Spiritual Growth is Required
My church background as a child was in a staunch evangelical denomination. As an adult I felt called to a liturgical denomination as a "missionary." As I began my ordained ministry two very profound events occurred that made me begin to rethink my theology. The first was when I took holy communion to a dying Roman Catholic priest in a hospice. I wondered if it would be proper for me to give him communion since I was not of the same order of priests. He told me that he would like to receive communion. I asked him what was the secret of his many years of faithful service to his church. He told me that in the end, though he struggled to do his duty, all he could say was: "Lord have mercy upon me, a sinner."
The second incident came in the form of a "street person" who came to my office for food and clothing. I had recently been "released" from seminary so I attempted to wow him with some of my best evangelical theology. He listened patiently and quietly. But after quite a long period of time he told me that he was hungry. He agreed with much of my theology but slowly refocused the conversation. I began to suspect that he was the teacher and not me. Fortunately we had some nice ladies of the church who were on duty that day to assist with many of his "needs." I checked on him later that same day to see how he was doing. He had sort of a sly but innocent smile on his face. He was wearing the new clothes given him. However I noticed that the old clothes which he left were neatly folded and were immaculately clean, including his undergarments. He was out the door and I never saw him again.
Martin Luther did not like the Book of James and thought that it should not have been included in the canon of the New Testament. But is was included:
"If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that." (James 2:15-16)
Jesus said: "As much as you have done it unto the least of these my brethren you have done it unto me." If we see someone naked we need to clothe them. If they are in prison we need to visit them. If we believe His words then the criteria for His final judgment may not be our remembering the exact moment we were saved. How does "once saved always saved" fit into the teachings of scripture anyway?
In recent times I have heard the Lord speak to me again directly on these matters. It is not that I am so holy that I heard from the Lord. It is that I am such a slow learner and the Lord has continued to show me His mercy. All we can say is that we try to do our duty and we trust in his blood sacrifice and mercy. This much is clear: We have not arrived! Our one "true" church has not arrived either. But we trace our leaders back to the apostles. Endless genealogies?
Do we look around us and see the needs of others? If we do then we see Jesus. If we do not see Him then can we expect Him to see us?