In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices (Colossians 3:7-9).
So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good (1 Peter 2:1-3).
And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God (Philippians 1:9-11). Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life…(Philippians 2:14-16). Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen (Jude 1:24-25).
There are many “diseases” that run rampant in the world of Christianity. Throughout the life of my blog I will touch on some of these “diseases”. But one of the major diseases are Christians who profess to be Christians, but act like heathens. Why do I consider this a disease?
As we all know, a disease begins when something negative permeates something that is positive. When germs enter into an otherwise healthy body, causing sickness. The body then becomes infected with the disease, which can sometimes overwhelm it. Although some diseases can be treated or even cured with medication, some become terminal and death is certain.
I personally know supervisors who belittle and insult the intelligence of their employees; men who curse, tell dirty jokes, and get drunk right before the eyes of their children; women who fornicate with live-in boyfriends; married couples who have an open marriage and knowingly cheat on each other; people who lie and bring drama into their lives for attention; and others who have hearts of hate and spite for one another. All of which publicly profess to be Christians. If this isn’t a disease among the body of Christ, then I don’t know what is.
If you profess to know Christ, shout praises in the streets before men, then turn and live in disobedience to His word by blatantly sinning before the same men, then you are doing nothing more than slapping Jesus in the face over and over again. How can your lips shout His praises, then give way to the devil’s speech? How can you profess that you are His, then give your body to another out of wedlock? How can you be joined to another before Him in marriage, and then have date night with the gifts of Satan? How can you open the gates to recklessness in your life and allow the flood waters to consume you, all the while saying that your life is His and you are saved? How can you say “love thy neighbor”, while your love for your neighbor is as black as death?
Not just is your hypocrisy a death sentence to your soul, but your disease is like a cancer that can spread to the rest of the body of Christ-other Christians. When you say “I am a Christian” and publicly live a life of self gratification, debauchery, and malice, you are saying to new believers, or those who are weak in their walk, that it is OK to live this way. Then they are deceived into thinking that there needs to be no change in their lives if they choose to walk with Christ. No repentance, no sanctifying, no obedience. Nothing. They can live as a member of the body of the world, not of Christ, and all is well. This becomes a stumbling block. You shall not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God: I am the LORD (Leviticus 19:14).
Also you are helping the anti-Christians and atheists out too. How common do we hear the voices of these groups saying that Christians are hypocrites. You know what you do when you DO live like a hypocrite? You prove them right, weaken the power of The Lord, destroy proof of His existence by making His presence void in your life, and make His hallowed name hollow. Now, I am not talking about hidden sins here. I am not bringing out skeletons in the closet or monsters from under the bed. However, your sins will find you out and your darkness will become public (Numbers 32:23). I am not picking on Christians who are at war with the darkness in their hearts, constantly praying for deliverance with a broken heart. I commend you for fighting. Keep praying and keep the faith. I am talking about people who publicly live in contrast to the teachings and commandments of Jesus Christ, while praising His name and professing to know Him personally and intimately. Those who plant the flag of lawlessness right into the ground of righteousness and proudly wave it for all to see. This is what misleads the weaker brother and gives ammunition to the enemy.
As you can tell from the scriptures quoted at the beginning of this post, there is a common theme in the third paragraph. The word “blameless”. Can Christians be perfect? No. But can they live a life that is blameless? Yes. And this is the goal that every Christian needs to strive for. Now the chief priests and the whole Council were seeking testimony against Jesus to put him to death, but they found none. For many bore false witness against him, but their testimony did not agree (Mark 14:55-56). “And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong." (Luke 23:41).
What do we notice here during Jesus’ trial and crucifixion? No one could find any charges, or blame, against him. The thief knew that Christ had done no wrong. The accusers could not find any blame before Pilate. They just looked at each other saying “I can’t find anything wrong. Can you?”. They eventually had to bring false accusations in order to see Him to the cross. We are to follow Christ. Every Christian has been taught this. I would quote scriptures to back this up, but then this post would become a novel. But how great it would be to stand before God on Judgment Day, and to hear Jesus say on your behalf “Father, I find no charges against him. ‘Well done, good and faithful servant…enter into the joy of your master.'(Matthew 25:21)“ You walked blamelessly as your Savior. Now enter The Kingdom. Wow!
However, can you say the same? Or when you stand before God, will Christ say “Although he said ‘Lord, Lord’, I find many charges against him. He and his wife found their love had grown cold. So he failed miserably as the spiritual leader when he allowed Satan to convince them that committing adultery with other married couples would bring their love back” or “She claimed to know your love and truth Father, but this was overshadowed by her slanderous tongue and lies in order to get pity from her loved ones. Many innocent men were proclaimed guilty so that she could get what she wanted” or maybe “How he walked in your light Father! Or did he? As he praised you at one time, another time the devil’s speech came from his lips. Spite, hate, filth. Do I need say more?” And you will say “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 Jesus will say “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.” (Matthew 7:22-23). What a shame! You knew of Him and heard His truths, yet you chose to slap Him in the face.
