I am convinced we are seeing far more pretenders in the church today than authentic believers. The practice of picking and choosing the things they like to obey and ignoring the things they don't like is common.
There is far more false doctrine in most gatherings today than there is truth. Since everything is based on "feelings" and "happiness" we can see the resistance to self evaluation.
Most people now expect to be praised and indulged. When they are not they become angry quickly.
Romans 16:18
"18 For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive."
Luke 9:23
"23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me."
Psalm 62:4 " 4 They fully intend to topple him from his lofty perch; they delight in lies; with their mouths they bless, but inwardly they curse. Selah "
Proverbs 27:6
"Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy."
Galatians 1:10
"For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ."
Thursday, May 2, 2019
A Pretender Cannot Fool God!
Unsaved people are just pawns in the hands of the devils. They are not innocent, because they can trust Christ but they choose the devils instead.
Their choice is not conscious but based on feelings they think are their own when they are really lies of the devil. He puts lies into the minds of people and the people believe the lies.
The devil has convinced many people that they can get to heaven through their own efforts. They like to pretend they are good when God says that the only One Who is good is Christ. It is only through Christ that anyone can see heaven.
It is through Christ that anyone can be changed into a new creation. Those who attempt to change themselves will fail, because they cannot do what Christ can do, that is be changed on the inside into a completely different person.
When we become born again our thoughts are no longer the same, they are as the thoughts of Christ. Those who try to change themselves are hearing the lies of the devil that they are good and do not need Christ to change them. The willful and prideful heart wants to be in control of their own changing. It always leads to greater pride and worse character.
Our character must be changed by Christ or it is no change at all. When we attempt to change ourselves it is merely pretense, smoke and mirrors and will not last.
John 10:1-10
"10 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber.
2 But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep.
3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
4 When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.
5 A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.”
6 This figure of speech Jesus spoke to them, but they did not understand what those things were which He had been saying to them.
7 So Jesus said to them again, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.
8 All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.
9 I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly."
2 Corinthians 5:16-18 "…16 So from now on we regard no one according to the flesh. Although we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:…"
John 14:6-7 " 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. 7 If you had known Me, you would know My Father as well. From now on you do know Him and have seen Him.”"
Those who are born again will never go back to what they used to be, the old creation. However, those who are pretenders will always return to their old self. Perhaps they will have left off some bad habits to fit into the culture, but their character has remained the same all the time. Only Christ can change our character.
Their choice is not conscious but based on feelings they think are their own when they are really lies of the devil. He puts lies into the minds of people and the people believe the lies.
The devil has convinced many people that they can get to heaven through their own efforts. They like to pretend they are good when God says that the only One Who is good is Christ. It is only through Christ that anyone can see heaven.
It is through Christ that anyone can be changed into a new creation. Those who attempt to change themselves will fail, because they cannot do what Christ can do, that is be changed on the inside into a completely different person.
When we become born again our thoughts are no longer the same, they are as the thoughts of Christ. Those who try to change themselves are hearing the lies of the devil that they are good and do not need Christ to change them. The willful and prideful heart wants to be in control of their own changing. It always leads to greater pride and worse character.
Our character must be changed by Christ or it is no change at all. When we attempt to change ourselves it is merely pretense, smoke and mirrors and will not last.
John 10:1-10
"10 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber.
2 But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep.
3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
4 When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.
5 A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.”
6 This figure of speech Jesus spoke to them, but they did not understand what those things were which He had been saying to them.
7 So Jesus said to them again, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.
8 All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.
9 I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly."
2 Corinthians 5:16-18 "…16 So from now on we regard no one according to the flesh. Although we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:…"
John 14:6-7 " 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. 7 If you had known Me, you would know My Father as well. From now on you do know Him and have seen Him.”"
Those who are born again will never go back to what they used to be, the old creation. However, those who are pretenders will always return to their old self. Perhaps they will have left off some bad habits to fit into the culture, but their character has remained the same all the time. Only Christ can change our character.
Sacrifices Mean Nothing to God, He Wants Our Hearts
God cares nothing about your sacrifices to appear righteous. He cares about a dedicated heart toward Him.
Psalm 51:16-17 "…16 For You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; You take no pleasure in burnt offerings. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise."
Amos 5:21-23
21 “I hate, I reject your festivals,
Nor do I delight in your solemn assemblies.
22 “Even though you offer up to Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings,
I will not accept them;
And I will not even look at the peace offerings of your fatlings.
23 “Take away from Me the noise of your songs;
I will not even listen to the sound of your harps."
God hates obligatory gifts that only serve to elevate self. He hates our feast days that claim to be for Him but ignore Him and all His principles. Human relationships are this way too, Obligatory gifts and acknowledgements are not pleasing to God or anyone.
Those who say they love God but defend their sin, even treating disrespectfully those who speak for Him, are not honoring God. They pretend to honor Him with their lips but they despise His principles, so they pretend He didn't say what He said.
Matthew 15:7-9 "…7 You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you: 8 ‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. 9 They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’”…"
One who claims to love God but negates His truth often is lying. Just the same as someone who claims to love us but demeans and mocks us regularly. Human relationships are closely related to how we think of God.
1 John 3:13-15 "…13 So do not be surprised, brothers, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. The one who does not love remains in death. 15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that eternal life does not reside in a murderer.…"
The one who rages because they have been warned about a principle of God is one who has contempt in their heart for not only the one they rage at but also for God.
Ephesians 4:31
"31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice."
Psalm 51:16-17 "…16 For You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; You take no pleasure in burnt offerings. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise."
Amos 5:21-23
21 “I hate, I reject your festivals,
Nor do I delight in your solemn assemblies.
22 “Even though you offer up to Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings,
I will not accept them;
And I will not even look at the peace offerings of your fatlings.
23 “Take away from Me the noise of your songs;
I will not even listen to the sound of your harps."
God hates obligatory gifts that only serve to elevate self. He hates our feast days that claim to be for Him but ignore Him and all His principles. Human relationships are this way too, Obligatory gifts and acknowledgements are not pleasing to God or anyone.
Those who say they love God but defend their sin, even treating disrespectfully those who speak for Him, are not honoring God. They pretend to honor Him with their lips but they despise His principles, so they pretend He didn't say what He said.
Matthew 15:7-9 "…7 You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you: 8 ‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. 9 They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’”…"
One who claims to love God but negates His truth often is lying. Just the same as someone who claims to love us but demeans and mocks us regularly. Human relationships are closely related to how we think of God.
1 John 3:13-15 "…13 So do not be surprised, brothers, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. The one who does not love remains in death. 15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that eternal life does not reside in a murderer.…"
The one who rages because they have been warned about a principle of God is one who has contempt in their heart for not only the one they rage at but also for God.
Ephesians 4:31
"31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice."
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