The Almost Christian Discovered

Last night our home Bible study group began a new series of lessons based upon the work of Gardiner Spring entitled, "The Distinguishing Traits of Christian Character" published in 1829. In the words of the editors, this little book is designed "1) to confirm the faith of such as are the true children of God, but who lack assurance based upon Biblical principles. (2) To strip away the false hopes of such as are deluded and whose delusion has been confirmed by the erroneous teaching on the subject of assurance which is so prevalent in our day. (3) To clarify these issues to those who stand in that awesome place of being expositors and teachers of God’s Holy Word, so that they may find fuel for the fires of their own hearts and for their public ministry of the Scriptures."

While complete in it own right, I have personally considered this work to be a primer of sort for Matthew Mead's "The Almost Christian Discovered" published in 1661. For those who are participating in the Home Bible Study Group, I thought you might find it interesting to see the parallels along with the differences between these two works by means of a summary. So, I post today a summary of Matthew Mead's "The Almost Christian Discovered."

Matthew Mead has a long section in the book of about 120 pages in which he addresses how far a person can go and still not be a true Christian...how far a person can advance toward heaven, toward Christ, toward God and still not truly be saved. And these are the things he suggests.

• A man may have much knowledge about Christ and yet be but almost a Christian.
• A man may have a great and eminent gift, yet be but almost a Christian.
• A man may have a high profession of religion. He may be much in external duties of goodness and yet be but almost a Christian.
• A man may go far in opposing his own sin and yet be but almost a Christian.
• A man may hate sin and yet be but almost a Christian.
• A man may make great vows and promises, strong purposes and resolutions against his sin and yet be but almost a Christian.
• A man may maintain a strife and a combat against sin and yet be but almost a Christian.
  A man may be a member of the church and yet be but almost a Christian.
• A man may have great hopes of heaven and yet be but almost a Christian.
• A man may under visible changes, altered life and yet be but almost a Christian.
• A man may be very zealous in matters of religion and yet be but almost a Christian.
• A man may be much in prayers and yet be but almost a Christian.
• A man may even suffer for Christ's sake and yet be but almost a Christian.
• A man may outwardly obey the commandments and yet be but almost a Christian.
• A man may perform external worship yet be but almost a Christian.
• And a man may have faith and yet be but almost a Christian.
  

As John MacArthur has noted:

Amazing list, isn't it? In fact, if you were to kind of reverse the list and read it another way, it would sound like you were describing Christians, someone who has the knowledge of God and Christ, someone who has great and eminent and gifts, someone who professes true religion, who does duties of goodness, someone who opposes his sin, hates his sin, makes great vows and promises, strong purposes and resolutions against his sin, a man who strives in combat against sin, a man who is a member of a church who has hopes of heaven, whose life has had some visible changes, who is zealous in matters of religion, who praise, who may even suffer because of his association with Christ, who outwardly seems to obey the commandments and performs external worship and believes. You might say, "Well, that's got to be a Christian."

Let us continually take to heart the exhortation of 2 Corinthians 13:5 -

Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you — unless indeed you fail the test?

And additionally, may we pray with the Psalmist -

Psalm 139:23-24
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; 24 And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting. (NKJV)

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Ed