Paul's account of his life after following Christ puts American Christians to shame. We whine because we do not control politics, we whine because we don't get what we want when we want it, yet we do not see hardship as a true disciple of Christ did in Old Testament times. We ought to be ashamed that we spend more time working feverishly to secure our freedoms, which will disappear anyway because of our pride.
We do not have control over our freedom, it was given to us by God as a test to see where it would lead us and we have failed miserably. As a country the conservatives who attend Christian gatherings every week whine more about their loss of freedom than they glory in the cross of Christ.
2 Corinthians 11:21-29
"21 To my shame I must say that we have been weak by comparison.
But in whatever respect anyone else is bold—I am speaking in foolishness—I too am bold.
22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.
23 Are they servants of Christ?—I am speaking as if insane—I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death.
24 Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes.
25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent adrift at sea.
26 I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, dangers among false brothers;
27 I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.
28 Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches.
29 Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern?"
1 Thessalonians 2:1-6
Paul's Ministry to the Thessalonians
"2 For you yourselves know, brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain.
2 But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict.
3 For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive,
4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts.
5 For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness.
6 Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ."
The winning about political freedom and the fears about everything must stop so that the witness of Christians will be true and bold.
All flattery to manipulate and all people-pleasing must go if we are to have an authentic representation of Christ in us as well as a gospel that changes hearts.
If someone is sucked into our gathering becoming a Christian because they loved the flattery and people-pleasing, or even the political bent, they were never born again.
Our message ought to come in boldness with conviction that many might grieve over their sinfulness and desire to be changed by Christ.
Softening your message, flattering the people may bring in numbers but only to the extent that increases the state of apostasy. When a person comes in the back door to please themselves they will not be born again.
Christ will not change a person who only desires to use Him without repentance toward their own sinfulness.
Acts 3:19
"Repent, therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out,"
Matthew 4:17
"From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
No one will be saved without repentance, confessing their sin with a desire to be changed by Christ.
Acts 17:30
"The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,"
Growing the church through motivational speaking coupled with flattery will only grow an apostate organization that God hates.
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.’ ”…"
The preacher once asked; "what is the motivation of your heart" when you go to the church gathering?" Is it to "enjoy" it or "feel accepted", then you are not attending to worship God, it is the lukewarmness God hates, the one He vomits out of His mouth.
Revelations 3:15-17 "…15 I know your deeds; you are neither cold nor hot. How I wish you were one or the other! 16 So because you are lukewarm— neither hot nor cold— I am about to vomit you out of My mouth! 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have grown wealthy and need nothing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.…"
Those who are pretenders in the church will accuse those who walk uprightly of things the upright are not doing but the accusers are doing. Beware of those pretenders and avoid them. They do not have the Holy Spirit, they remain worldly because they have not been changed by Christ.
The only message for these pretenders is that they should ask God if they are born again because their fruit looks very rotten. What is the fruit? It is not actions or works, the fruit is the character qualities of Christ in every born-again believer. This fruit can be seen by discerning believers.
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."
These qualities of Christ that dwell in us are what motivate us to be and do what Christ would be and do. When we mess up out of weakness we hate it and confess to be cleansed of the problem. Then we begin again in obedience to Christ. As born-again believers we ought to be growing and changing all the time, this is the sanctification God speaks of in His word, an ongoing cleansing for the rest of our lives on earth. If someone who attends the Christian gatherings has gone all their lives without any change in them it is likely they were never born again.
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 every son He receives.” 7 Endure suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?…"
If someone says they are a Christian but are not growing and changing, even defending their sin, they are probably a pretender never having been changed by Christ.
2 Timothy 2:21 "Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work."
How do we cleanse ourselves? We confess our sin to God and ask Him to cleanse us. This is a permanent change in us that will not be undone or retracted. The more we confess with each sinful attitude or action the more we walk in holiness. We are not sinless but we do sin less as some preachers have said. And we hate our sin as much as God hates it.
1 Thessalonians 5:23
"Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Did we see this? We do not sanctify ourselves, we confess and He does the cleansing. If we try to do it ourselves we will walk in pride and it will not be a heart change, only an outer appearance of change.
All religions of the world operate from the belief that we must work hard to be what we should be. But a relationship with Christ is based on His Work in us, not our own feeble efforts. He saves the born again believer, He gives us the Holy Spirit, He works all the good works in us, He takes us home when He comes for His bride. In short; He does all the changing in us and all the work of sanctification, we must only trust in Him.
If someone is too proud to confess their sin and ask for cleansing then God will not change them, they are left to flounder in their own pride until they come to the end of themselves. And, if you are a child of God He will bring about circumstances that cause you to want to turn to Him. Hardship is a great motivator to give up our own effort and turn to Christ.
1 John 1:9
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Titus 3:5
"He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,"
Hebrews 9:14
"How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God."
How is our walk? Are we walking in dead fleshly good works or are we working because Christ in us is doing the work?
