Wednesday, July 30, 2025
This World is not My Home, I am here on a Mission Ordered by My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
In these last days, I am struck by those who think they can change what is going on in the world when we know it was prophesied.
The end is coming, the world is destroying itself, dominated by devils influencing people to do horrendous things, embracing and enabling sin as though it were perfectly alright.
There isn't anything we can or should do to change it except the gospel and edifying one another right before Christ comes. We are watching prophecy.
Imagine if Noah said, "We have to do something to stop the flood." or Lot deciding to "save Sodom from God's judgement. We would think that was silly, and yet it is exactly what many "Christians" are doing when they have more interest in politics than they do in obeying Christ, His Word and His principles.
Most Christians are cultural without a desire to obey God. They use His name while attempting to create a world according to their own version of righteousness, but disobey much of Scripture, even being hostile toward those who use the Bible to show them their error.
2 Timothy 4:2-4 "…2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and encourage with every form of patient instruction. 3 For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires. 4 So they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths."
This is where the world rests right now; there is no changing it. We can share the gospel where and when the Holy Spirit leads for individuals, and we can warn believers about mixing their ways with the ways of the world; this is our calling. However, we are not called to make a better place for us to dwell so we can slide into ease and happiness for the rest of our lives.
Keep speaking the truth of the gospel, keep warning believers to obey Christ, but know that most will not listen, and we are not responsible for their lack of interest, their response or for their salvation; we are only responsible to do what God told us to do, always speaking the truth.
The end is coming, the world is destroying itself, dominated by devils influencing people to do horrendous things, embracing and enabling sin as though it were perfectly alright.
There isn't anything we can or should do to change it except the gospel and edifying one another right before Christ comes. We are watching prophecy.
Imagine if Noah said, "We have to do something to stop the flood." or Lot deciding to "save Sodom from God's judgement. We would think that was silly, and yet it is exactly what many "Christians" are doing when they have more interest in politics than they do in obeying Christ, His Word and His principles.
Most Christians are cultural without a desire to obey God. They use His name while attempting to create a world according to their own version of righteousness, but disobey much of Scripture, even being hostile toward those who use the Bible to show them their error.
2 Timothy 4:2-4 "…2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and encourage with every form of patient instruction. 3 For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires. 4 So they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths."
This is where the world rests right now; there is no changing it. We can share the gospel where and when the Holy Spirit leads for individuals, and we can warn believers about mixing their ways with the ways of the world; this is our calling. However, we are not called to make a better place for us to dwell so we can slide into ease and happiness for the rest of our lives.
Keep speaking the truth of the gospel, keep warning believers to obey Christ, but know that most will not listen, and we are not responsible for their lack of interest, their response or for their salvation; we are only responsible to do what God told us to do, always speaking the truth.
Becoming a New Creation in Christ
When we are born again, Christ changes us into a new creation. We no longer think the same way; we hate sin and love righteousness, whereas before salvation, we loved sin and resisted righteousness. The way we think drives our actions.
If someone has cleaned up their act enough to be seen by others as a better person, this is not salvation; it is a person trusting in themselves instead of Christ. The self-will remains, and the actions are better, but the heart is not dependent on Christ for cleansing and salvation.
Many people want to be better people because it brings a better life for them, but without Christ it is still the road to hell.
When we admit our sinful nature and desire to be changed by Christ into a new creation, He responds by changing our mind toward sin and comes to live in us simultaneously.
The sin we used to enjoy becomes repugnant to us and the righteousness that used to embarrass us is a delight to us.
We cannot change our own hearts; Christ must do that. We can only change some outward actions, but the heart remains in rebellion against God.
Those who remain dedicated to their own way of thinking while ignoring the commands and principles of the Bible were never born again; they are pretenders who must be born again for the first time.
The authentic Christian life is one of difficulty because it brings with it hostility from the world around us, but that hostility pales in comparison to the joy and peace Christ works in us.
Those who live a self-righteous life, full of pride and self-will, do not experience peace and joy, but must continually strive to feel good about themselves while impressing others. These are those who spend more time judging others than they do self-reflecting to correct the errors in themselves. They are full of pride about how good they think they are, as well as dedicated to many rules God never made, but they sound superior to them.
A discerning person can spot those who are self-righteous phonies, they lack joy and are deeply dedicated to hiding their true selves. They never share anything negative about themselves and never admit to a need for further spiritual growth. They are resistant to correction or rebuke that might help them better understand the way of Christ.
Those who love Christ authentically, who have been changed by Him, have no need to impress others; they are full of the fruit of the Spirit and grow in character and holiness the more they submit to God's Word. Those who love Christ more than themselves will continually evaluate themselves according to the word of God and pray for cleansing. Their Spiritual growth is constant as they seek Christ in everything.
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."
