What The Preacher Said Last Night. A letter from Will Powell to Dave Enlow

March 5, 1995

Dear Dave:

Last night I heard part of a radio program from South Carolina in which the speaker tried to warn just about everyone in churches–from the pastor, elder, deacon, usher, Sunday School teachers, song leaders, janitor, grass-cutter–that he may NOT be saved–even if he feels certain that he is saved!

He didn’t mention your name, or Billy Graham’s name, but he covered nearly everyone else! I thought I should pass on his warning to you so that you can begin to worry. Naturally, he failed to include himself in the group who just might NOT be saved–after all. What the man said was depressing–and it just might be TRUE!  What about it, Dave?

Suppose your assurance of salvation is based upon Satan’s lies, and suppose that you are not actually saved at all but on the road to hell?  Perhaps–after all you’ve “done” for the Lord–writing, teaching, witnessing–the Lord may say, “Depart from me, ye cursed, in to everlasting fire.., or ~ “I never knew you, depart from Me..”  Impossible?  Not at all! –And after you spent all your life thinking you were saved, and doing all kinds of good works!  Since Satan is himself transformed into an angel of light, and since he has power to deceive, he could well have deceived Dave Enlow, could he not?  How can you be sure?

Perhaps you should go to the altar and try to make certain your salvation, Dave!  But– what could you “believe” and ~do~ now, that you haven’t already “done”? Good question! Sure–you may have the “assurance” of salvation–but probably those people in Matthew 25 thought they were “good” also.  You may be listening to Satan’s lies, Dave.  Face it!

You say you couldn’t be wrong?  It couldn’t happen to you?  Don’t be too sure.  Churches are full of people who think the same thing, and who will land in hell–that’s what the man said–and I think he’s from your camp.  But-but-but–your but~ won’t keep you out of hell!  The road is paved with good intentions–and “good workers”–but Jesus may say that He never knew you!

Seriously, Dave, can you give me even ONE, GOOD, specific reason why you can be certain that you are saved?  Because YOU did this and that?  Won’t work!  You may have been in sincere or faking or pretending to ~believe” because you were afraid of going to hell! You may not have ~’repented~ enough to qualify for salvation.  Any number of things may have been insufficient to persuade God to save you – since you obviously rely upon what you have “done”!  All of this may upset you–and it should upset you–because this is exactly the uncertainty trip you lay on me–and you laid on my son!

YOU–Dave Enlow–may be in hell today–if what the man said is true.  He may also be in hell–today–if what he said is true–and what he said is precisely what YOU BELIEVE!

But–you say that you believe that, Jesus died to remove the guilt of all your sins, and will deliver you from the threat of hell?  Very good!  But that’s exactly what I believe!

You say that you do not rely upon anything which you may try to do to earn salvation–and that you trust in God ALONE to save you?  Fine!  But that’s exactly what I do!

Yet by your creed, you must agree that YOU may go to hell–because something may not be quite right in what you ~believe” or ~do~!  At least that’s what you tell ME! Bad news!

So–we’re actually back to square one.  You had better hurry to the altar and see if you can make sure that you are not going to hell!  Maybe you overlooked some small detail? You think you are saved– but ARE You REALLY SAVED?  How can you be sure–if “it all depends upon YOU? Get serious!

Anyone for the absolute, objective, irrefutable, unrejectable, efficacy of God’s work in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ–for which belief you constantly reproach me? Doesn’t such a belief sound just a little better to you than before?