Sunday, July 27, 2025
Changed by Christ and Him Alone
We are rejected by those who call themselves Christian, who have not been changed by Christ, but thought they would become saved merely by saying they are a Christian. They don't understand that salvation through Christ is not about what we say, but about what Christ does in us in response to our repentance for our sinfulness and a desire to be changed by Him.
What is meant by God in His Word is always determined by the context of the passages. Those who are not authentically born again will interpret the Bible in terms of their fallen mindset because they have not been changed by Christ into a new creation. They do not have the mind of Christ and continue to think in flawed cultural terms rather than in what God actually said.
Philippians 2:5 "5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus: "
1 Corinthians 2:15-16 "15The spiritual man judges all things, but he himself is not subject to anyone’s judgment. 16 “For who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
Those who never repented and decided on their own to present themselves as Christians are not able to understand the commands and principles of God; they remain ignorant of the ways of God, no matter how much they read the Bible. These people are the most dangerous people in the church gathering.
Those who are pretenders lead people to believe they are saved because of their own decision, gaining influence in the gathering while misinterpreting much of God's Word while judging others for not following their prescribed human rules and standards that God never commanded.
In these last days, we are witnessing more convoluted interpretations of Scripture by those who have never been born again but think they are going to heaven.
Matthew 7:21-23
I Never Knew You
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’"
Many false doctrines have emerged because of the fallen mindset of those who are pretenders and don't know they are pretenders. The devil has convinced them that they are still in control of themselves, and they must save themselves and think without the mind of Christ.
One of the sayings I hate the most is "God gave us a brain", as though thinking with our fallen mindset is alright because God gave that brain to us. What this tells me is the person using this phrase denies the need to trust in Christ and be changed by Him.
If someone thinks we must figure things out for ourselves and not bother asking God, then I have to believe they never trusted in Him and remain dedicated to their own way of thinking with their fallen mind.
I notice, too, that those who think like this often demonstrate a prideful stance in many things, unable to be taught. They do not change their entire lives because they rely on their own idea of things instead of consulting with God for His truth.
In other words, those who have entered the church gathering, thinking simply by deciding to be a Christian, they are going to heaven, they are fooled by the devil, while on their way to hell. These people must be told the way of salvation through repentance and faith in Christ so that they will become broken over their sinfulness and desire to be changed by Christ. Only then will they be transformed into a new creation and begin to think with the mind of Christ.
Ephesians 2:9-10 "…9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life. "
Transformed by Christ not by Changing Ourselves to Glorify Self
Anyone who still wants to live in sin without a desire to be changed by God was never born again. Christ transforms those who want to be changed by Him; they are no longer the same person and no longer think the way they used to think.
If you hear a Christian say to you, "I am the same person I've always been", you have reason to be concerned.
When we have trusted in Christ, expressing our sorrow over our own sinfulness, He then changes us into a new creation. We are no longer the same person, nor do we want to ever return to the old again.
Those who think they became saved by deciding to join a Christian church remain unsaved and still headed for hell. It is only brokenness over our sinfulness and crying out to God to change us that He will work in Us.
Ephesians 2:10 "…9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life."
2 Corinthians 5:17
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!"
Philippians 2:13
"For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose."
Titus 2:14
"He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds."
Colossians 1:10
"so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,"
James 2:17-18
"So too, faith by itself, if it does not result in action, is dead. / But someone will say, “You have faith and I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds."
It is Christ's work in our hearts that results in righteous actions. Any work of our own that results in actions is dead works, not evidence of salvation, but willful deeds to elevate the self.
Christ wants to guide us in every way; only when we want this is the evidence of a changed heart. Those who still want to take credit for their actions and changed behavior in their own efforts are not born again until they confess this sinful stance and pray to be transformed by Christ.
Psalm 100:3 "Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture."
If you hear a Christian say to you, "I am the same person I've always been", you have reason to be concerned.
When we have trusted in Christ, expressing our sorrow over our own sinfulness, He then changes us into a new creation. We are no longer the same person, nor do we want to ever return to the old again.
Those who think they became saved by deciding to join a Christian church remain unsaved and still headed for hell. It is only brokenness over our sinfulness and crying out to God to change us that He will work in Us.
Ephesians 2:10 "…9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life."
2 Corinthians 5:17
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!"
Philippians 2:13
"For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose."
Titus 2:14
"He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds."
Colossians 1:10
"so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,"
James 2:17-18
"So too, faith by itself, if it does not result in action, is dead. / But someone will say, “You have faith and I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds."
It is Christ's work in our hearts that results in righteous actions. Any work of our own that results in actions is dead works, not evidence of salvation, but willful deeds to elevate the self.
Christ wants to guide us in every way; only when we want this is the evidence of a changed heart. Those who still want to take credit for their actions and changed behavior in their own efforts are not born again until they confess this sinful stance and pray to be transformed by Christ.
