Just being in is a good thing, but, it appears that there are extenuating possibilities even if you are in.
In the parable Jesus told in Matthew 13, he gave four illustrations of what happens to the sowed seed. He explained that the seed was the Word of God and the soil was the soul of man. If you take the percentages demonstrated in this parable, you could come up with the figure of one fourth of those who received the seed actually demonstrating growth. This is disturbing because, if it is a truth, then, three fourths of those who believe they are in, are not.
The hard heart hears it but does not believe it and the seed is taken away. The one who has affliction or persecution in his life and has emotionally received the word will find that the focus on affliction or persecution will not allow the seed to develop roots and the plant dies. Then, the one who has so many cares about being wealthy or worries about being poor allows these concerns choke the growth of the new plant to death.
John 1:12 sheds some light on the viability of the status of being "in". Jesus said that "as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God." Once the seed is planted, we have the right to nurture it or neglect it. This seed can take root and receive nourishment if the heart is prepared or we can allow affliction, persecution, worries and concerns of this world to keep it from growing roots or just chocking the new growth out. It is up to us.
The secret of a successful "in" is abiding. Again, in John 15 Jesus spoke of the absolute importance of abiding. We are to abide in Him and He is to abide in us. His Word should be cultivated in our minds allowing us to understand how to draw the nourishment this new life needs in order for it to grow. There are consequences for not abiding and they are not good. The dead branch is chopped off and thrown into the fire. Where there is life, there is fruit. Fruit is the outward proof of life and Paul lists the evidence of life - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness faithfulness, gentleness and self-control in Galatians 5:22 and 23.
Are you in? Are you in for real?
