Suppose you don’t make any profession; you must meet God all the same, and in the judgment every man shall be judged according to his works, whether he makes any profession or not. All men are accountable to God, and He has declared that “as many as have sinned without law [these are people who don’t make any profession] shall also perish without law” (Romans 2:1212For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; (Romans 2:12)), and “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:2323For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)). So you see it matters little whether you make any profession or not; you have sinned against God, and as a sinner you will receive sin’s wages and perish.
But, let us see. I thought you did make some profession. Have you at times taken the name of “God” upon your lips? Has the name of “Jesus Christ” been spoken by you? Then, of course, you believe that there is a God and that Jesus Christ was sent by Him into the world. That is a considerable “profession” to make.
Have you sometimes sung along with a hymn you heard others singing - something like “Amazing Grace,” for instance, which has become so popular that it is heard over the air and in the street? If you allowed yourself to sing the words of the hymn, that was “making a profession” before men and angels. If you are not born again - not a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ - that was hypocrisy.
Many people have become so accustomed to these things and go through them with so little thought that they consider that there is no profession in them. But these are not God’s thoughts. He calls them “hypocrites” who take the place of being His people and are not. He says, “They profess that they know God; but in works they deny Him” (Titus 1:1616They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate. (Titus 1:16)), and as hypocrites they will be judged.
Do not forget that a man who takes God’s name upon his lips and sings hymns without being born of God is a false professor, and if he continues so and passes into eternity without Christ, he will have his portion with the hypocrites.