Psalm 100:3 "Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture."
Saturday, July 26, 2025
The Pride of a Nation will bring it Low
As for the pride I see in those who think they have chosen the man for the hour, I have this to say;
It seems to me that the Lord has left the American people to their own choices and devices. It does not mean He is not in control, a part of God's control is to take His hand of protection off of our country and allow us to do our own thing our own way without Him.
Then we will see the foolishness of our own thinking and doing things our own way. Attributing to God the election of our president is like saying God has relinquished His power to us.
He has merely given us what we want, that is, "a government for the people and by the people." It is definitely not a government "for God and by God." Think about it.
It seems to me that the Lord has left the American people to their own choices and devices. It does not mean He is not in control, a part of God's control is to take His hand of protection off of our country and allow us to do our own thing our own way without Him.
Then we will see the foolishness of our own thinking and doing things our own way. Attributing to God the election of our president is like saying God has relinquished His power to us.
He has merely given us what we want, that is, "a government for the people and by the people." It is definitely not a government "for God and by God." Think about it.
God Puts Leaders in and Takes Them Out
For years, I have been hearing Christians quote from scripture that "God puts in power those He wishes and takes out those He wishes."
Here might be a wiser way of looking at this that most have never thought about.
It seems to me that the Lord has left the American people to their own choices and devices.
It does not mean He is not in control, a part of God's control is to take His hand of protection off of our country and allow us to do our own thing our own way without Him.
Then we will see the foolishness of our own thinking and doing things our own way.
Attributing to God the election of our president is like saying God has relinquished His power to us. He has merely given us what we want, that is, "a government for the people and by the people." It is definitely not a government "for God and by God." Think about it.
Sometimes it is overwhelming how much of Christianity is based on cultural thinking rather than God's Word.
Romans 13:1
"13 Every person is to be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God."
The question might be how God establishes governments. Perhaps through the hearts of the people, giving the people what they want, good or bad, will determine the course of a nation.
God gave Israel a king because they wanted one, like the rest of the world, instead of being satisfied with God as their ruler. So God gave them a king, one of their choosing, and it was a disaster in the end.
Once people have tasted the freedom of choosing their own leader, they rarely turn back to God to allow Him to do it.
Saul became consumed with pride and power, jealousy and disobedience led Him to eventually take his own life. He began to rely on his own ideas, his own power, and popularity from the people, and it caused God to come against him.
Saul began to depend on his own abilities and power, determined to control his own fate, he fell on his sword when he saw that he was defeated.
God allowed circumstances to punish Saul for his pride and rebellion. God didn't make him choose the wrong things or force him to fall on his own sword; he let the consequences of his pride determine his end.
As I see it, the ability to choose our own leaders does not mean we will be safe if we get the leader we want.
The nation still remains rebellious against God, the churches are preaching a man-centered gospel, and believers are disobeying the Bible more than they obey.
At this time, there is a false sense of safety in their choice of a man. As though the man will save the country, it's not about God at all, but the choice of the people based on their extreme sense of need for personal safety and prosperity and their worship of freedom above any dedication to Christ.
May believers stop trusting in a man and remember their home is in heaven, trusting in Christ is our mandate.
Emotionally Immature People
Emotionally immature people interpret feedback for their actions as personal attacks. It is impossible to resolve situations with someone who will not listen and only rejects the criticism out of hand to protect their ego.
A young woman was confronted by her mother with her rude behavior, and the answer that came back was, "I guess I am just the big, bad daughter." Notice she didn't deny what she had done, only that she saw the confrontation as a personal attack instead of an attempt on the mother's part to correct rude behavior. She misinterpreted the confrontation as hate and that the mother thought she was "all bad."
Since someone who is prideful needs to feel superior and all knowing without flaws, they cannot stand to be told they are wrong or in need of repentance.
This young woman didn't stop to consider what was being said at all; she immediately reacted to the challenge in defensiveness. Because there was no sorrow over her bad behavior, the stance of defensiveness over the years grew stronger than ever, causing a total breakdown in the relationship.
When a born-again believer has been confronted with a wrong they have done, their first response ought to be, "I am so sorry, help me understand what happened so I can make it right."
When there is an immediate rejection of the challenge with justification or denial, we know that intense pride is involved. Often, not only is there justification and denial there is also the subsequent punishment for confronting them, and next is the gossip to others their version of events.
This same person consistently demonstrated over the years an inability to say she was sorry to anyone; there was always an excuse, but never an apology. And, any attempt to resolve something was met with accusations and gossip to others.
When we encounter someone who will not resolve a problem with love in their hearts and a desire to build their own character through acknowledgement of sin and sorrow over the act, there is nothing more we can do to reconcile.
When there is no repentance for wrongs done, the heart grows harder and less likely to be able to humble themselves to admit the change needed in their behavior.
