Since the beginning of time God has had people on the earth that are truly His people, but they are troubled by many among them who are professors, claiming to be one of the believers but are not. This problem of false believers among the true believers will continue until the Son of man sends forth His angels and gathers them out of His kingdom.

Are there unbelievers that are members of churches? Some pastors estimate that 50 percent of their congregation on the church roll are not saved and some say up to 75 percent. What are we to do with these lost church members who profess to be saved but are lost?

Satan can't uproot the true believers so he plants false believers, those who profess to be saved but are not. This causes a multitude of problems. In the book of Matthew beginning with Matthew 13:24 it is explained that the kingdom of heaven is like a man which sowed good seed in his field. Christ is planting, or sowing, true believers throughout the world. Jesus explains this in Matthew 13:38. Jesus tells us that the field is the world and the good seed are the children of the kingdom, the true believers.

Then, in Matthew 13:25 Matthew tells us that while men slept an enemy sowed tares among the wheat. Jesus tells us in Matthew 13:29-42 that this enemy that sowed the tares is the devil. Tares are weeds that look just like the wheat until harvest time. Wheat bears fruit but tares do not. Christ sows the true believers, the wheat, and then comes Satan and sows the tares, false Christians, among the believers. In Matthew 13:38-39 we see that these tares are the children of the wicked one, the devil. These are the professors of Christianity that reject the redemptive work of Christ and are lost. Satan has his false Christians, 2 Corinthians 11:26, that believe a false Gospel, Galatians 1:6-9.

In Matthew 13:30 Matthew tells us to let the false Christians grow along with the true Christians. So the task of the church is to plant true believers, not to pull up or cast out the false believers for doing so may uproot a true believer. Jesus will take care of that at the harvest, Matthew 13:41-43.

We can see this mixture of believers and professors throughout the Bible. There are many Bible references concerning this but here is a sampling:

• The example of Cain and Abel in Genesis 4:3-5.
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• The mixed multitude is seen in Nehemiah 13:1-3.
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• A mixed multitude was among the children of Israel, Numbers 11:4-6.
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• The false teachers and deceitful workers are mentioned in 2 Corinthians 11:13-15.
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• Paul tells us of the false brethren brought in to lead them into bondage, Galatians 2:4.
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• Peter warns us of false teachers among us and that many would follow them, 2 Peter 2:1-2.

There are many people who are formalists, hypocrites, and deceived legalists that are working for their own salvation while a true believer is working out the salvation they already have as a free gift, Philippians 2:12-13. In Ephesians 2:8-10 the aposle Paul says that we are saved by grace through faith and that not of ourselves but it is a gift of God. Therefore one cannot boast except for God's mercy and grace. Then in verse 10 we see that we are created unto good works.

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