Were you raised in a family that went to a building they called a church every Sunday but felt something was off?
Perhaps there was a cultural morality that was spoken of occasionally but never the name of Jesus Christ and never opening God's Word to teach about His heart and His principles.
Many of us grew up under these conditions, that being many rules to make the family look good but little to no love and understanding.
These experiences could have driven us away from God and probably did for a time during our young lives. We knew from Sunday school we should pray but God felt so far from us because we had no examples of His love in the home.
Luke 18:10-11 "…10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like the other men— swindlers, evildoers, adulterers— or even like this tax collector."
Matthew 6:1
Be careful not to perform your righteous acts before men to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
Matthew 23:4-6 "…4 They tie up heavy, burdensome loads and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. 5 All their deeds are done for men to see. They broaden their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. 6 They love the places of honor at banquets, the chief seats in the synagogues,"
When we finally repented and came to Christ authentically we were faced with those who considered themselves superior just like the pharisees, who believed they were special. Strutting about like peacocks seeking to be admired by those that see them, they treated others with contempt. Rather than being excited for us and our new faith, they acted jealous wishing we had never come to Christ, even pretending we never did.
After such an experience we were faced with loving them the way they never loved us. Our responsibility was to become like Christ in the face of opposition from those we thought would be happy for us but were even meaner than before.
This is the challenge for the born again believer in our day who encounters Christians who either have not been born again or who remained infant believers never learning how to love God's way.
Let us not be pharisees but lovers of truth possessing the fruit of the Spirit. Seeking Christ in us through prayer and the reading of His Word is the way we can resist the temptation of the devil to respond to attacks in a fleshly manner.
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."
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