Most people who say they are Christians, who read their bibles and even speak some truths have not trusted in Christ because their allegiance is in the culture in which they live not in Him. They will easily accept psychological teachings that make them feel special and superior while spurning the truth of God to fit into the group-think.
2 Timothy 4:3 "For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires,"
John 14:15-17: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you”.
Those in apostate churches today want to win you to themselves not to Christ. They want to draw you away from the principles of the Bible to adjust to their false doctrine and become one of them. One way they do this is to exclude you and isolate you so that you will become sad and alone, causing you to give up the principles of God to become like them.
Galatians 4:16-17 "…16 Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth? 17 Those people are zealous for you, but not in a good way. Instead, they want to isolate you from us, so that you may be zealous for them. "
When we refuse to be courted by them these apostates will attempt to make us jealous of them so that we will give up the wisdom of God to return to them.
When we have Christ and walk with Him daily we have no need to be accepted by others, but those who hate us want us to think we are without love and companionship unless we are just like them.
Jealousy is at the root of all the nefarious interactions with apostates.
'Proverbs 6:34 “Jealousy makes a man rage; he'll show no mercy on his day of revenge.”
Proverbs 14:30 “A peaceful mind gives life to the body, but jealousy rots the bones.”
Proverbs 27:4 “Wrath is cruel and anger is a flood, but who can withstand jealousy?”
The biggest sins of the devil were pride and jealousy. He wanted to be God, these two elements go hand in hand, they feed off of one another. One is not jealous unless they are also prideful and one is not prideful unless they are also jealous.
Gossip is always present when there is jealousy and pride involved. One does not feel a need to gossip to gain the allegiance of others against someone unless there is jealousy. The need to cause others to dislike someone always stems from prideful jealousy.
James 3:14-17
14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth.
15 This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic.
16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.
17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, free of hypocrisy."
Notice the love of God compels us to regard everyone the same treating everyone with respect not only those who might be regarded as special.
The prideful heart feels justified in treating with contempt those who have different gifts from themselves. They hate anyone who is not just like them.
James 3:13-15 "13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good conduct, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you harbor bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast in it or deny the truth. 15 Such wisdom does not come from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.…"
There can be no humility in one who regards some people and diminishes others. Christ died for all and we are no better than anyone else and no one else is better than us.
We have all fallen short of the glory of God and needed a Savior. Those who have no appreciation, love and understanding or affection for those they think are beneath them are not walking in the Spirit of Christ.
Romans 8:8-9
"Those who are in the flesh cannot please God, but those who are in the Spirit can. If the Spirit of God dwells in you, you are in the Spirit and not in the flesh."
Romans 8:10
"If Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness."
Romans 8:9-17
"9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.
10 If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness.
11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
12 So then, brothers and sisters, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh—
13 for if you are living in accord with the flesh, you are going to die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons and daughters of God.
15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons and daughters by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”
16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,
17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him."
If we walk in the Spirit we will not live according to pride and jealousy but according to the fruit of the Spirit of Christ.
Galatians 5:22-23
"22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."
The character qualities of Christ Who lives in us are what compel us to act the way He would want us to act, not by our own efforts but by His Spirit.
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