When we endorse or even ignore the sins of others as normal we have actually engaged with them in their sin. Silence is often an endorsement. There is no "plausible deniability" when it comes to supporting those who are sinning.
If we watch the narcissist abusing someone verbally and emotionally and stand back saying nothing then the silence has been seen as an endorsement. We can never say "I didn't do the wrong thing." Any time we do not stand against evil we have allowed it to grow and prosper.
I cannot count the number of times someone has spoken against sin and the one who is chastised is the one who speaks truth, not the one who is sinning.
Psalm 50:17-19 For you hate My instruction and cast My words behind you. 18 When you see a thief, you befriend him, and throw in your lot with adulterers. 19 You unleash your mouth for evil and unharness your tongue for deceit.…"
Romans 1:32
"Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things are worthy of death, they not only continue to do these things, but also approve of those who practice them."
Friday, October 11, 2019
Born Again or a Pretender?
The practices of the born again believer differ greatly from the practices of those who say they are Christians but defy God's principles while justifying their sin.
The idea that these pretenders can fool human beings into accepting their sin suggests that they do not realize God sees it all and they cannot fool God.
If they believe they can fool humans then how could they possibly believe in God and think they can fool Him.
One cannot believe in God at the same time thinking that He does not see their deception and lies to other human beings. Lying to people suggests strongly that one thinks they can lie to God.
Oh, Oh..... Perhaps they have not read the story of Ananias and Sapphira? Just saying!
Acts 5:1-11
Fate of Ananias and Sapphira
5 But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property,
2 and kept back some of the price for himself, with his wife’s full knowledge, and bringing a portion of it, he laid it at the apostles’ feet.
3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land? 4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”
5 And as he heard these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last; and great fear came over all who heard of it.
6 The young men got up and covered him up, and after carrying him out, they buried him.
7 Now there elapsed an interval of about three hours, and his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.
8 And Peter responded to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for such and such a price?” And she said, “Yes, that was the price.”
9 Then Peter said to her, “Why is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out as well.”
10 And immediately she fell at his feet and breathed her last, and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband.
11 And great fear came over the whole church, and over all who heard of these things."
Ananias and Sapphira were not killed by God for holding back money. God had given them a choice as to how much they would give or hold back. This husband and wife team were killed by God for LYING to the Holy Spirit.
Ananias and Sapphira were disciplined by God BECAUSE they were born again believers. They lied to the Holy Spirit Who was within them. They were an example to all those watching, it cause a fear of offending God to race through the crowd as the pondered the power of God and His hatred of the sin of lying.
Hebrews 12:5-7 "…5 And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not take lightly the discipline of the Lord, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises everyone He receives as a son.” 7 Endure suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?"
The lying was an attempt on their part to impress others. Lying to impress is a sin and hated by God. God hates lying!!!!
By the way, I believe we will see Ananias and Sapphira in heaven. They had the Holy Spirit, God disciplines those He loves and the church was deeply impacted at that time to understand the power of the Holy Spirit and the seriousness of lying. And, keep in mind that lying is sin against the Holy Spirit.
Think about it!
The idea that these pretenders can fool human beings into accepting their sin suggests that they do not realize God sees it all and they cannot fool God.
If they believe they can fool humans then how could they possibly believe in God and think they can fool Him.
One cannot believe in God at the same time thinking that He does not see their deception and lies to other human beings. Lying to people suggests strongly that one thinks they can lie to God.
Oh, Oh..... Perhaps they have not read the story of Ananias and Sapphira? Just saying!
Acts 5:1-11
Fate of Ananias and Sapphira
5 But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property,
2 and kept back some of the price for himself, with his wife’s full knowledge, and bringing a portion of it, he laid it at the apostles’ feet.
3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land? 4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”
5 And as he heard these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last; and great fear came over all who heard of it.
6 The young men got up and covered him up, and after carrying him out, they buried him.
7 Now there elapsed an interval of about three hours, and his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.
8 And Peter responded to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for such and such a price?” And she said, “Yes, that was the price.”
