Professing Christians

Biblical view is the only view we are to have – not a ‘my belief’ saves type of mentality.

            Lately there have been many professing believers making statements that are not biblical, so I will attempt to present the truth strait from the very author of  truth – Jesus Christ, as written in the Holy Scriptures. 

            Jesus has called us to do to others what we would want them to do to us (Matthew 7:12 – telling the truth to one another is a good place to start), called us to preach the entire truth of the Gospel (2 Timothy 4:1-5; Matthew 28:16-20) and know that we will be persecuted for our faith (2Timothy 3:12; John 15:20).  In light of this, I will bring the entire Gospel of Jesus Christ to people, for it is the power of God unto Salvation (Romans 1:16) and faith comes through hearing and hearing by the Word of Christ (Romans 10:17).  I know and understand the Gospel may cost me my life, because Christ has laid down His life, bore my wrath (Isaiah 53), and saved my soul.  I have been born again (John 3) not to a new way of life, new religious system, or some mental ‘feel good’ blasphemous theology.  He has made me a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15) and placed His law upon my heart (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 10:15-16).  I count it joy in the midst of my trials (James 1:2-4), I have become sensitive to my sin, actually hating my former ways of living and the sin to which I loved, because the Holy Spirit is in me (John 16:8), and the commandments of the Lord are not burdensome to me (1 John 5:1-3).  I know that the Lord disciplines those whom He loves (Hebrews 12:3-7).  I know that I am His because of His great love (John 15:13) and His discipline and conviction of my sin.  He who is not convicted according to what the bible mandates as sin, is not His child (Hebrews 12:8).  Anyone who says he is without sin is a liar (1 John 1:10).  “Whoever says, ‘I know him,’ but does not keep his commandments is a liar” (1 John 2:4).  “Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son” (1 John 5:10).  So, are you being convicted?

            Now I come to everyone in love.  The best way you can tell that I come to you in love is that I will testify the truth of the Scriptures to you by not denying any of God’s Word.  In Revelation 22:19 it says that “those who takes away the words of the prophecy of this book, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the Holy city.”  Having said this, let’s look at just two areas of Scripture that most so called ‘churches’ in America are not teaching these days.  By the way, if we are really going to be like Jesus and do as Jesus commands, we will warn, call out and preach the truth without regard to our personal agenda, church growth strategies and or self preservation.  If we are not willing to know Christ for who He is, study and meditate upon His Word, repent of our sin, believe the Word and do that which He says, we must question our motives and the authenticity of our faith.  Examine yourself – for this is a mandate for us (Lamentations 3:40, 2 Corinthians 13:5).  We are not just called to examine ourselves, but we are also called to work out our salvation with fear (phobos gk) and trembling (tromos gk) (Philippians 2:12; 2 Corinthians 7:1).  This is not a spirit of fear (Romans 8:15) but one of a holy and righteous fear of the Lord.  Without fear you can not even have the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7 – this is throughout Proverbs).  So let’s look at two passages that the ‘church’ in America is not telling their people (there are many more).

1. Revelation 3:14-22 – Jesus warns the Church in Laodicea about being lukewarm.  He will “spit” out those who claim Christianity and yet deny the very Word of God.  Heed the warning and read it for yourself.  God is not pleased with those who remain lukewarm.  They are actually treated worse – be careful professing believer.

Let’s look at another passage, straight from the mouth of Christ Himself (below).  Know that all Scripture is inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16) and no prophecy of Scripture has ever come from the will of man but from God (2 Peter 1:19-21).  If you are not in agreement and extending faith in these passages and the passages in this letter, then you probably do not believe that God’s Word is inspired.   If this is true, then know that you do not understand the Gospel.  True believers extend faith, through understanding, by carrying out the will of God in full true living in concordance to His Word.  Examine yourself (2 Corinthians).

