Prudent People Will Examine Their Faith
Whenever I meet Roman Catholics, I ask them if they were born into the religion or if they choose it. Almost always they say they were born a Catholic.
I then ask, "Have you ever examined your faith with the Bible to see if it is true saving faith?" Almost always the answer is, "No." coupled with various reponses suggesting "the Catholic Church is the one true church" or "how can one billion Catholics be wrong?" These responses are very troubling when we consider that people can be wrong about a lot of things in this life and still survive, but if they are wrong about their eternal destinty, they will pay for that irreversible mistake forever and ever! The Lord Jesus said the gate to heaven is narrow and very few find it (Mat. 7:14). This is due in part because very few look for it. Instead they follow the masses on the broad raod to destruction.
God's Word says, "The simple believes everything, but the prudent gives thought to his steps" (Proverbs 14:15). People who are lost in religion blindly accept what man says without testing their worrds with God's Word. They gullibly accept the interpretation of men who claim infalliblity without prayerfully studying the Scriptures for themselves. God has exhorted people to "believe not every spirit" (1 John 4:1) and to "test everything" (1 Thes 5:21). Jesus warned us, "Take heed that no one deceives you" (Mat 24:4).
The prudent man will also search his own heart to see if he can find evidence of regeneration and sanctification. Then he will ask God to search his heart as well (Ps. 26:2). When one is deeply impressed with the solemnity of eternity he will diligently search the Scriptures to see if he is on the right path. Knowing that Jesus said "we must strive to enter the narrow gate" a prudent man will prove to be a true disicipe of Jesus by abiding in His Word. Only then will he know the truth and be set free from religious deception (John 8:31-32). It is my prayer that God would shatter the false hope Catholics have in their religion and grant them repentance that leads to the truth.