9 Then Peter said to her, “Why is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out as well.”
10 And immediately she fell at his feet and breathed her last, and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband.
11 And great fear came over the whole church, and over all who heard of these things."
Ananias and Sapphira were not killed by God for holding back money. God had given them a choice as to how much they would give or hold back. This husband and wife team were killed by God for LYING to the Holy Spirit.
Ananias and Sapphira were disciplined by God BECAUSE they were born again believers. They lied to the Holy Spirit Who was within them. They were an example to all those watching, it cause a fear of offending God to race through the crowd as the pondered the power of God and His hatred of the sin of lying.
Hebrews 12:5-7 "…5 And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not take lightly the discipline of the Lord, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises everyone He receives as a son.” 7 Endure suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?"
The lying was an attempt on their part to impress others. Lying to impress is a sin and hated by God. God hates lying!!!!
By the way, I believe we will see Ananias and Sapphira in heaven. They had the Holy Spirit, God disciplines those He loves and the church was deeply impacted at that time to understand the power of the Holy Spirit and the seriousness of lying. And, keep in mind that lying is sin against the Holy Spirit.
Think about it!
Pretenders Abound
When God said He loved Jacob and hated Esau. It was not an endorsement for favoritism in families.
God loved Jacob that is an expression of Israel. The name Esau was an expression of those who reject the God of Israel.
God does not hate any child in the womb, He was expressing that Jacob was a picture of his ancestry for the Jews. Esau was a picture of the genealogy of the pagans.
Loving and hating was not expressing a despising of that individual it was an expression of honoring one over another not according to personal hatred.
Psalm 145:9 "Psalm 145:9
"9 The Lord is good to all,
And His mercies are over all His works."
When God said we were to hate our parents, the translation ought to convey that we do not hate our parents we simply prefer God above our parents when it comes to following Christ. The command to honor our parents does not end with adulthood, it remains until the day they die. We just do not honor them above God, never!!!
God chose Jacob in regard to the covenant He would have with the Jews. Esau was the picture of the Arab race who rejected God. It was not personal to him, but in reference to the nation that would grow from him. The choice for Jacob was according to the covenant God would make with the Jews.
God never hated one baby in the womb and loved the other baby in the womb when it comes to Jacob and Esau. God was expressing his desire for the nation that would come from Jacob. God was expressing the desire for Jacob's nation over the nation that would come from Esau, that is the Arabs in relation to the covenant.
Galatians 4:22-23 "
"22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondwoman and one by the free woman.
23 But the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise."
Each person is born according to the purposes of God. He loves all people and desires all to become born again, but knows not everyone will choose Christ. God shows preference toward those who are born again because they chose Him. This applies too, to anyone who wants to be changed into a new creation by Christ, even the Arabs who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. There are Jews who will not be born again because of their choice to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Israel is the chosen nation and will one day be all trusting Christ. Right now they are in the nation in unbelief. Most of the Jews in the end will be destroyed, 2/3rds of them. But the remaining 1/3rd will trust Christ as an entire nation. The nation of Israel will remain and will trust Christ. God said so and I believe Him.
Even many Arabs today are born again, and many Jews are not yet born again. However generally speaking the Jews were for God and the Arabs against Him. Individuals within these groups make their own choices.
God never chose any baby to go to hell and others to go to heaven. He knows who will choose Him because He knows every aspect of any human being, how they think, how they operate and what they will choose.
I can sort of relate to this in a very simplistic way, because I am a quilter and I crochet blankets. I make these things knowing what goes into them and how they are made, how they will wash up and what to expect in their function.
God made every human being, He knows them intimately in ways no other human being can even know themselves. This is why we cannot judge who is born again and who isn't.
However, God told us we shall know them by their fruit, the Holy Spirit guides us in how to deal with each person who comes in our presence. We are to rebuke sin in believers and warn unbelievers they are sinful and need Christ to be saved from their sin and from hell.
Our obedience is based on the Bible and the leading of the Holy Spirit not on our personal observations.