When you live like this you don’t walk a line, you straddle it as you walk. One foot on the side of righteousness, the other foot on the side of lawlessness. You will trip over your own stumbling block trying to enter God’s kingdom walking like this, as you see in Matthew 7:22-23. You need to have both feet on the side of righteousness and walk on the path of Christ. Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few (Matthew 7:13-14). I pray that you will ask in prayer: Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! (Psalm 139:23-24). Live blamelessly like Christ, because you never know who is watching and who you may take down with you when you fall. Not just will it be your blood on your hands, but the blood of those who you deceived with your life. That’s too many lives to be accountable for when you stand before God, isn’t it?
I would like to close with the morning May 17th passage from C.H. Spurgeon’s “Morning and Evening” daily devotional:
"So to walk even as He walked." --1 John 2:6
Why should Christians imitate Christ? They should do it for their own sakes. If they desire to be in a healthy state of soul--if they would escape the sickness of sin, and enjoy the vigour of growing grace, let Jesus be their model. For their own happiness' sake, if they would drink wine on the lees, well refined; if they would enjoy holy and happy communion with Jesus; if they would be lifted up above the cares and troubles of this world, let them walk even as He walked. There is nothing which can so assist you to walk towards heaven with good speed, as wearing the image of Jesus on your heart to rule all its motions. It is when, by the power of the Holy Spirit, you are enabled to walk with Jesus in His very footsteps, that you are most happy, and most known to be the sons of God. Peter afar off is both unsafe and uneasy. Next, for religion's sake, strive to be like Jesus. Ah! poor religion, thou hast been sorely shot at by cruel foes, but thou hast not been wounded one-half so dangerously by thy foes as by thy friends. Who made those wounds in the fair hand of Godliness? The professor who used the dagger of hypocrisy. The man who with pretences, enters the fold, being nought but a wolf in sheep's clothing, worries the flock more than the lion outside. There is no weapon half so deadly as a Judas-kiss. Inconsistent professors injure the gospel more than the sneering critic or the infidel. But, especially for Christ's own sake, imitate His example. Christian, lovest thou thy Saviour? Is His name precious to thee? Is His cause dear to thee? Wouldst thou see the kingdoms of the world become His? Is it thy desire that He should be glorified? Art thou longing that souls should be won to Him? If so, imitate Jesus; be an "epistle of Christ, known and read of all men."
Love In Christ!
So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good (1 Peter 2:1-3).
And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God (Philippians 1:9-11). Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life…(Philippians 2:14-16). Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen (Jude 1:24-25).
There are many “diseases” that run rampant in the world of Christianity. Throughout the life of my blog I will touch on some of these “diseases”. But one of the major diseases are Christians who profess to be Christians, but act like heathens. Why do I consider this a disease?
As we all know, a disease begins when something negative permeates something that is positive. When germs enter into an otherwise healthy body, causing sickness. The body then becomes infected with the disease, which can sometimes overwhelm it. Although some diseases can be treated or even cured with medication, some become terminal and death is certain.
I personally know supervisors who belittle and insult the intelligence of their employees; men who curse, tell dirty jokes, and get drunk right before the eyes of their children; women who fornicate with live-in boyfriends; married couples who have an open marriage and knowingly cheat on each other; people who lie and bring drama into their lives for attention; and others who have hearts of hate and spite for one another. All of which publicly profess to be Christians. If this isn’t a disease among the body of Christ, then I don’t know what is.
If you profess to know Christ, shout praises in the streets before men, then turn and live in disobedience to His word by blatantly sinning before the same men, then you are doing nothing more than slapping Jesus in the face over and over again. How can your lips shout His praises, then give way to the devil’s speech? How can you profess that you are His, then give your body to another out of wedlock? How can you be joined to another before Him in marriage, and then have date night with the gifts of Satan? How can you open the gates to recklessness in your life and allow the flood waters to consume you, all the while saying that your life is His and you are saved? How can you say “love thy neighbor”, while your love for your neighbor is as black as death?
Not just is your hypocrisy a death sentence to your soul, but your disease is like a cancer that can spread to the rest of the body of Christ-other Christians. When you say “I am a Christian” and publicly live a life of self gratification, debauchery, and malice, you are saying to new believers, or those who are weak in their walk, that it is OK to live this way. Then they are deceived into thinking that there needs to be no change in their lives if they choose to walk with Christ. No repentance, no sanctifying, no obedience. Nothing. They can live as a member of the body of the world, not of Christ, and all is well. This becomes a stumbling block. You shall not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God: I am the LORD (Leviticus 19:14).
