The gods in the Lives of the Unsaved

If anyone says you are not born again because you do not agree on the character of a politician this is a very big clue that the person saying these things is not born again themselves.

No one who is born again would throw a friend who loves God under the bus for not thinking exactly the way he does.

Can you see the problem with someone who gages our spirituality by whether or not you like their candidate?

This is what I mean when I say that people who claim they are Christians but measure our Christianity by whether or not we agree with a politician, that politician has become an idol to them.

I was actually told I was not a Christian if I didn't support a particular candidate. I even voted for the candidate they loved but am not deceived by his antics.

Beware of allowing a pretender to dictate your values and convictions by whether or not you like a particular person. These people are narcissists who will manipulate and intimidate you to diminish your walk with Christ. They place worldly desires and safety above Christ and other believers.

1 John 3:13-15 "…13So do not be surprised, brothers, if the world hates you. 14We know that we have passed from death to life because we love our brothers. The one who does not love remains in death. 15Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that eternal life does not reside in a murderer.…"

The division in the church is growing because people refuse to hear Biblical truth to evaluate a person's character. When a character is ignored to gain things we want, then things are more important to us than God. This is shameful and devastating to the church today.

It is not possible to separate a man's character from his actions. If this man is unfaithful in a serial way to wives he is also going to abandon those who supported him. He lied when he said he would honor his wives and did not. Then tells the public that he never felt he had anything to repent from, that he lived a good life. This is a man who has a problem with integrity.

I can disagree with someone concerning politics, but when they declare I am not born again because I expose the character of someone then they are not friends. They make the declaration about my character and born again status by one thing, whether or not I like their candidate. This is idol worship above the fellowship of the Christians. They do not know my life, my comings and goings but they declare me unsaved because I expose some things about their candidate, that they refuse to admit.

America is more divided than ever now because of the many people who claim to be Christians but have never been born again, and who will fight and argue because they don't have the love of God in them, nor do they care about God's principles for life.

You cannot compartmentalize the character of the man from his public life. A man with good character does not have a private persona different from a public one. The one who has a good character is the same with everyone all the time. Their actions and words do not change based on those they happen to be with or the venue.

If we cannot properly discern things in leaders then we will not be able to discern them in the church or community either. Many people base their assessment of character on whether or not someone likes them or treats them well, as well as on their feelings. This is folly leading only to deception promoting false doctrine based on nothing more than personal desires, whatever one likes to think rather than on truth.

We can expect more of this fantasy thinking as we move closer to the tribulation. We know that the antichrist will be so clever that he will fool the masses and the masses will turn in their friends to be persecuted because they do not love their favorite antichrist.

This spirit of antichrist is already in the world working on those who are pretenders, those who have not been born again but are in the church-dividing the born again believers.

Do not be intimidated by those who falsely accuse you when you attempt to warn them about deception. Let them go, we are not called to keep fellowship with those who love their deception and refuse to pray to find the truth. If we cannot disagree and will not pray then there is no friendship.

Romans 16:17

"I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them."

Titus 3:10

"As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him,"

It never feels good to have to block someone but it may be necessary. Never allow someone to intimidate you into keeping a friend who will not listen to the truth. God clearly said, "warn him once, then twice."

Only One Mediator

Husbands are not the mediators between God and their wives. Priests are not the mediators between the parishioners and God. Each person must obey God on their own and are personally accountable for their own lives.

1 Timothy 2:5 " 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself as a ransom for all—the testimony that was given at just the right time.…"

Christians and Pretenders Grow Together

The difference between a Christian and a pretender is that the Christian loves the things of God and desires to live by them as led by the Holy Spirit who lives in them. The pretender loves to appear special following only God's commands when they suit him but has never been indwelt with the Holy Spirit.

The Christian was born of the Holy Spirit by the working of God and the pretender was never born again by God, continuing to walk in his own mind without regard for God's truth.

The Christian seeks the Bible and the Holy Spirit to obey Him but the pretender adds his own rules to the Bible that makes him feel superior. to appear special following only following God's commands when they make him feel special.

The Christian was born of the Holy Spirit by the working of God and the pretender was never born again continuing to walk in his own mind without regard for God's truth.

Christians love to speak and obey the things of God. The pretender uses the Bible to justify their sin twisting whatever does not fit their narrative. 

The Christian embraces correction from others to improve their walk, but the pretender fights bitterly to defend themselves, they have no interest in growing in holiness.

The pretender uses God's name in vain when they say they are Christians but do not obey Him.
For the Christian obeying and worshiping God is a desire and yearning, loving to discover God's will. For the pretender, God is a useful puppet that does their bidding while being ignored when the pretender does not get their way. 

With the pretender, there is no desire for growing holiness, but this is the whole desire of the born again believer in Christ. 

We have all around us now pretenders who manipulate and intimidate others to be like them, who have no born again experience. These people cause division in the body by their mere claim to be one of the flock, but they are not. 

These pretenders are tares in the group, they looks so much like wheat that God said not to pull them up because you might be pulling up a wheat.

Matthew 13:24-30
"24 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field;
25 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.
26 But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.
27 So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’
29 But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.
30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ”

We now have more tares in the church than we have authentically born again believers. These tares will have a social gospel, more concerned about this world, and their pleasures than they are about God. 

The tares need the gospel once again, only this time with a strong rebuke and admonishment to ask God if they were ever born again. They will interpret God's word often out of context to make it say what they want it to say. They will add to the word their own thinking revealing their deceitful hearts.
The pretenders will use secular myths and stories to add to their brand of Christianity confusing many, leading many people astray with their lies. This is why we must always seek the Bible and the Holy Spirit to evaluate everything that is said by others. 

1 Thessalonians 5:20-21 "…20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt, 21 but test all things. Hold fast to what is good. 22Abstain from every form of evil.…"

1 John 4:1 "1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world."