God never told anyone to "be a Pentecostal" or "Baptist" or "Lutheran" or "Calvinist", He told us to be followers of Christ. Whenever human beings have given themselves titles they end up devising their own system of religion.
Those with titles are exposing the fact that they follow men and systems, not Jesus Christ.
All of our actions emerge from our thought life. We cannot have actions different from our thought life.
When we rebuke someone for their attitude or actions and their retort to us is; "you don't know my heart" they are operating from the premise that our heart condition has nothing to do with our actions.
It is clear from our actions what is in our hearts. A loving person on the inside could never do unkind things on the outside.
Matthew 15:17-19
"17 Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated?
18 But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and those things defile the person.
19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, acts of adultery, other immoral sexual acts, thefts, false testimonies, and slanderous statements."
When God shows us our hearts because of our actions we are obligated to self-reflect and confess what does not honor God to be cleansed from that which defiles us.
1 John 1:9-10 "9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us."
Those who believe they can sin on the outside and still have a clean heart are backward thinking. Just the opposite is true, the heart is what motivates the outward actions.
Psalm 32:5
"Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not hide my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD," and You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah"
It is only through confession of sin that anyone can be cleansed from that sin. Without confession the sin not only continues but expands and eventually hardens the hearts of those who are too stubborn to admit their need for cleansing.
Unbelievers cannot be saved without repentance and believers will not grow in holiness without confession of sin.
Those who defend their sin are not born again. Sin is appalling to the born-again believer. If the one who has been changed by Christ falls into sin they are deeply convicted until they confess to be cleansed of it. Only those who have never been born again are at peace with their sin.
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?…"
Those who believe they can sin all they want without consequences do not understand salvation and they do not understand the grace of God.
Romans 6:1-2 "1 What then shall we say? Shall we continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2 Certainly not! How can we who died to sin live in it any longer?…"
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