IS SHE OR ISN’T SHE?

Mike Cunningham

December 10, 2006

While working on this morning’s message I was reminded of a TV commercial that was very well known a while ago. The manufacturer must have spent millions of dollars promoting their new product. In addition to being touted on the television and radio and in the print media; the stuff they were trying to sell to America’s women was plastered all over the place. Pictures of beautiful women smiled at us from roadside billboards and posters in drug stores as well as in subway cars and on busses.

Regardless of where I was, it seemed as though I couldn’t get away from being told that, through no fault of their own, countless American women were missing out on enjoying life to the fullest. The manufacturers advertising agency did their utmost to convince these unfortunate souls that most of them entered this world with a distinct disadvantage. However, thanks to this revolutionary new product that handicap could easily be reversed in the privacy of their own home.

Do any of you folks remember the particular product and advertising campaign I’m alluding to? Are you able to recall the unnecessary dilemma we were told women faced? Were any of you older women snookered into trying their product because you became convinced of the truthfulness of the claim that blonds have more fun?

Women were assured that the stuff this company was offering to dye their hair with was so good, that no one would be able to tell they weren’t naturally blond. The manufacturer posed a rhetorical question which they assured women was certain to be on the tip of everyone’s tongue; “Is she or isn’t she?” And then they responded by telling everyone; “Only her hairdresser knows for sure.”

By now some of you may be wondering where I’m headed, and what any of this has to do with what God wants to communicate to us this morning through my message, unless perhaps it’s to incline you folks to suggest I ought to start giving serious consideration to heading out to pasture. However, I can assure you that the same question: “is she or isn’t she,” is indeed relevant and is sometimes on the minds of each of you folks as well.

Allow me to explain. Personally I could care less if a woman is a real blond. However, whether or not she is a real Christian is often another matter because it isn’t always easy for me to tell. Sometimes I find it to be impossible. Other than my own, I can’t possibly know for certain about the genuineness of anyone else’s faith. Although I have good reason to assume certain people are indeed Christians, there have been others which I have had to ask myself that question: “Is she or isn’t she?”

I know I’m not the only one who has been faced with this kind of a dilemma. Many Christians are deeply concerned about the questions answer. Along with family members, and other special people whom they truly like, there are certain decent people the Lord has caused to cross their path who profess to be Christians. However, as I said a moment ago, “it isn’t always easy to tell.”

If Bible believing Christians didn’t sincerely care about these folks, they wouldn’t experience the frustration accompanying the doubt as to whether or not they actually are Christians. Although these professed Christians care about the well being of other people; there is often reason to wonder if they truly care about the Risen Savior.

These folks say they pray all the time, but that’s about it. For instance, they aren’t all that excited about their faith. Some seem to prefer not to talk about it, much less share the Gospel with non-Christians. Furthermore, most of these professed Christians admit that they hardly ever open their bible. Some of them rarely attend a church service. Others believe that nice Muslims, Jews, agnostics and other non-Christians who want nothing to do with Jesus Christ will eventually wind up in heaven. Needless to say, such people are quite an enigma to Bible believing Christians.

Is she or isn’t she? The answer to that question is often significantly important for some other equally anxious Christians. For instance, a young man realizes he’s starting to fall for a young woman who says she is a Christian. She claims to know she has been saved by what Jesus accomplished through His death and resurrection. But he isn’t all that sure that her professed faith is perhaps nothing more that an intellectual conclusion arrived at by connecting the dots of certain passages of Scripture.

The young man wants to honor God in their relationship. Sometimes he’s convinced she is, but then there are other occasions when he believes the exact opposite. He’s perplexed because he’s also struggling to come up with the answer to another very important question: “should he or shouldn’t he,” ask the young woman to marry him?

Sometimes the question is: “Is he or isn’t he?” For instance, there are Christian grandchildren who often worry about where their elderly grandpa is going to spend eternity, especially those men who are in failing health. The kids know it’s only a matter of time when he will leave them. Whether or not grandpa is really a Christian is a major concern. From time to time he has told them that he believes in Jesus and hopes that he has been forgiven. But for the life of him, he has never been able to give those children the assurance they want to hear. He isn’t going to lie to them. Unlike the young woman I just mentioned, the man honestly doesn’t know if he has been saved. Furthermore, that’s all he intends to say about the matter.

Those kids are burdened with very serious doubts. They love their grandfather and wish he wasn’t such a private person. For instance, whenever religion enters a conversation Grandpa quickly tries to change the subject. The man also has no desire to attend a church service other than to see one of his grandchildren get married. Meanwhile they’re praying up a storm hoping that when he dies God’s holy angels will guide his spirit into the presence of the Lord. The thought of the devil’s shrieking demons pouncing on their beloved grandpa’s spirit and whisking him away is horrifying.

Christians know it’s important to be doing the good works God has planned in advance for them to do (Ephesians 2:10.[1] Many professed Christians certainly seem to do their share of them. They also know we should treat one another the way we want them to treat us. But there are lots of atheists and others who have openly rejected Christ who also try to follow “The Golden Rule.” However, according to the Bible, just being a nice person like the professed Christian’s I’ve been speaking about will not get them or anyone else into heaven.

“Is she or isn’t she?” Many Christians believe that if a person is a real Christian he or she would take their God given faith more seriously. For instance, they ought to be on fire for the Lord and be busy adding spiritual knowledge to their faith. Then no one would have to worry as to whether of not they have eternal life. All they have to do is read 1 John 5:13 (ESV) ¹³ I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. It’s as simple as that. Case closed.