Those who are pretenders lack the love of Christ, because everything they do is about self when it comes to good deeds. They wish to elevate self as they denigrate others. They are all about the rules more than they are about Christ's commands and principles.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
"4 Love is patient, love is kind, it is not jealous; love does not brag, it is not arrogant. 5 It does not act disgracefully, it does not seek its own benefit; it is not provoked, does not keep an account of a wrong suffered, 6 it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 it keeps every confidence, it believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."
The more an authentic believer confesses their flaws, the more they grow in Spiritual maturity. Those who are pretenders do not grow, remaining spiritual and emotional infants as they attempt to fool everyone around them. Often, they lack joy that can be seen by Authentically Spiritual Christians. Their happiness is based on circumstances, and they are fiercely competitive with others.
Those who wish to be changed by Christ will be humble desiring to know their flaws to be cleansed of them.
1 John 1:9
"9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
This confessing and being cleansed should be occurring regularly as we examine our own hearts. Every sin begins in the heart before it ever becomes an action. Eventually, that sin will show its ugly head if only in subtle ways, while the pretender attempts to hide it from others, they will engage covert means to judge and demean others to elevate self.
Hiding sin only delays Spiritual and emotional growth. Many people remain immature spiritually all their lives into old age. Eventually, one has hidden so long that they can no longer even know their real selves.
Thank God He has a solution to this problem of sin and pretense, which is to humbly admit sinful attitudes, trust in Christ for changing and cleansing, and then the one who does this is on the road to Spiritual and emotional growth.
If someone has cleaned up their act enough to be seen by others as a better person, this is not salvation; it is a person trusting in themselves instead of Christ. The self-will remains, and the actions are better, but the heart is not dependent on Christ for cleansing and salvation.
Many people want to be better people because it brings a better life for them, but without Christ it is still the road to hell.
When we admit our sinful nature and desire to be changed by Christ into a new creation, He responds by changing our mind toward sin and comes to live in us simultaneously.
The sin we used to enjoy becomes repugnant to us and the righteousness that used to embarrass us is a delight to us.
We cannot change our own hearts; Christ must do that. We can only change some outward actions, but the heart remains in rebellion against God.
Those who remain dedicated to their own way of thinking while ignoring the commands and principles of the Bible were never born again; they are pretenders who must be born again for the first time.
The authentic Christian life is one of difficulty because it brings with it hostility from the world around us, but that hostility pales in comparison to the joy and peace Christ works in us.
Those who live a self-righteous life, full of pride and self-will, do not experience peace and joy, but must continually strive to feel good about themselves while impressing others. These are those who spend more time judging others than they do self-reflecting to correct the errors in themselves. They are full of pride about how good they think they are, as well as dedicated to many rules God never made, but they sound superior to them.
A discerning person can spot those who are self-righteous phonies, they lack joy and are deeply dedicated to hiding their true selves. They never share anything negative about themselves and never admit to a need for further spiritual growth. They are resistant to correction or rebuke that might help them better understand the way of Christ.
Those who love Christ authentically, who have been changed by Him, have no need to impress others; they are full of the fruit of the Spirit and grow in character and holiness the more they submit to God's Word. Those who love Christ more than themselves will continually evaluate themselves according to the word of God and pray for cleansing. Their Spiritual growth is constant as they seek Christ in everything.
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."
Those who are pretenders lack the love of Christ, because everything they do is about self when it comes to good deeds. They wish to elevate self as they denigrate others. They are all about the rules more than they are about Christ's commands and principles.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
"4 Love is patient, love is kind, it is not jealous; love does not brag, it is not arrogant. 5 It does not act disgracefully, it does not seek its own benefit; it is not provoked, does not keep an account of a wrong suffered, 6 it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 it keeps every confidence, it believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."
The more an authentic believer confesses their flaws, the more they grow in Spiritual maturity. Those who are pretenders do not grow, remaining spiritual and emotional infants as they attempt to fool everyone around them. Often, they lack joy that can be seen by Authentically Spiritual Christians. Their happiness is based on circumstances, and they are fiercely competitive with others.
Those who wish to be changed by Christ will be humble desiring to know their flaws to be cleansed of them.
1 John 1:9
"9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
This confessing and being cleansed should be occurring regularly as we examine our own hearts. Every sin begins in the heart before it ever becomes an action. Eventually, that sin will show its ugly head if only in subtle ways, while the pretender attempts to hide it from others, they will engage covert means to judge and demean others to elevate self.
Hiding sin only delays Spiritual and emotional growth. Many people remain immature spiritually all their lives into old age. Eventually, one has hidden so long that they can no longer even know their real selves.
Thank God He has a solution to this problem of sin and pretense, which is to humbly admit sinful attitudes, trust in Christ for changing and cleansing, and then the one who does this is on the road to Spiritual and emotional growth.
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