve Scripture
21. Lure the sinner into accepting half a conversion
22. Tempt the sinner to question the sense of the Bible's salvation verses
23. Teach them a doctrine suitable to their lusts: too little or much liberty
24. Convince sinners to accept mere convictions; not true conversion
25. Hide from the sinner the intrinsic evil and odiousness of the sin
26. Tempt them to think that their good works compensate for their sin
27. Tempt the poor or afflicted to think that God will not condemn them
28. Keep sinners ignorant of the power and nature of a holy life and heart
29. Tempt them to trade their souls for an easy, pleasurable life
30. Make them believe their sins are but natural infirmities that all have
31. Convince them their "infirmity" is only in the heart, and is restrained
32. Convince them the "infirmity" is too small to warrant hell
33. Convince them a sin is pardoned, as it is so common in the world
34. Convince them the sin is one of good men, and they are pardoned
35. Convince them that a sin is one of omission, and not a reigning sin,
36. or it is a sin of ignorance, thus not a reigning sin,
37. or, it is not a mortal reigning sin: it is not done with the whole heart

The folly of being an Almost Christian

Why are almost Christians not saved?

1. It is not salvation. Almost Christians are almost good and almost hit the mark, but really miss it. God requires us to love Him with all our hearts, and souls and strength (Matt. 22:37). He loves us too much to allow any rivals.
2. It is detrimental to others. One of the world's most dangerous creatures, the almost Christian is a wolf in sheep's clothing. He is a false prophet of whom Christ asks us to beware, one who persuades that the way to heaven is broader than it really is. Matt. 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. (KJV)
3. It is ingratitude to Christ. He did not come down to shed his blood in order to purchase the lives of those who are only willing to give half to Him. We cannot say we love Him if our hearts are not totally with Him.

Conclusion

  Frank Jones, Director of Research, Christian Commitment Research Institute, and Adjunct Professor of Economics, University of Ottawa