2.  Matthew 7:21-23 – (Jesus speaking) – “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.  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?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’” 

            The dual emphasis on ‘Lord, Lord’ means that these were sincere professing believers who thought they were doing the works of God, but they were workers of lawlessness.  If this passage does not cause you to examine yourself and question if this is you, then be afraid.  If a professing believer does not examine himself, does not seek the Lord for who He is, constantly justifies his or her sin and/or anti-biblical belief, refuses to repent of the sin that God hates, then know that this person is once again crucifying the Son of God and holding Him up to contempt (Hebrews 6:1-8). We are not saved by a prayer, a style of life, church attendance, small groups, works, our beliefs, thinking that we are a good moral person, our mere profession of faith or the sincerity of our heart – search the Scriptures for your self and find out what the Word of God has to say about a true believer, unless of course you really do not believe.  Bottom line is, many professing believers are not getting into the kingdom of heaven and they are blindly thinking they are just in.  Beware and examine yourself!  The Scriptures are not external but rather internal, actually causing a person to introspect and repent.

            God loves the sin but hates the sinner, where is this in the Scriptures?  Now you who say that I am legalistic, it is true that God has loved all mankind by pouring out His wrath, which you and I deserve, upon His son (Isaiah 53, John 3:16-21), but when we turn a blind eye, due to the pressures of cultural relevance, to sin and lawlessness, we essentially hang Christ on the tree again.  For those of you who refuse to repent, deny portions of His Word, and seek to justify yourself and your anti-biblical beliefs, then know that God says that He those who are evildoers (Psalm 5:4-5).  He hates even our pride, our arrogance, our way of evil and our perverted speech (Proverbs 8:12-14).  Strong language, I know, but look at His Word for yourself.  God is Holy and does not tolerate willful sin patters of un-repentance!  What does Holy mean?  It means that he is set apart, other, cut out, not like us in any way (look up holiness and study that).  He will not and does not associate with sin in any way.  “For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God (read Romans 8:1-11).”  Friendship with the world is enmity (bitter hatred) with God (James 4:4).  Apart from Christ, we are condemned.  If Christ truly be in us, then let us not be ashamed of the Gospel (Romans 1:16).

Last issue, sexual immorality, including homosexuality (1 Corinthians 6:9-10; 1 Timothy 1:9-11; Romans 1:21-32, 13:13; Leviticus 18:22, 20:13; Judges 19:22-23; Genesis 13:13, 19:13; 1 Corinthians 5:1-12), will be judged by God.  Christianity is not tolerant to sin!  Jesus Christ never allows for someone to willfully live in sin and enter the kingdom.  You can believe what you wish, but if your beliefs, whether they be spiritual, political or anything else, does not align with the Word of God, then know that you are outside the will of God.  You may be a professing Christian, but that most likely is all – only professing.  Once again, one must be very afraid if one does not desire, with all urgency and attentiveness, to know God for who He is and desire to be sanctified by the Holy Spirit.  Do your beliefs align with the Scriptures or are you changing the Scriptures to fit your life – remember God does not change (Malachi 3:6).

            Be sure of this, God does not change with our culture and Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the law (Matthew 5:17), this means the ‘bar’ has been raised!  Want to be like Jesus, then put away your bracelets, books about purpose and best living now, trinkets, gadgets, gimmicks and relevant cultural slogans.  Stop listening to psychology, philosophy and sociology.  Seek to know Christ for who He is – not for what He can do or what He can give.  Do what the Word, the fulfillment in Christ Jesus (John 1:1-5, 14-18) and inspired by the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16) says, repent, believe (Mark 1:15; Matthew 3:2, 4:17, 11:20; Mark 6:12; Luke 13:5; Act 3:19), deny yourself, carry your cross (deny yourself and do that which is seemingly impossible with a willfully – Matthew 16:24-27; Luke 9:23), purify yourself ( James 4:8; 1 John 3:3), humble yourself (James 4:10; 1 Peter 5:6), understand the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 2:5), and make every effort and be diligent in the supplementation of your faith lest you be proved nearsighted (2 Peter 1:3-11) and a fool (Psalm 14:1-3).  Examine your faith and see if you are just playing the ‘church culture’ game.  Opinions without the inspired word of God, is nothing more than ‘theological ignorance’ and blind justification.  Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6) – we need not another.  It is God who seeks and God who saves.  What boasting is there for any of us then?  None.  Most people do not know the God of the bible, but rather they choose to follow an idol created in their mind because of half-biblical preaching, thereby sending many a professing believer to hell under false unbiblical conversion.  God draws us to Himself and gives us life and it is unto Him and Him alone for salvation – so examine yourself, unless of course you find that Christ is not in you (2 Corinthians 13:5). 

May the Lord show you His Word and His truth!