People Who Think They Are Christians but Aren't

I have a young pastor friend from an Arminian background who has been reformed by Scripture (with the help of good books and men) within the last few years. It's very exciting for me to interact with him, because everything is being reexamined under the lens of the Bible now; nothing is off limits. So worship, pastoral care, preaching, discipling--as he discovers these things again for the first (biblical) time, he's bringing me along by making me rethink them all as well.

His most recent question had to do with something he came across in Lloyd-Jones's Preaching and Preachers: people who think they are Christians, but they are not. My friend wanted to know: is there really such a category of person? and how, pastorally do we deal with them? Just what is the reformed (biblical) view of conversion?

The following is my response:

I think that a careful reading of some of the "in vain" passages in Paul's letters does indeed make the point that many who are named saints, and who believe themselves to be converted, have been called such "emptily"--and go to Hell. Also to the point on this are those people who claim to be Christians (note the "in Your Name," stressed by word order, not once but three times), and who do many thinks that they consider works of service and witness unto Christ, and yet who perish. And of course there are the warning passages in Hebrews, and those who do not endure in Revelation, etc., etc.

Probably the easiest, most recent treatment of conversion that I would recommend is Piper's Finally Alive.

The Puritans wrote much on what they called "gospel hypocrites" (someone who understood the gospel, and thought themselves converted, but were self-deceived, and should have known so by their actions and by their attitudes toward sin and the law, among other things).  I think that the best thing I ever read on this topic was The Almost Christian Discovered by Matthew Mead. There was one written about the same time by Thomas Shepard, called The Parable of the Ten Virgins (or something like that).

Pastorally, let me give you this counsel: follow the model of 1 John. It is next to impossible to differentiate between a gospel hypocrite and a struggling believer (as the Heb warning passages demonstrate). So, it is helpful that there is a letter in the New Testament that has as its stated purpose to give the believer assurance (1Jo 5:13). So point them... you know that you are converted because you love God, you love Christians, you love God's commands. And if they say, "but I fail," that is very different than saying "but I don't." The answer to "but I fail," is 1Jo 1:7-10. The answer to "but I don't love..." (any one of those three: God, believers, the law) is 1Jo 1:5-6. That's the person that you then tell to ask God to change his heart and grant him repentance, and you too must pray for such people.

The last of the three (love to law) is the most helpful test, practically, to me, although the first of them (love to God) is the strongest love.  This is because I think it is easier to deceive oneself that we love God, or even that we love our brother (notice the specific examples, however, of what genuine love to the brother looks like--John won't let us off the hook so easily).  However, there is many a sourpuss who thinks that the pool of acid that oozes out of his pantlegs everywhere he goes is the "love of the law." Such a person should be pressed with whether or not he has (or even desires) any fruit of the Spirit.

In addition to the three "loves" that God works in the heart of the converted, 1John refers often to the 1 great doctrine that God convinces the mind of the converted: "that the eternal Son, God Himself, has come in the flesh, died, risen, and is returning in a glorious resurrection body, and that we shall see Him face to face." Everyone that hopes thus purifies himself. So, if there is someone who doesn't love God's law, there may be a doctrinal problem: not that they don't get the "logic" of the gospel, but rather, they are not convinced of the reality of it. Those who are convinced that we are going to see the resurrected Jesus from our own resurrected flesh love the commands of God, both for the opportunity to please Him, and for their usefulness in sanctification, as we pursue glory.

So, I guess this answer isn't entirely comprehensive, but: 

yes, it is a biblical reality that there are many who think themselves Christians now that will curse God forever from the flames. But if you suspect that to be the case with someone in your congregation, I would suggest starting out by trying to minister assurance to them, and allow the tests for assurance to expose them to themselves. (it is generally unhelpful to tell someone that is indistinguishable from a struggling believer: "I don't believe that you're converted." If the elders, collectively, are forced to make such a public statement at the end of a discipline process, so be it)

I hope this helps,

James

So, pastor, do you just ignore that there are congregants whose lives are inconsistent with their professed faith in Christ? And, dear struggling Christian (or self-deceived child of wrath!), won't you please put yourself under the revealing microscope and healing balm of 1John? If you are struggling, you need some gospel therapy. If you are self-deceived, you had better find out now!