Folks such as that old grandpa ought to immerse themselves in studying the Bible. By their own admission they rarely even open it much less study it. How can any Christian not want to know everything their Creator has revealed about Himself and His desires concerning them? How can a true Christian not want to seize every opportunity to share their faith and lead poor lost sinners to the risen Savior? And the questions go on and on without satisfactory answers.

On the other hand the person who is so puzzling to some Christians has questions of his or her own. They know they’re not perfect and that they are a sinner. Everybody is. They also believe Jesus is God’s Son and that He gave His life to pay the punishment for sinners such as them. And at this time of year, they know “Jesus is the reason for the season.” However, uncertainty persists.

For instance, that man who told his grandchildren that he has asked Jesus to forgive him and sure hopes He has because there’s nothing else he can do. But regardless of how many times he has read that passage in first John; he still doesn’t know if he has eternal life. Sometimes he thinks he has and he sure hopes so, but for the life of him he’s just not certain.

Being the private person that he is, Grandpa never told his grandchildren that he learned early in life never to talk about religion or politics. And ever since those “born again’s” arrived on the scene, Grandpa’s been increasingly convinced he made a wise decision.  He could never bring himself to slide Bible tracks under the doors of occupied public restroom stalls. And there’s no way that he could stomach himself if those “born-agains” turned him into becoming an obnoxious in-your-face-know-it-all, Bible thumping, fanatic such as many of them are.

He’s been praying ever since his grandchildren were born that none of them would ever wind up like those hard-core religious fundamentalists or a tongues speaking kook. And he’s not going to let himself become trapped for an hour in some church pew making grandma happy by politely smiling at all the phonies surrounding him. He’s already had his share of dealing with all the liars, back-biters, gossips and the rest throughout the years. A long time ago he had made Sunday’s his day of rest from those kinds of losers.

But now, the old man’s approaching death’s door knowing that he’s about to discover the answer to the question on the mind of his Christian loved ones: “is he or isn’t he?” Although he won’t let on to them, he’s hoping and praying that he is and that he’s going to wind up in Heaven. He comforts himself believing it’s all in Jesus’ hands. Let’s see what God’s Word has to say about this matter.

John 3:16 (ESV) ¹⁶ “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

John 5:24 (ESV) ²⁴ Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

John 6:40 (ESV) ⁴⁰ For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

John 6:49-51 (ESV) ⁴⁹ Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. ⁵⁰ This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. ⁵¹ I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

John 11:25-26 (ESV) ²⁵ Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, ²⁶ and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

“Is she or isn’t she a Christian?” Well what do you think? Is that person you’re so concerned about a real Christian according to your understanding of the passages we just read in the Word of God? Are you sure? Suppose they also believe that decent Christ denying agnostics, Muslims and Jews, along with Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy will somehow also wind up in God’s Heaven?  Will they be condemned for believing such nonsense?

John 3:17-18 (ESV) For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. ¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

1 John 1:9 (ESV) ⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

But suppose you happen to be a person such as old Grandpa or the woman the young man is thinking of asking to marry him. Are you absolutely certain your own belief isn’t simply your mind giving an intellectual assent to the Gospel? Is there a way you can know that your faith is indeed genuine?

I suggest you ask yourself these questions. What has been my reaction to this faith I profess to believe? How has my faith played out in my life? Has it had a noticeable positive effect on me and the folks I come in contact with? Now check your answers with what the Bible says concerning knowing the genuineness of a person’s faith.

John 13:34-35 (ESV) ³⁴ A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. ³⁵ By this all people [including you] will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

1 John 3:14 (ESV) ¹⁴ We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.

1 John 5:1 (ESV) ¹ Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.

Not only will we know but all people will know our faith is real, because of the love we have for fellow Christians, warts and all. We find ourselves wanting to associate with people we ordinarily wouldn’t have anything to do with. We want to be near them so that we can learn how we might be used by God to become a blessing to them as they also struggle through this alien world on their way to our real home. By our words and deeds we want to demonstrate that we truly care about them. We won’t obsess over the sometimes irritating characteristics of other Christians and pointing each and every one of them out as the devil is so fond of doing. We’re hoping our non-judgmental acceptance of them, will enable them to see a little bit of Christ’ love shining down on them through us.

If we believe in Jesus we have been saved. And other folks  will know we have been saved by the love we have for other Christians. However, the young man still isn’t sure about his girlfriend and old grandpa continues to have lingering doubts about himself.

What can be done about this dilemma? I’m sorry to say there is nothing they or any other human being can do. It’s impossible. However, our heavenly Father can do something for us that we can’t do for ourselves. He alone can give us the unmistakable assurance that we are His children.

Romans 8:15-16 (KJV) ¹⁵ For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. ¹⁶ The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

How does He do this? Sometimes He takes a particular verse of Scripture which you have read thousands of times before and makes it suddenly leap off the page and hit you right between the eyes. You know without a doubt that He is speaking directly to you through that verse. Then there are  times when, without even using a Bible verse, the Spirit of God speaks directly to your mind and heart, and gives you such a powerful impression, that you know with absolute certainty that you are a child of God.

This supernatural act of the Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God is the most magnificent form of assurance we can have. The recipients of this blessing emerge as the most useful of the soldiers of the Lord Jesus Christ in His war against the devil and his fellow slime ball demons.

Where does that leave grandpa and the young woman I spoke about earlier? I would hope that their hearts would be overflowing with such intense gratitude for Christ’s’ love for them, that they would fall on their knees and fervently plead with Him, and continue pleading with Him for this blessing which the Bible refers to as being “the baptism with the Spirit;” (Acts 1:5).

Meanwhile, is she or isn’t she a real Christian? As far as you and I are concerned, don’t ever forget to remember that on this side of eternity only God knows for sure.