A Culture Of Counterfeit Christians
By Marsha West
March 11, 2014
NewsWithViews.com
Have you ever run over a dead skunk in the road? I have, during a heat wave. The smell got into my tires and permeated our garage for days! I’ll go out on a limb and say that no one takes pleasure in the highly offensive smell of skunk spray, dead or alive. My point in telling you this is that to God the stench of sin is much worse than skunk. For an example of just how much the Lord hates sin, grab a cup of coffee and read First and Second Kings. Given our penchant for getting things fast, here’s an illustration of the way in which God dealt with Baasha, one of Israel’s most ruthless kings:
Since I exalted you out of the dust and made you leader over my people Israel, and you have walked in the way of Jeroboam and have made my people Israel to sin, provoking me to anger with their sins, behold, I will utterly sweep away Baasha and his house, and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat. Anyone belonging to Baasha who dies in the city the dogs shall eat, and anyone of his who dies in the field the birds of the heavens shall eat. (1 Kings 16:1-4)
God had already destroyed Jeroboam for his flagrant sins, yet Baasha repeated the same mistakes. God rebuked the Israelites for their sinful ways and vowed to punish them.
Fast forward to 2014. Somewhere around 75% of Americans say they’re Christians. If that’s true, how is it that an increasing number of so-called Christians act no differently than the pagans did when Baasha was king? Clearly, Scripture teaches that Christians are to have a biblical foundation and that their behavior should be Christlike. Yet many who call themselves believers think nothing of sinning their brains out!
Admittedly, when someone is new to the faith the fruit on the vine doesn’t bloom immediately. In other words, sanctification is a process. It doesn’t happen overnight. There comes a time, though, when the vine brings forth fruit. But when the fruit tree is barren year after year, one can’t help but wonder if the tree was ever pollinated!
One of my favorite pastimes is discussing (debating, dissecting) the Bible with other Christians. So I find it concerning when I strike up a conversation with a long time believer that knows practically nothing about the Bible. Most Christians have heard the verse, “Sanctify [set apart for a holy use] them in the truth; your word is truth. John 17:17 By reading God’s Word believers learn about Christ, with the goal being to be more like Him. Likewise, we’ll grow in our faith and receive divine guidance on how we’re to live our lives.
To have a close relationship with someone we must get to know the person. The obvious course of action is to ask probing questions. So we’ve got to dig below the surface to uncover the intimate details of a person’s life. When we’re not interested in having a meaningful relationship with someone, we don’t bother to probe!
Because our Father in heaven loves His children, His desire is to be in relationship with each one of us. His desire is to pull His beloved into a bear hug! Those who sincerely wish to be in relationship with the Father must dig deep into the scriptures, because that’s the one and only place to learn about God and His ways. “What we believe about God,” said A. W. Tozier, “is the most important thing about us.”
Getting To Know YOU, Getting To Know All About YOU
Nothing should stand in the way of spending a few minutes each day with the King of kings and Lord of lords. While we sit at His feet we can thank Him for our many blessings; we can pour out our hearts to Him and even make requests, trusting that the answers to our prayers will come. Sitting at His feet, our hurts will be healed and our joy restored. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
Countless Christians admit to not reading their bibles regularly, they hardly ever pray, rarely attend church, they’re not in a Bible study nor do they study on their own. Moreover, meeting with other believers isn’t a priority. If this statement defines you, consider the following:
Would it be honest for someone to claim to be an avid skier that never hit the slopes?
Could a person that pumps iron three or four times a year ever develop into a body-building champion?
In the same vein, is it honest for someone to claim to be a Christian that never spends time pumping spiritual iron?
Getting back to my point—sin. The Bible says Christians should not tolerate blatant sin. Furthermore, it says we must stop sinning! Take for example sexual sin. In this day and age, many professing Christians ignore the fact that one of the gravest sins we commit is sexual sin. Having sexual relations outside of marriage (the biblical understanding of marriage is the union of a man and woman) goes against the clear teaching of Scripture.
In dealing with sexual taboos, C. S. Lewis pulls no punches:
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Whistler Blowers, Insiders
Heres the reason 2 Timothy 4:3
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
“Y’shua answered and said to them, This is the work of God, that you believe into Him whom that One sent.”
John 6:29
“But as many as received Him, to them He gave authority to become children of God, to the ones believing into His name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but were BORN of GOD.”
John 1:12,13
“Y’shua answered, Truly, truly, I say to you, If one is not generated out of water and Spirit, he is not able to enter into the kingdom of God. That having been generated out of the flesh is flesh, and that having been generated out of the Spirit is spirit.”
John 3:5,6
There are many, many fake Christians the Lord will judge, the problem clearly elucidated in the Bible (Matthew 7:21+, Revelation 3:14+).
