Christian and non-Christian

To the editor:
    I offer a test for Christians. Let’s start with a few who are not Christians:
• One who believes that Christ is the son of God but only a son and not God in the flesh. • Ones who believe that they can work hard enough to become a god themselves.
• Those who believe that there is no eternal torment/punishment after death (hell) as the Bible teaches.
• Those who believe in a place that they call purgatory for cleansing after death are possibly not Christians, this place purgatory is not biblical, God’s Word teaches hell or heaven only.
• Any and all who have not been born again.
    God’s word teaches Christians to be separate from whatever is contrary to the teaching of the Bible, and separate from false teaching. Christians need to be careful not to compromise their faith by their associations. Remember the old saying (not biblical) that “birds of a feather flock together.”
    The Test: Christians must believe in the Virgin birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, His teachings, His death on the cross for the sins of the world, His resurrection from the dead, and His coming again for His believers to eternally abide with Him in Heaven.
    You can be 100 percent sure that you are a Christian and going to heaven. John 3:16 reads, “For God so loved the world that He sent His only Begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
    We must realize that we are all sinners (Inherited from the first man Adam because of his disobedience.) We must repent of our sin. Repentance is godly sorrow for having offended our Almighty God.
    We must believe the gospel. We must receive God’s gift of eternal life and we can only receive God’s gift through Christ — by calling on Christ. We receive God’s gift by receiving God’s son.
    One little prayer seals it: “Dear Lord, I confess to you that I am a sinner, I repent of all my sins and I am sorry that I have offended you. Right now I am putting my faith and trust in Jesus Christ and His shed blood on the cross of Calvary as the payment for all of my sins. Jesus I now receive You into my heart as my personal Lord and Savior. Amen”
    Who grades the test? God does!
    Are we Christians during the week as we are in church on Sunday, or do we have to carry a sign on our back when we are cut off in traffic, when someone cuts in front at the checkout line, when we hit our thumb with the hammer or have a flat and no spare way out in the boonies. How about when we are all alone and no one can see? Ah, but God sees.
Fred Sholler
Lebanon
(formerly of Oakfield)