Also you are helping the anti-Christians and atheists out too. How common do we hear the voices of these groups saying that Christians are hypocrites. You know what you do when you DO live like a hypocrite? You prove them right, weaken the power of The Lord, destroy proof of His existence by making His presence void in your life, and make His hallowed name hollow. Now, I am not talking about hidden sins here. I am not bringing out skeletons in the closet or monsters from under the bed. However, your sins will find you out and your darkness will become public (Numbers 32:23). I am not picking on Christians who are at war with the darkness in their hearts, constantly praying for deliverance with a broken heart. I commend you for fighting. Keep praying and keep the faith. I am talking about people who publicly live in contrast to the teachings and commandments of Jesus Christ, while praising His name and professing to know Him personally and intimately. Those who plant the flag of lawlessness right into the ground of righteousness and proudly wave it for all to see. This is what misleads the weaker brother and gives ammunition to the enemy.
As you can tell from the scriptures quoted at the beginning of this post, there is a common theme in the third paragraph. The word “blameless”. Can Christians be perfect? No. But can they live a life that is blameless? Yes. And this is the goal that every Christian needs to strive for. Now the chief priests and the whole Council were seeking testimony against Jesus to put him to death, but they found none. For many bore false witness against him, but their testimony did not agree (Mark 14:55-56). “And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong." (Luke 23:41).
What do we notice here during Jesus’ trial and crucifixion? No one could find any charges, or blame, against him. The thief knew that Christ had done no wrong. The accusers could not find any blame before Pilate. They just looked at each other saying “I can’t find anything wrong. Can you?”. They eventually had to bring false accusations in order to see Him to the cross. We are to follow Christ. Every Christian has been taught this. I would quote scriptures to back this up, but then this post would become a novel. But how great it would be to stand before God on Judgment Day, and to hear Jesus say on your behalf “Father, I find no charges against him. ‘Well done, good and faithful servant…enter into the joy of your master.'(Matthew 25:21)“ You walked blamelessly as your Savior. Now enter The Kingdom. Wow!
However, can you say the same? Or when you stand before God, will Christ say “Although he said ‘Lord, Lord’, I find many charges against him. He and his wife found their love had grown cold. So he failed miserably as the spiritual leader when he allowed Satan to convince them that committing adultery with other married couples would bring their love back” or “She claimed to know your love and truth Father, but this was overshadowed by her slanderous tongue and lies in order to get pity from her loved ones. Many innocent men were proclaimed guilty so that she could get what she wanted” or maybe “How he walked in your light Father! Or did he? As he praised you at one time, another time the devil’s speech came from his lips. Spite, hate, filth. Do I need say more?” And you will say “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 Jesus will say “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.” (Matthew 7:22-23). What a shame! You knew of Him and heard His truths, yet you chose to slap Him in the face.
When you live like this you don’t walk a line, you straddle it as you walk. One foot on the side of righteousness, the other foot on the side of lawlessness. You will trip over your own stumbling block trying to enter God’s kingdom walking like this, as you see in Matthew 7:22-23. You need to have both feet on the side of righteousness and walk on the path of Christ. Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few (Matthew 7:13-14). I pray that you will ask in prayer: Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! (Psalm 139:23-24). Live blamelessly like Christ, because you never know who is watching and who you may take down with you when you fall. Not just will it be your blood on your hands, but the blood of those who you deceived with your life. That’s too many lives to be accountable for when you stand before God, isn’t it?
I would like to close with the morning May 17th passage from C.H. Spurgeon’s “Morning and Evening” daily devotional:
"So to walk even as He walked." --1 John 2:6
Why should Christians imitate Christ? They should do it for their own sakes. If they desire to be in a healthy state of soul--if they would escape the sickness of sin, and enjoy the vigour of growing grace, let Jesus be their model. For their own happiness' sake, if they would drink wine on the lees, well refined; if they would enjoy holy and happy communion with Jesus; if they would be lifted up above the cares and troubles of this world, let them walk even as He walked. There is nothing which can so assist you to walk towards heaven with good speed, as wearing the image of Jesus on your heart to rule all its motions. It is when, by the power of the Holy Spirit, you are enabled to walk with Jesus in His very footsteps, that you are most happy, and most known to be the sons of God. Peter afar off is both unsafe and uneasy. Next, for religion's sake, strive to be like Jesus. Ah! poor religion, thou hast been sorely shot at by cruel foes, but thou hast not been wounded one-half so dangerously by thy foes as by thy friends. Who made those wounds in the fair hand of Godliness? The professor who used the dagger of hypocrisy. The man who with pretences, enters the fold, being nought but a wolf in sheep's clothing, worries the flock more than the lion outside. There is no weapon half so deadly as a Judas-kiss. Inconsistent professors injure the gospel more than the sneering critic or the infidel. But, especially for Christ's own sake, imitate His example. Christian, lovest thou thy Saviour? Is His name precious to thee? Is His cause dear to thee? Wouldst thou see the kingdoms of the world become His? Is it thy desire that He should be glorified? Art thou longing that souls should be won to Him? If so, imitate Jesus; be an "epistle of Christ, known and read of all men."
Love In Christ!
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