These are easy assignments. Love takes little energy, but demonstrating love is work. It's hard work! My contention that love takes effort because we are commanded to do it. It's not just something humans emote! The "work of love" is where I have failed.
My friend and relative was a retired U.S. Army Colonel. Because of his status in the military I was intimidated by this powerful, but small man. He was probably a type-A personality, well-suited for an army officer, which may explain his military success. The Colonel spoke gruffly to those around him, but the alert eye could observe his kindness to his dog. How people treat their animals is a reflection on how they consider human beings. There are few proud roadblocks in a man loving his dog, but society says that real men can't show love to other men, and I'm not referring to aberrant attention!
The Colonel came to my residence often. I ate with him and his wife often. The Colonel never ever made mention of God and, out of fear of rejection, I never mentioned God to him! God told me to tell him about Jesus many times, but Satan made the usual rebuttal "It won't do any good!" I liked the Colonel. That's how real men say that they "love" another guy! However, I never showed my "like" for him (I just can't use that word 'love' in this context. It just aint right!), by asking him if he was a Christian. I just assumed that he wasn't and was satisfied with the Colonel going to hell, only because I was remiss in what I should do!
Unlike me, God cares little that the Colonel held a high office. God doesn't care if this little man ordered bigger men around and they listened and obeyed. God has respect for the things of Caesar, but his concern is with the things of God!
Luke 20:25 "And he said unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar's, and unto God the things which be God's."By my omission I render the Colonel unto the government, suggesting that it was futile to render him unto God! I had little faith in God! "Surely this secular man has no interest in salvation!", my mind ingesting the vomit from Satan's mind! I was a man of little faith! Whereas, I respected his position, God did not:
Acts 10:34 "Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: 35 But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him."Did the Colonel fear God? I think he did! I went to Indianapolis to visit the Colonel on his deathbed. He was dying of prostate cancer. God told me to ask about his soul! I didn't!!! I actually thought "It's no use!". As I was leaving, this mighty man of small stature put me in my place. I was humbled in his presence! With agony residing in every wrinkle, the little Colonel said "Larry, will you mind praying for me?" My heart was touched and my pride diminished. I didn't deserve to speak to God on the Colonel's behalf, because I was in disobedience. I had been asked to testify to him before and didn't. Now here I was ready to speak, but was speaking unworthily! It was I who needed prayer. I believe the Colonel was okay!
Was the Colonel a Christian. I don't know! Was there a deathbed conversion. I believe that he repented of his sins on his bed regardless, and that the Colonel may have been a deathbed Christian, no thanks to me! It's not what we say we believe, but to whom we place our trust! When the Colonel asked for prayer, he was trusting Jesus! His trust wasn't in a longer life because he knew that was too late! So I prayed for him to die in peace and for Jesus to welcome him in!
He thanked me! It was sincere! I cried. He never knew that and neither did the onlookers, but I shed tears for him. It was tears of happiness that he trusted, mingled with tears of shame that I had not demonstrated trust like he did. This man was a Centurion, not in Caesar's army, but in God's:
Mark 15:39 "And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God."The Centurion helped crucify Jesus, but he finally realized who Jesus truly is: "the Son of God"! The Centurion confessed that he had wronged this "King of the Jews" and acknowledged it! I can't say that the Centurion went to heaven, but he believed in Jesus. I don't know if the Colonel went to heaven, but he demonstrated that he trusted in Jesus as God's own son.
If he (the Centurion or the Colonel) did wrong all his life and came to the Master at the end of the harvest, the Master welcomes him into his vineyard. If at the end of the harvest the man finally came to the Master, the Master is there with open arms! There are deathbed Christians and others who are Christians before that time, but come to the realization that "trust in Jesus" is necessary and sufficient for entry into the kingdom of God. If the angels are by his side as he transitions into eternity, who am I to say he doesn't deserve grace... for neither do I! God spoke "Well done; good and faithful servant"! even for those who served for a short time! Now that's grace.
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