I believe it was Adrian Rogers who once put the problem similarly as mentioned in this article. You say you love your betrothed. You marry her, spend an hour with her, then send her back home, to live with her parents. You spend your time all subsequent weeks doing your own vain thing in the world, wallowing in the world, making a point to visit your wife for an hour most weeks, perhaps even only on occasions. Could one argue, is there any question, what sort of “love” this would be? But this is many “Christians,” the Lord a “get out of hell free card” of a false gospel that hasn’t really made Jesus Christ Lord in their lives, a lip service gospel where there’s really been no repentance from sinful ways, people who don’t really love God any more than a football game, squirming in a church pew, itching for that hour Sunday service to end, so they can get back to their real lives. The Bible is clear this doesn’t work, that God is not mocked. I fear hell will even be full of people, as it were, in Sunday suits and choir robes (again, the Matthew 7:21+ people even protesting and bragging over all they claim to have done for the Lord, not atheists or the like).
1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
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.
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.
19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: THE DEVILS ALSO BELIEVE, and tremble.
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
Matthew 7
13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Bottom line, the word that isn’t taken seriously? REPENT!
This response is to the author. Did you know that all the false religions believe in one god? Most religions even have a bible along with their own “holy book(s)”. Did you know there are 100′s of bibles? Are you sure you are reading the word of God or just another book of satan(I mean a bible). God warns over and over about false christs, false gospels, false prophets and so on. Or is that not in your bible? God gives tons of proof that the Authorized KJV is the word of God and the others are trash to deceive people. I would buy one and start reading and believing God’s warnings about many things. Start with Galatians( personally I think that chapter 1 is specifically for Mormons and muslims. Also by your words I am not sure you have read Matthew 7:4-5. I agree on one point you have. Every Christian that I meet could care less about the word of God or they take the Lords name in vain everyday. And the absolute worst is they believe there is only one God and think all the bibles are the same. Jesus Christ is one of a kind and so is the word of God. I hope you take some time to think about these things and do some research. I say these things with love and not malice.
Matthew 19:21
“Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
Luke 12:33
“Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.”
Mark 10:25
Jesus said, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
Matthew 19:24
“Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
And yet those who profess they are the biggest Christians say they are being persecuted and are the ones willing to let the poor starve and horde their money to themselves and actively fight against it being used to help the poor.
Who are you the judge of? Have you that right? Was it commanded of you? You are to judge not the appearance but in righteousness. I walk with the Lord as best I can and his teachings to me are to love your neighbor as yourself. Do you have the ability to see into anothers heart? I believe in encouraging those that can’t understand the bible. Lifting up the believers of God. Bring in the unity not the division. Once you start preaching on division you have lost your sight of God. You may still read and understand but the Holy Spirit will only be watching not helping. Christ calls for Unity. Bring together into understanding. Talk softly and encouraging to his believers. He takes care of all others. As his prayer states; forgive us our trespasses as WE forgive those who trespass against us. Meaning you will be judged as you judge others. Some stand in righteousness that you have no idea of. Learned that one myself when I was mad at someone who doesn’t even pray to HIM. So becareful and pray always for yourself and others. Especially those who don’t know him. These verses you have all quoted are true and good but when read with love they should invoke in you the want to be helpful to those needy souls. Pray pray pray for understanding. You have quoted 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ?? Read it again, its all right there in front of you.
No one can be a Christian unless they are CALLED and CHOSEN of The Father – PERIOD.
Even if you’re CALLED, that doesn’t mean you’re automatically a Christian – you HAVE TO BE called and CHOSEN or predestined to be a brother or sister of Yashua Messiah.
Millions upon millions claim to be Christians, but they’re really just people of The Cainite-Judeo-Christian Religion and Yashua Messiah did NOT come to this earth in order to start a religion. So if you’re religious you’re a fake Christian, by default, unless you speedily repent of your satanic religion.
Mark, learn and inwardly digest these two Holy Scriptures – if you know what’s good for you:
John 6:44 (KJV) No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
John 6:65 (KJV) And He said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
Except the OT was written by a thought and belief intolerant political dictatorship group called the Pharisees, c140 BCE. Based on word of mouth barrack-room lawyers, aka making laws up as you go to serve yourself, and self serving debt entrapment where you live for free off the misery of others. Not the ancient polytheistic Egyptian Israelites.
Jesus gave eight essential criteria for entry into heaven. Two of which involve selling everything you own and giving the proceeds to the poor.
I don’t know of a single person in all of history who practices anything Jesus preached…. do you?
There is no such thing as a Christian, there are only Christ-I-Anti’s.
Pix, the quality of your comments have deteriorated considerably in my absence, but then your master The Devil knows his time is now short and I sense an air of panic in his approach and style via your comments.
John 14:15
15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
KJV
John 15:10
10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
KJV
Ex 16:28
Ex 20:6
Lev 22:31
Lev 26:3
Deut 5:10
1 Kings 9:6
2 Kings 17:13
Neh 1:9
Prov 3:1
Prov 4:4
Prov 7:2