Evil Becoming More Evil

Wouldn't it be great if we could just throw open our arms and embrace anyone and everyone who claimed to be Christian. It should be like that but most of us know it isn't. So many people who claim to be Christian are stating their family tradition and not their personal relationship with Jesus. They haven't a clue what it is to live in the Spirit or to have anything to do with God except when they are in some kind of trouble. Even then the name of Jesus is used more as an exclamation than a plea for help.

This is why so many clarify their position in the Church with "born again" or "evangelical" or even "practicing". However, even these clarifications are not a measure for a personal relationship with Jesus. I am not talking about different subtleties in doctrine but the simple fact of a relationship with Jesus; a daily walking; Bible believing and living; Holy Spirit filled; Christ centered Christians. This is vital for us so we do not allow ourselves to be enticed away by those who claim Jesus but don't live Jesus. Paul warned Timothy:

But evil people who pretend to be what they are not will become worse than ever, as they fool others and are fooled themselves. (2 Timothy 3:13)

Is it possible to be evil and not realize it? Not at first, but I believe you can convince yourself that you are okay, that you are one of the good guys. When we tell the same lie often enough we start believing it to be true. Why would people do such a thing? Same motivation as there is for most sin: self-centeredness. There was something in the lie that profited the liar and so he kept on lying until he even believed it to be true.

There are a lot of pretenders in the Church who carry the title of Christian but have nothing to do with Christ. You will discover them by their actions. Without the Spirit of God it is impossible to carry on the act of Christ-like character for very long. You can see it in how they treat people. You will hear it in their language. You will detect it in the selfish attitude. It is possible to hide these things for a time but eventually the cracks start appearing. They will even convince themselves that unacceptable behaviour is actually acceptable and will convince others as well.

Again, this is the reason we must know Jesus, his character, his love, his mercy, grace, forgiveness. We must know it by experience and we must know it by the Word. We must know the authentic in order to recognize the fake. We must do this more and more as the days grow darker and the influence of evil grows bolder. I am not talking about going on a witch hunt; that is not our responsibility. I am only talking about being able to recognize the authentic to embrace and the false to avoid. God will take care of the wheat and the weeds, we just need to test the spirit in all things.

Don't be fooled by those who have fooled themselves. Anyone can be persuasive; all they have to do is truly believe what they are saying. But words alone are not how we test the spirit. Following Jesus is not an academic exercise but living the character of Jesus 24/7 by the power of the Spirit in us. Please be careful, it is getting dangerous out there.

Disqualified For The Prize

There are a lot of spiritual people out there but it doesn't make them right. Just because they mention God or say something about Jesus does not make them a follower of Jesus Christ. Consider somebody like Oprah who teaches universalism, believing that all gods are the same God and that there are many paths that lead to him. I have no idea how she started out but she is heading in the wrong direction now. She's not alone.

You are going to come across a lot of people who will tell you that they have studied the original language of the Bible and that we have interpreted it wrong. In the original language there can be several meanings attached to a word so the context is important to understand. Even more importantly is the guidance of the Spirit in these things. It is his purpose to teach us and without him we can make the Bible say whatever we want. So we get a lot of people doing their own thing, teaching what they think is right. Apostle Paul gave us a warning about that:

Do not let anyone who delights in false humilityand the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. (Colossians 2:18)

He warns us not to let these people disqualify us, to throw into confusion what we have already gained by the Spirit, to interrupted our progress and to cause us to choose a wrong path. Good teachers can convince us of anything but we have to remember that there is only one authority we bend our knee to, only one we worship, only one we follow and trust. Anyone who leads us away from Jesus and his instructions has lost connection with the King:

He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow. (v. 19)

So often the enemy is there to plant doubt in our knowledge of God, "Did God really say ... ?" Did God really say to love those who hurt you? Did God really say that homosexuality is an offence to him? Did God really say there is only one path to come to him? Did God really say we have to die to self? Did God really say that the only acceptable place for the gift of sex is inside of marriage? So many things are being questioned and reworked just so we can try to have both Jesus and the world, but it doesn't work that way. Those who are possessed by the Spirit of God know the truth and there is no wiggle room.

If the authority who you are listening too is consistently teaching contrary to the Word of God, the conviction of the Spirit, and the authority of Jesus, you need to run away. Occasionally all us teachers make mistakes. We too get tired or distracted and speak from our flesh. It shouldn't happen but it does. However, when it does the Spirit is quick to correct and we are quick to apologize. We know that we do not own this truth and the revelation of it is not from us but from the Spirit so we must always be attuned to the Spirit. Without the Spirit we are nothing.

So, take caution, not everyone who claims to be a follower of Jesus is a follower; not everyone who claims to be a teacher is a teacher; not everyone who claims to know the Word knows by the Spirit. You have been given discernment through the Spirit of God in you to know the difference. Know the Word, stay sensitive to the Spirit, keep Jesus as the only authority you bend your knee to and you will be well protected from the lies of the enemy. Do not let anyone disqualify you for the prize.