“Many are called” to true conversion. Jesus warns that few will answer HIS CALL to partake of the marriage feast which will honor Him and His “bride” (His church) (Mat. 22:14). Like the five foolish virgins (Mat. 25), false converters will believe that they will be allowed in, but will be rejected. These are those who will, at judgment, remind Jesus that they had dined with Him, ministered for Him and had done many wonderful works in His name, only to be rejected (Mat. 7:23) because of their “INIQUITY”–Lawlessness. Note that some of these will have indeed served in the ministry. However, their efforts will have been “in vain” because they preached man’s gospel instead of God’s gospel (Mat. 15:9).

Because false converters had rejected His Words (Law), they will have proven that they DESPISED BOTH FATHER AND SON (Lk. 10:16). In summary: THEIR LAWSESS CONVERSION WILL HAVE BEEN BOGUS (FALSE–COUNTERFEIT). As Jesus notes in Matthew 7:23, they will learn the truth concerning their conversions when they face Him on Judgment Day. But wait. Had not their leaders assured them that all was well with their souls, that they were in good standing with the Lord, that they need only believe to receive a mansion in heaven upon their demise?

The reason for their rejection will be their failure to “test the spirits” of their church leaders to determine if they were of God (1 Jn. 4:1). God’s Word is the only template we can use to test (try) the message of our spiritual leaders. Few seekers, Jesus tells us, will do this. As a result, Satan’s false prophets, believing themselves to be servants of the Biblical God, will “deceive many” (Mat. 24:4,5)–including themselves (Jude 4). As stated, the deceivers (false prophets) will not know they were in fact deceivers, for they will have taught others what they had been taught, that God’s grace and their faith guaranteed their salvation. And like their followers, they will have failed to test their leaders. As a result, each generation of false converters and their false converts will have fulfilled the “blind leading the blind” prophecy which states that both would “fall into the ditch” (Mat. 15:14). Today “the ditch” is called “the church.”

I am reminded of this Truth when I am recall what millions of church people do and fail to do on a daily basis. The church world is no different from the unchurched world around them. Those in the so-called “Christian world” are like those in the non-Christian world. God commands that we “redeem the time” in which we can do what we want to do. Those in both groups spend their free (none work) time doing the same things–watching the same t.v. programs, listening to the same radio programs, reading the same books, watching the same movies, desecrating the same Sabbath, etc. With the exception of a couple of hours on Satan’s weekly sabbath, there is no difference in how they spend their free time. Both groups “redeem” it for themselves, not for God.

Conversion means to complete a life about-face–to turn from walking in darkness to walking in light. But turning around is only the first step. Turning from darkness to light places one in the proper spiritual position. However, looking into the light will accomplish nothing. We must “walk in the light as He (Jesus) is in the light” (1 Jn. 1:7), meaning to “walk as He walked” (2:6). It is walking “AS HE WALKED” that constitutes true conversion. Unless one walks (lives) in holiness (obedience to God’s Law), one’s conversion is false. Old thoughts, old words, old actions–all must be put to death and replaced with entirely new (Christ-like) thoughts, words and deeds. “Old things must pass away; behold, ALL things are made new” (2 Cor. 5:17). The true convert is a “new creation.”

Eleven of the original disciples became new creations as they obeyed Christ’s words and emulated His actions. However, one of them turned from darkness to light but failed to complete the transition by walking in the Light. He failed to emulate Jesus Christ Who was and still is the “light of the world.” Judas went through the same motions as the other eleven. He had the same ministry. He was so good at faking his conversion that, when Jesus announced that one of the disciples would betray Him, the other eleven did not know about whom He was speaking. They even asked if the traitor was one of them (Mat. 26:21,22). Among the ten virgins, the five wise ones did not know the five unwise virgins had run out of oil until the Bridegroom arrived (Mat. 25:1-13). Unknown to the other five, the false virgins had been failing for a long time. Their conversions were faked.

True conversion makes one different from those around him/her. The Apostle Peter characterized true converts as peculiar, royal, chosen, priests, holy. The Prophet Malachi called them God’s jewels (3:17). Jesus and His disciples obviously stood out from the crowd, including Judas. Make no mistake about it, if you obey the Lord you will stand out. If you secretly rebel against Him, He may be the only one Who knows it, Judas and the five foolish virgins being prime examples.

If you are a true saint of God, those around you will separate themselves from you on a spiritual basis. Start observing God’s weekly Sabbath and see what happens. The world will “hate you and say all manner of evil against you” for being different (Mat. 5:11). Only those who endure the guaranteed persecution until the end with their holiness intact will be saved upon Christ’s return (Mat. 10:22). Rejection is part of the “cost” one must pay for true conversion. Obedience to God “marks” the true child of God, causing him/her to stand out from all others. The world, including the church world, loves those who are like itself. The true saint not being one of its own, the world will reject him/her. As Jesus said, the members of the saint’s household will be your enemies (Mat. 10:36). But the true convert is in good company, for Jesus endured the same treatment from His mother, brothers and sisters until His death. Read Who Are My Brethren? Key word–Brethren.

Going against the tide is much harder than going with it. The church tide flows downward where it empties into “the ditch.” God’s tide flows upward to the top of the mountain where He awaits. Let us be true converts. Let us follow the Lord Jesus up to the mountain top and walk with Him in total agreement. We can get there only by “walking as Jesus walked.” All other walks, no matter how spiritual they appear to be, are counterfeit. L.J.