BEEN TO JESUS?

The evergreen gospel hymn "Have You Been to Jesus for the Cleansing Power?"—more commonly known by its refrain "Are You Washed in the Blood?"—was written in 1878 by pastor and hymn writer Elisha Albright Hoffman. This hymn is very important and must be applied to the life of every believer in Christ. This is so because you may have been to church without having been to Jesus, the Head of the Church. Knowing so much and being involved in the activities of the church does not translate to knowing the Lord. Little wonder the Bible says that the final criterion for eternal life is to have one's name in the Book of Life, not in the book of church membership.

The man or woman who has been to Jesus is the one who is washed in His blood. Such a person considers the Lord's feelings before taking actions in life. It is the other way round for the one who is just a "churchgoer." It is unfortunate that too many professing Christians cannot tell the difference between the two categories of people. It is possible to be fervently religious and not revere the Lord. This is why some people do things that are incorrigible even when they have been in church for many years or even while they hold titles.

A group of church leaders was given an assignment to search for a piece of property to serve as a permanent place of worship. What this "committee" did was unbelievable. They connived to add a very substantial amount of money to the actual price of the facility. Of course, the Lord exposed their secret plot, but by then many hearts had been broken by their dishonest act. To make matters worse, those men were leaders in that congregation. What a shame!

You must do a personal spiritual audit from time to time as a believer. Our opening verse was written to urge believers to evaluate their hearts, motives, and alignment with Christian truth rather than just assuming their spiritual standing. It will be a great loss to go through the challenges of life as a "follower of Christ" and still end up disqualified and thrown into hell.

Dearly beloved, are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? If He comes back for His people right now, will you go with Him? If you are not sure, you can repent and make your ways right before Him right now. The next moment may be too late.