The new book from Randall Grier Ministries, The Christian Life: What It Means To Be A Christian, is now available at the RGM Online Store. You can order it here.
The state of Christianity today is unlike what it was ten years ago, or almost any other time in history. Today many people call themselves a Christian yet show no outward sign that they are. Many people attend church on Sunday and say one thing, but their actions the rest of the week, their fruit, show something completely different. But they believe they are born again, yet according to the Bible they are not.
There are many different opinions today about the Christian life and what it means to be a Christian. The Bible only has one definition of the word Christian. The word “Christian” in the Bible is defined as one who has confessed Jesus Christ as their Lord and believed in their heart that God has raised Him from the dead. They also have a behavioral change that agrees with their confession. You will read about Ted the murderer, Robert the homosexual pedophile, Jay the Brahmin Hindu Priest and their experiences with Jesus Christ. You will find out if Christians repent of their sins, keep the Ten Commandments, does God judge Christians today, and about the grace of God. You will discover Biblical truths that apply to the Christian life today.
YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT:
**WHAT IT REALLY MEANS TO BE A CHRISTIAN – IT MIGHT NOT BE WHAT YOU THINK.
**TED THE FIRST DEGREE MURDERER
**ROBERT THE HOMOSEXUAL PEDOPHILE
**JAY THE HINDU BRAHMIN PRIEST
**MY FRIEND TOMMY WENT TO HELL
**GOOD MORALS WILL NOT SAVE YOU
**DO CHRISTIANS KEEP THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
**MY FRIEND LA T DA STABBED TO DEATH FILLED WITH LOVE
**DO CHRISTIANS REPENT FOR SINS THEY COMMIT
**CHRISTIANS WHO CONTINUALLY SIN
**THE JUDGMENT OF GOD AND HOW IT TAKES PLACE
**BALANCED VIEW OF THE GRACE AND MERCY OF GOD
EXCERPT FROM
CHAPTER 7: MY FRIEND TOMMY WENT TO HELLTommy was my best friend growing up and we were about the same age. He started drinking alcohol, of all kinds, as a young boy. Most of his older brothers drank alcohol and introduced Tommy to it. I began to drink alcohol when I was in my late teens, so we had that in common.
I got born again and my life changed as I obeyed the written Word of God. I was away from Tommy, after I was born again, for about three years. I moved back to Columbus, Georgia and went to visit Tommy, who lived there.
I was shocked when I saw him because he looked very skinny, pale and the whites of his eyes were yellow. I found out that he had cirrhosis of the liver, and the doctor said he was going to die. The disease was caused from chronic drinking of alcohol.
I shared with Tommy how I was born again and Jesus Christ was Lord of my life. He smiled and said, “I always knew that you would make it somehow.” He knew about my crimes and spending over ten years in prison. He thought, like many others, that I would never get out of prison.
You Must Be Born Again
I told him what the Bible said about Jesus Christ and how to be born again. Tommy said, “Randy, I am right with God in my own way. He and I have an understanding and I don’t need to do the same things you did.” I yelled, “Tommy! That is a lie from the devil and there is only one way to be born again or be saved!”
He was adamant that he was right with God because he and God had a special agreement. He refused to repent and accept Jesus Christ the way the Bible states.
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. (John 3:5-6)
But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:8-10)
Tommy’s so-called personal agreement with God did not concur with the Bible, and he was on his way to hell. I begged and pleaded with him to simply do what the Bible said but he said he did not need to. I went home and prayed for him many hours, days and weeks and visited him from time to time. One day, his mother told me he wouldn’t obey the doctors orders, and he would die in a day or two. I sensed that if Tommy accepted Jesus Christ, he would be healed also.
I went home and began to weep and cry, in prayer, for him. I prayed for a couple of hours asking the Lord Jesus to have mercy on Tommy. I told the Lord that if I had more time I could convince him that the Bible was true.
Suddenly, the Lord said, “OK, I will spare his life for one year and give you the time you have asked for, to talk with him. Go anoint him with oil, pray for him and tell him what I told you.” I went immediately to pray for him like the Lord told me to.
In liver failure, Tommy kept living and the doctor was amazed! He still looked yellow and swollen from the poison in his system though. I pleaded with him, many times, to obey the Bible, but he always responded that he was right with God in his own way.
