So many truly sincere and religious people(J. C. Philpot, "Answers to Inquiries")"Cornelius and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly." Acts 10:2Yet Cornelius and his family weren't saved! (Acts 11:14)A generous centurion build a synagogue. (Luke 7:3-5)A young man keeps the commandments from his youth up. (Luke 18:21)Balaam prophesies. (Numbers 23:16)Saul weeps. (1 Samuel 24:16)Judas preaches the gospel. (Matthew 10:5-8)Yet none of these men were saved!It is at times, enough to fill one's heart with mingledastonishment and sorrow, to see so many truly sincereand religious people, whose religion will leave them shortof eternal lifebecause they are destitute of saving grace.To see so much . . . amiability, benevolence, devotedness, self-denial, liberality loveliness of character, integrity, consistency of life,all inescapably dashed against the rock of inflexible justice,and there shattered and lostswallowed up with its unhappypossessors in the raging billows beneathsuch a sight, didwe not know that the Judge of the whole earth cannot dowrong, would indeed stagger us to the very center of our being!
_________________CHRISTIAN