4/7/25
Romans 9:27 NASB95 Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, “THOUGH THE NUMBER OF THE SONS OF ISRAEL BE LIKE THE SAND OF THE SEA, IT IS THE REMNANT THAT WILL BE SAVED;
The dangers of being a member of a local church while not being a member of the universal church are GREAT! Paul uses the example that Isaiah uses of the people that went with Israel out of Egypt. They are referred to as rabble or mixed multitude in the Book of Numbers. They hung out with the Israelites but they were not Israelites. They traveled with them. Some were married to them but they themselves were not. Unfortunately, they figured out too late that hanging out with and living like does not make them part of the chosen. In the end, they were destroyed by fire. The same will happen to people who join the local church but have not surrendered to Jesus as Savior and Lord. They will attend church functions, enjoy the church fellowship, and live in the midst of the church, but in the end, they will be destroyed by fire. They will stand before the Lord and say did I not do a lot of service in your name? Am I not the child of or the grandchild of a child of yours? Am I not married to a child of yours? God will respond that doesn't make you my child. Have you surrendered completely to My Son Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior? They will realize they had not, and God the Father will say depart from me; I never knew you!
Unfortunately, this will happen to a lot of church members who are not truly members of the body.
Our text says IT IS THE REMNANT THAT WILL BE SAVED;
It is estimated that close to half of church members are not saved.
When Adrian Rodgers was asked, As president of the SBC does it bother you that over half of your members are not in church on any given Sunday? He answered not nearly as much as it bothers me that over half of the ones that are attending are not part of God's Kingdom.
Listen to me. While membership in the local church is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, it will not give you salvation apart from a PERSONAL SAVIOR and LORD, RELATIONSHIP with JESUS!
Receive that free gift and then make it public with believers' baptism and membership in the local church!
Love Bro. Scott