Pretenders are Those Who are Lukewarm

Revelation 3:16-18 "…16 So because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to vomit you out of My mouth! 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have grown wealthy and need nothing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked."

There are many pretenders in the church gatherings who walk in self-righteousness, disobey the Word of God regularly and even have a disdain for anyone who will correct them according to the Word. This is called the apostasy that God said would happen in the last days.

Proverbs 13:7

"There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches."

Those who are poor in spirit, who know they had to be saved from their sin and realize it is only Christ Who is good, these are the rich ones who will see their inheritance with Christ.

Luke 18:9-14

"He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ ..."

Those who boast of their own goodness are doing it because they know they are not and need to convince others as they attempt to convince themselves.

Titus 3:5

"He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,"

Those who became born again were those who knew they were wretched and in need of a Savior. No one will be saved who believes they deserved the grace of God. These people walk in pride thinking they are better than others.

Ephesians 2:8-9

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."

Romans 10:3

"For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness."

Remember it is only Christ Who is good, no one else can claim they are good.

Proverbs 30:12

"There are those who are clean in their own eyes but are not washed of their filth."

Matthew 7:21-23

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’"

My prayer is that those who are full of themselves thinking they are earning their way to heaven will repent and see the need to trust Christ and become cleansed by Him.

He is the only One Who can cleanse us, He is the only One Who can save us from ourselves.

Luke 10:27

"And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”