Beware of Narcissistic Flattery

Jeremiah 12:6 "6 Even your brothers— your own father’s household— even they have betrayed you; even they have cried aloud against you. Do not trust them, though they speak well of you. "

Once the narcissists show you who they are by their refusal to love God and you, then it is time to move on to healthy and loving relationships.

They are out there, God can find them for you!

Those who are locked into remaining with rebellious and toxic family members are not necessarily responding to Biblical standards.

2 Corinthians 6:16-18 "…16 What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.” 17“Therefore come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” 18 And: “I will be a Father to you, and you will be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”"

When we spend more time with the ungodly, especially family members who claim to be Christians but act badly, then we will remain spiritual babies ourselves. We tend to adopt the actions and attitudes of those we spend the most time with.

1 Corinthians 15:33
Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”"

Even "moral" superficial family will mock and demean our walk because they are trusting in their own righteousness instead of the righteousness of Christ.

The more dedicated you are to the principles of God and to knowing His mind, the greater distance place between you and superficial pretenders in the church or in family.

When you find yourself seemingly on the outside of everyone all the time because of your trust in Christ and His Word, you will be isolated and demeaned by others.....guaranteed!!!!

James 1:2-8
"2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."

Yes, you can be fulfilled, joyful and productive without the people you thought you needed so much.

Excusing Sin Demeans God

If we forgive before repentance we are in disobedience to God. When we relieve someone of the guilt of their sin before they are sorry they did it we solidify the sin in their heart.

The psychology of forgiving offenders when they do not want forgiveness works against God's ways.

We are not to do revenge, we are not to be mean to people no matter what they do, but we are also not to forgive until they confess and want to reconcile.

1 John 1:9
'9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Luke 17:4 "4 Even if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times returns to say, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.” 5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”…"

Notice in the passage "if he comes and says 'I repent', you must forgive him."

It is amazing how often believers leave out important phrases that clarify the text.

Yes we are to be ready to forgive, even excited that someone came to ask forgiveness, extending it freely and with joy. The condition for that forgiveness is that they want it and are sorrowful over their sin.

Bitterness does not come because the sinner won't repent to be able to receive forgiveness. We do not become bitter because others won't do what is needed to obey God.

Psychology has perverted the thinking of most people. They have been taught many years something that works against God's purposes and plans.

Perhaps so many like the false doctrine of forgiving before there is sorrow over sin because they want others to "just let it go" when they sin.

This culture enables and encourages sin by refusing to hold someone accountable for their actions.

Truth telling and accountability has become the new evil. Those who just let everything go without accountability foster a mentality of entitlement in the one who sins. Not only do many people treat sin as though its not so bad, they also encourage it by defending it with excuses to avoid bad feelings.

Bad feelings about sinning is a good thing. We should feel bad when we sin, it leads us to repentance, a changed heart and a changed life.

Coddling people has led to the snowflake mentality in which we live every day. Rather than shame over the sinfulness there is monstrous rage when someone is told they must repent. The gospel has been perverted by the softening of the matter of sin.

Romans 5:6-10
"6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life."

Sin is very serious, its offense against God who had to spill His blood to pay the price for our sin. How could we possibly treat it as though its just another personal choice in life.

The sin done against us is a training time for us, but that sin is also against God and very serious. An attitude of entitlement that everyone should just "let go" our sin so we can feel good about ourselves has created the monstrous culture we live in today.

This culture does not take seriously sin against God because most Christians do not take sin seriously. So many people are ready to feel sorry for the one who does evil and forget completely about those they have harmed.

The pressure doesn't ever seem to be on the ones who do evil to repent and change. The pressure is mostly on the one who was offended to forgive even without any show of sorrow or change in the offender.

This is patently wrong and works against God. He wants confession of sin, sorrow for evil deeds and forgiveness for those who want to be forgiven.

Luke 17:3-4 "3 So watch yourselves. “If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. 4 Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.”"

Two important principles here, 1. if there is sin against you there must be a rebuke for that sin. 2. If the offender is sorry because of the rebuke then is when forgiveness is extended.

Psychology has confused the mind of many with evolutionary thinking that we are all animals and respond to stimuli. This is not the state of man. Man has a conscience place in them by God that gives them a higher status, greater reasoning ability and the ability to be far more devious than an animal.

Animals do things out of instinct and preservation. Man often does things out of greed and a need to feel superior to others. The heart of man is evil and capable horrid acts of hate.

God told us to forgive to glorify Him. It does not glorify Him when we pamper those who are evil. We can pray for them and refuse to act like them, but we should never excuse their sin.