Matthew 7:15-20
A Tree and Its Fruit
"15 “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
16 You will [a]know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?
17 So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.
18 A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.
19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20 So then, you will know them by their fruits."
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."
YES, it is possible to discern this fruit when in the presence of one who claims to be a believer. Our Spirit, the Spirit of God connects in a deeply Spiritual way with those who are authentically born again.
There is no competition or spirit of superiority among those who have the Holy Spirit. There is pure joy at the presence of another born again believer. We see the fruit, that love, joy, peace and all the rest of that fruit when we meet them.
These born again brothers and sisters do not display arrogance or superiority, just love and kindness. These people do not fight back when corrected, nor do they run away, they discuss with interest to come to common agreement. These people easily admit they could be wrong or they disagree with love and gentleness.
I have never encountered an authentic born again believer who raged at anything ever. They simply do not rage. If we encounter someone who defends their sin, rages when we tell the truth, then perhaps we have met a pretender.
The pretender cannot see a post like this and change themselves to fit what Christianity looks like. They will eventually fall back into their old ways when they grow weary of their self effort.
You see the born again believer is the way they are because they have been made into a new creation by Christ. He is the One Who makes them the way they are after the change. They no longer desire to be superior or walk in pretense. They lose their desire to be right and are interested in holiness and spiritual growth.
2 Corinthians 5:17
'17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come."
That's not to say that all believers act perfectly, we all have flaws and we all slip-up in our walk. I am only suggesting that a born again believer does not live a continual lifestyle of sin, arrogance and stubbornness. When we slip up we hate it and confess quickly to be cleansed.
Those who refuse to confess, keep doing the same evil things day after day, year in and year out, were probably never changed into a new creation.
The most common element I have encountered in churches full of arrogant pretenders is the angst that emerges when they are mildly challenged that their attitudes and actions are sinful or just in error. Most of these people do not believe their actions are sinful, they defend them because they think they have good reason to act in these disrespectful ways. These people never ever confess or admit they have done anything wrong. They maintain their superiority and angry stance with greater staunchness than if they had never been confronted.
1 John 3:9-10 "9 Anyone born of God refuses to practice sin, because God’s seed abides in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10 By this the children of God are distinguished from the children of the devil: Anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is anyone who does not love his brother.…"
Do not be dismayed or engage in false guilt when you are treated with contempt for standing for God's Word. We know that in these last days of apostasy this will be mostly what we will encounter. Their rage has nothing to do with you. Those who rage at correction are fighting against God, you are merely the messenger. Since they cannot see God they will direct their savage uncontrolled anger at you.
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.…"
Hallelujah, God sees it all, knows what it means and directs us through the Holy Spirit accordingly.
God loved Jacob that is an expression of Israel. The name Esau was an expression of those who reject the God of Israel.
God does not hate any child in the womb, He was expressing that Jacob was a picture of his ancestry for the Jews. Esau was a picture of the genealogy of the pagans.
Loving and hating was not expressing a despising of that individual it was an expression of honoring one over another not according to personal hatred.
Psalm 145:9 "Psalm 145:9
"9 The Lord is good to all,
And His mercies are over all His works."
When God said we were to hate our parents, the translation ought to convey that we do not hate our parents we simply prefer God above our parents when it comes to following Christ. The command to honor our parents does not end with adulthood, it remains until the day they die. We just do not honor them above God, never!!!
God chose Jacob in regard to the covenant He would have with the Jews. Esau was the picture of the Arab race who rejected God. It was not personal to him, but in reference to the nation that would grow from him. The choice for Jacob was according to the covenant God would make with the Jews.
God never hated one baby in the womb and loved the other baby in the womb when it comes to Jacob and Esau. God was expressing his desire for the nation that would come from Jacob. God was expressing the desire for Jacob's nation over the nation that would come from Esau, that is the Arabs in relation to the covenant.
Galatians 4:22-23 "
"22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondwoman and one by the free woman.
