The time is coming and has in fact come, when the "church" (i.e. the entity that is wanting to pass itself off as the body of Christ these days) has tolerated the world so much that it has taken on many of the beliefs of the world into its bosom and is calling them "Christian". It has become so polluted that what it means to be a disciple of Christ is lost. The meaning of true Christianity has been fantasized, intellectualized away by the intermingling with the world, for the sake of peace and conformability.
I got to thinking - "My God, but they really don't know You nor are they conformed to Jesus' suffering and death, let alone knowing and having Him as Their Very Life". They simply don't have the mind of Christ! They don't know Him! How can they be "of Him", when they're so much "of the world"? To them He's their "Jukebox in the sky", playing the tunes that they want to hear when they want to hear them! What happened to: "Not my will, but Thine be done"!?
In my own walk with the Lord I have come to find that in many cases of those who profess to follow Christ that there really was never any lasting or permanent "change" in them as is evidenced by the Holy Spirit. I speak of the kind of permanent change that would keep them in the right fear and love of God, of who He is and of understanding and keeping His word. It just isn't there!
Why isn't it there, I said? Well the scriptures all tell me why. Todays "Christians" have taken the teachings of the word of God and have incorporated them into what can only be termed as "Christian Psychology", or "Psycho-Babel", for lack of a better word. What it simply means is that we "Christians" are supposed to take the golden rule (which will save no one by the way) and apply it to the homosexual, the patholigical liar, the cheat, the murderer, the fornicator, etc., in the hopes that we can show them Christ's love all the while they remain doing what they do.
Forget about the preaching of the word -- forget about teaching repentance -- forget about separating ourselves from those who do not live godly. Instead we are to love them, even approve of what they're doing - and in this way, we hope, to get close and friendly enough to win them! "No condemnation!" Talk about a false gospel?! This is the teaching of many false professors today
I thought about what Jesus said to those who began to follow Him -
This is the ASSURANCE given by no less an authority than the Son of God Himself -
But what about those who do not continue in His word, what about them?
I preach LORDSHIP SALVATION! - In other words, I preach a salvation where one not only hears and believes in the Gospel of Jesus Christ unto justification (i.e. one where they come to the knowledge of the truth about how God dealt with their sins), but also one where "you" want Him to be the Lord of your life as well unto sanctifiaction (i.e. one where you are born again, proving your faith and love to Him by responding in turn to the keeping of His words).
Those who do not want Him to be over them as to who and what He is - "my Lord and my God", do not finish! If they had any faith to begin with, they began to lose what little faith they had because they did not graft it in love (1 John 2:5). "LOVE" is the flame that keeps the fire hot and burning for Christ. It's the kind of Grafted-in Faith that produces 1 Corinthians 13 Love, the kind of Love that James was trying to make his point on -
James 2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
Without this grafting-in they may seem to become more thoughtful of others, more religious, more prayerful, more forgiving of anothers trespasses, more church going, and generally more tender towards SOME of things of God, but they're still carnal and reject what's really important - "The word of God and their keeping it in the bond of love!" Instead they kept the less important matters of the law (Matt.23:23-24) while ignoring the most important and essential of all.
They had heard about Christ Jesus and Him being the way, the truth and the life, but they didn't want to go all the way to Him and have Him be Lord over them to continue in His word. Did God love them? Sure, He laid down His life for them! But did they love God enough to deny themselves, take up their cross and follow Him? Evidently not. For this is what one does when they receive the Love of the Truth!
They had laid hold of Jesus as the Savior, but they didn't have or want the Power to die to self and live by Him. Instead they ended up being more "religious" and lived a life of half truth and half error. Little did they realize that if they didn't pursue the truth of God's word (their first love) with all their heart they would end up losing what little they had, and end up living on "air" (i.e. on dreams or man-made visions, so to speak) rather than on the day to day reality and intimacy of knowing and having the risen Christ and Lord through the power of the Holy Spirit.
God says it so clearly -
Either we become a servant of God and do His will, or we remain a servant of sin. Either way we cannot serve both nor love both. A CHANGE is needed! The purpose of Christ shedding His blood is to forgive us of our sins. And the purpose of the cross is to crucify Christ and all of us who are born of Adam with Him. Thus the cross deals a death blow to our Adamic (i.e. "sin") nature. "On the third day He rose again!" It is impossible to wilfully go on sinning for anyone who has received the Power of The Holy Spirit to become the sons of God! If wilfull sin [including the kind of sin(s) that prove one never knew the saving knowledge of God] continues then it proves that the fruit of it is rotten....
Luke 6:44-46 For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.
The Lord Himself set forth the parameters -
Just more EVIDENCE against those, who claim to be "Christians", but are not, simply because they are not Keeping His words!!!
Hebrews 10:26-27 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
2 Peter 2:20-21 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
I can only state that the greater is our intent to keep His word (without bringing ouselves under the law to do what He says) the less chance we are likely to ever fall away. There is such a thing as having a FORM OF GODLINESS yet denying the Power of it, that we see in the world today. The problem is that they never arrive at the knowledge of the truth. Though they study what their leaders say, there is no power, no life in any of it. Why? Simple! They refuse to submit to Him as the Lord and God!
In submitting to Him - if they were fornicators, or homosexuals, or robbers, or liars, or whatever - they would be turning away from their fornication, their homosexuality, their robbing, their lying, and whatever else - and turn to God and be saved and be empowered to live the new Christian life by the power of the Holy Spirit... the Spirit who comes and reveals Jesus as being alive and seated on the throne of glory.
But these are the last days. These are the days when few "Professing Christians" listen, as the word of God is being watered down so much that many believe that they can accept Jesus as Savior and be saved, irregardless of any and all wilfull sins that they may continue committing afterwards and irregardless of continuing to walk after the flesh, unable to keep the word of God.
2 Timothy 3:1-7 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
I only ask that you consider these two things.
1. If you really do believe that Christ died for your sins then STOP taking part in anything that would call what He did for YOU, a liar! (Believe in the Gospel, for He did it all - and you will receive the Holy Spirit!)
2. You need to do the will of God - and that is to love Him with your whole heart! The beauty behind all of this is when you first truly believe is when you receive a whole new heart to do just this very thing, and you will gladly subject yourself to Him as your Lord and God and DO what He says!
It's clear that if this doesn't happen; if you don't flee and rebuke everything that in darkness is calling Christ and His work a liar, and if you don't intend to be subject to His rule over you, loving Him and keeping what He says above all, then you just don't know Him.
Remember from the importance of keeping His words...
John 14:23-24 Jesus answered and said unto him, IF a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
That simple "IF" is contingient on our coming to / remaining in / and continuing on in the faith... and says it all! Amen.
John 8:31-32 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
John 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
Jesus said it was because THEY did not want Him to be Lord over them (Luke 19:27), that they never intended to give Him their all in the first place and continue obeying in His word. Thus they never came to the friution of truth (1 Tim 2:4) nor were they made free.
However, they had not the love of God in them and had not received the Holy Spirit who would then have (upon their continuation in His word) revealed the truth to them and set them free to love and obey Him (Matt.22:37) with all their heart.
Matthew 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
Luke 6:47 Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: (Read Loke 6:48-49 as well).
But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.
May God bless you in the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ!
Biff & Suzanne