In my experience, those who love Christ and walk with Him daily rarely do mean things to others. If they make a mistake that harms someone else, it is not deliberate, and they quickly confess it because their heart loves the one who was harmed.
Born-again believers hate harming others even in the smallest ways. They live in a continual mindset of Christ likeness, desiring to be kind because they have the fruit of the Spirit of Christ.
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."
Is the offended party forgiving of the one who did them harm? Since forgiveness is for the purpose of resolving a relationship when someone displays sorrow over the offense, the forgiveness in the heart of the offended party cannot be expressed to the offender. The offender is not expressing sorrow over the offense, so neither can forgiveness be expressed.
Luke 17:3-4 "…3 Watch yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 Even if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times returns to say, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
However, when we love others who offend us, we treat them with the kindness and respect they never gave to us, this is not forgiveness. The relationship is not restored, and there may be a distance required to avoid being continually reoffended. Those who are not sorry are always repeat offenders because their mindset is one of control over others, never about reconciliation. Those who walk in sin, justifying it, will grow worse over the years until they realize their stubborn heart and repent to be born again.
Those who are confronted about sinful behavior and reject the one who is attempting to resolve things cannot be convinced by frequent or continual presence in their lives. We must walk away and leave them to God; He knows better than we what the offender needs to come to repentance.
Our goal and hope are always reconciliation, but this is not always possible with those who have elevated themselves above others. They have a drivenness to remain superior, which does not allow them close relationships and a repentant nature.
All of us must evaluate ourselves to see if we have any wicked ways in us. Those who do this will grow in holiness as they confess to God and those they offend regularly sinful thoughts before they become actions.
May every born-again believer pray for humility to walk in love and all the fruit of the Spirit continually.
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."
A young woman was confronted by her mother with her rude behavior, and the answer that came back was, "I guess I am just the big, bad daughter." Notice she didn't deny what she had done, only that she saw the confrontation as a personal attack instead of an attempt on the mother's part to correct rude behavior. She misinterpreted the confrontation as hate and that the mother thought she was "all bad."
Since someone who is prideful needs to feel superior and all knowing without flaws, they cannot stand to be told they are wrong or in need of repentance.
This young woman didn't stop to consider what was being said at all; she immediately reacted to the challenge in defensiveness. Because there was no sorrow over her bad behavior, the stance of defensiveness over the years grew stronger than ever, causing a total breakdown in the relationship.
When a born-again believer has been confronted with a wrong they have done, their first response ought to be, "I am so sorry, help me understand what happened so I can make it right."
When there is an immediate rejection of the challenge with justification or denial, we know that intense pride is involved. Often, not only is there justification and denial there is also the subsequent punishment for confronting them, and next is the gossip to others their version of events.
This same person consistently demonstrated over the years an inability to say she was sorry to anyone; there was always an excuse, but never an apology. And, any attempt to resolve something was met with accusations and gossip to others.
When we encounter someone who will not resolve a problem with love in their hearts and a desire to build their own character through acknowledgement of sin and sorrow over the act, there is nothing more we can do to reconcile.
When there is no repentance for wrongs done, the heart grows harder and less likely to be able to humble themselves to admit the change needed in their behavior.
In my experience, those who love Christ and walk with Him daily rarely do mean things to others. If they make a mistake that harms someone else, it is not deliberate, and they quickly confess it because their heart loves the one who was harmed.
Born-again believers hate harming others even in the smallest ways. They live in a continual mindset of Christ likeness, desiring to be kind because they have the fruit of the Spirit of Christ.
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."
Is the offended party forgiving of the one who did them harm? Since forgiveness is for the purpose of resolving a relationship when someone displays sorrow over the offense, the forgiveness in the heart of the offended party cannot be expressed to the offender. The offender is not expressing sorrow over the offense, so neither can forgiveness be expressed.
Luke 17:3-4 "…3 Watch yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 Even if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times returns to say, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
However, when we love others who offend us, we treat them with the kindness and respect they never gave to us, this is not forgiveness. The relationship is not restored, and there may be a distance required to avoid being continually reoffended. Those who are not sorry are always repeat offenders because their mindset is one of control over others, never about reconciliation. Those who walk in sin, justifying it, will grow worse over the years until they realize their stubborn heart and repent to be born again.
Those who are confronted about sinful behavior and reject the one who is attempting to resolve things cannot be convinced by frequent or continual presence in their lives. We must walk away and leave them to God; He knows better than we what the offender needs to come to repentance.
Our goal and hope are always reconciliation, but this is not always possible with those who have elevated themselves above others. They have a drivenness to remain superior, which does not allow them close relationships and a repentant nature.
All of us must evaluate ourselves to see if we have any wicked ways in us. Those who do this will grow in holiness as they confess to God and those they offend regularly sinful thoughts before they become actions.
May every born-again believer pray for humility to walk in love and all the fruit of the Spirit continually.
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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