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"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name" (Jn.1:12). The crucial factor is how we receive Jesus. He is not waiting around hoping that some of us will do Him the favour of accepting Him. No, He is doing us a favour by coming down from His Father, suffering and giving His life for us because, without Him, we were going to be doomed to hell for our sins. We cannot now receive Him as someone who is there to take care of us whenever we pray! But we must receive Him as our Lord and Saviour, and submit to Him in everything He tells us to do.

Jesus was Himself clear that if we wanted eternal life, we would have to enter through a narrow gate, where we would have to turn away from our selfish, sinful life and choose to follow Him, and then we would have to follow Him through a narrow way where we would have to take up our cross daily and deny ourselves (Mt.7:13,14;Lk.9:23). He also clarified that very few would find this way.

But the Jesus who is being presented nowadays is as one who will heal us, make us rich, solve our problems and come to our aid at our beck and call. He will top it all with a mansion in heaven too! This is a no-cost-to-you-offer which is easy for all to accept! But many find afterwards that things don't work as promised. Some continue lifelessly with the routine they have picked up, and some even give up altogether. Can you think of churches full of people like this who have no real relationship with Jesus except in name? In their heart and thinking, they are just like every other unbeliever in the world. But some of them get active in the social activities of the church, and some use their natural skills even in preaching and Bible studies. But there will also plenty of jealousy, strife, competition, greed, power-play, party-spirit, bitterness, etc., all carried out in the name of Christ!

What is wrong is with the entry criteria. Recruitment policy is unclear, and there is no orientation programme to follow. All kinds of people enter, and in addition to the chaos that will inevitably follow, there is a teeth-grinding agony waiting for many when they wake in the wrong place in eternity.

Now it is the responsibility of those who are truly born again and who serve as apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers to do their work properly. It is these people who have the onus of bringing in people properly and training them in the church to function as members of the body of Christ (Ep.4:11,12). If they keep quiet, God is going to ask about the 'blood of the sheep' they will find on their hands (Ez.33:8).

It is not just some individuals who have gone astray, but the system itself is corrupt. We need to pray to the Lord of the harvest to send in more true labourers (Lk.10:2). We must pray for a re-kindling of the fire of God to work among His people. But then each of us must also take up our responsibility.

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