23 But the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise."
Each person is born according to the purposes of God. He loves all people and desires all to become born again, but knows not everyone will choose Christ. God shows preference toward those who are born again because they chose Him. This applies too, to anyone who wants to be changed into a new creation by Christ, even the Arabs who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. There are Jews who will not be born again because of their choice to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Israel is the chosen nation and will one day be all trusting Christ. Right now they are in the nation in unbelief. Most of the Jews in the end will be destroyed, 2/3rds of them. But the remaining 1/3rd will trust Christ as an entire nation. The nation of Israel will remain and will trust Christ. God said so and I believe Him.
Even many Arabs today are born again, and many Jews are not yet born again. However generally speaking the Jews were for God and the Arabs against Him. Individuals within these groups make their own choices.
God never chose any baby to go to hell and others to go to heaven. He knows who will choose Him because He knows every aspect of any human being, how they think, how they operate and what they will choose.
I can sort of relate to this in a very simplistic way, because I am a quilter and I crochet blankets. I make these things knowing what goes into them and how they are made, how they will wash up and what to expect in their function.
God made every human being, He knows them intimately in ways no other human being can even know themselves. This is why we cannot judge who is born again and who isn't.
However, God told us we shall know them by their fruit, the Holy Spirit guides us in how to deal with each person who comes in our presence. We are to rebuke sin in believers and warn unbelievers they are sinful and need Christ to be saved from their sin and from hell.
Our obedience is based on the Bible and the leading of the Holy Spirit not on our personal observations.
Matthew 7:15-20
A Tree and Its Fruit
"15 “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
16 You will [a]know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?
17 So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.
18 A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.
19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20 So then, you will know them by their fruits."
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."
YES, it is possible to discern this fruit when in the presence of one who claims to be a believer. Our Spirit, the Spirit of God connects in a deeply Spiritual way with those who are authentically born again.
There is no competition or spirit of superiority among those who have the Holy Spirit. There is pure joy at the presence of another born again believer. We see the fruit, that love, joy, peace and all the rest of that fruit when we meet them.
These born again brothers and sisters do not display arrogance or superiority, just love and kindness. These people do not fight back when corrected, nor do they run away, they discuss with interest to come to common agreement. These people easily admit they could be wrong or they disagree with love and gentleness.
I have never encountered an authentic born again believer who raged at anything ever. They simply do not rage. If we encounter someone who defends their sin, rages when we tell the truth, then perhaps we have met a pretender.
The pretender cannot see a post like this and change themselves to fit what Christianity looks like. They will eventually fall back into their old ways when they grow weary of their self effort.
You see the born again believer is the way they are because they have been made into a new creation by Christ. He is the One Who makes them the way they are after the change. They no longer desire to be superior or walk in pretense. They lose their desire to be right and are interested in holiness and spiritual growth.
2 Corinthians 5:17
'17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come."
That's not to say that all believers act perfectly, we all have flaws and we all slip-up in our walk. I am only suggesting that a born again believer does not live a continual lifestyle of sin, arrogance and stubbornness. When we slip up we hate it and confess quickly to be cleansed.
Those who refuse to confess, keep doing the same evil things day after day, year in and year out, were probably never changed into a new creation.
The most common element I have encountered in churches full of arrogant pretenders is the angst that emerges when they are mildly challenged that their attitudes and actions are sinful or just in error. Most of these people do not believe their actions are sinful, they defend them because they think they have good reason to act in these disrespectful ways. These people never ever confess or admit they have done anything wrong. They maintain their superiority and angry stance with greater staunchness than if they had never been confronted.
1 John 3:9-10 "9 Anyone born of God refuses to practice sin, because God’s seed abides in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10 By this the children of God are distinguished from the children of the devil: Anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is anyone who does not love his brother.…"
Do not be dismayed or engage in false guilt when you are treated with contempt for standing for God's Word. We know that in these last days of apostasy this will be mostly what we will encounter. Their rage has nothing to do with you. Those who rage at correction are fighting against God, you are merely the messenger. Since they cannot see God they will direct their savage uncontrolled anger at you.
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.…"
Hallelujah, God sees it all, knows what it means and directs us through the Holy Spirit accordingly.
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