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What is false Christianity?
Please share with me - what is false Christianity and how do you know you are a real Christian?
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Lynda on
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Anything that deviates from the truth. Doctrines of man instead of the Doctrine of YAHWEH.
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Permalink Reply by David Velasquez on
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Amen and amen :)
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Family
Brother Joe said the following:
>>You might have a form of Christianity, but to be a false Christian? You can’t be a Christian! And be false. You are either one or the other. Wouldn’t that be like saying “I am a Republican, Democrat?”
Our brother Charles said the following:
>>I realize that the term "false Christian ' is used to describe people who profess to be followers of Christ but are in practice anything but Christ like ; I cannot bring myself ( a personal conviction only ) to even use the term Christian to describe them. I just feel ( again a personal conviction ) that to even include the precious name of Christ in describing them is to lessen the deep regard we should have for Him.
I am in agreement with both of them and others that have said the same thing.
However Brother Charles also touched on a verse I would like us to examine closer. The main reason I brought up the topic is because there are those who call themselves Christians and they know they are not, but there are others who are deeply deceived. To the point that they truly believe to be in Christ and are not. I mean some will come to the Lord and say Lord, Lord, which means that this folks are approaching Christ with a tremendous amount of confidence that Christ is their Lord. Whenever we see a word being repeated in the bible is a way of emphasizing the following statement. Jesus used verbal repletion to call his listeners to attention, "Verily, verily, I say unto you” he would say. When verbal repetition is used with a name such as when God would say Moses, Moses etc… it let us know that God was being very intimate with the person. There will be folks and now there are folks who truly believe to have intimacy with the King. Yet He will tell them, I never knew you.
So my desire is for us to examine our walk not to bring up doubts about our salvation, but to see if we are truly in the faith. Some believe that because they repeated a prayer a preacher told them to repeat they are save even though there has been no change in their hearts and desires. Some think because they were baptized as children they are saved. I beseech you to please examine your walk and if you feel you need to come before the Lord and settle the matter once and for all, asked Him to grant you a contrite heart. Read John 3:16 and let it sink in. There is no such a thing as false Christianity, but there are those who think they are Christians and may not be.
21"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23 Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' Matthew 7
2 Peter 1:5-8 (New International Version)
5For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. 10Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, 11and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Family this is not to bring condemnation or doubts, do not let those fiery darts get in. Let us examine ourselves.
Blessings
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Permalink Reply by RoyW on
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David,
I posted this somewhere else but I think it better goes here. It is a devotion by Charles Spurgeon on whether your calling is indeed God or not.
"Whom He did predestinate, them He also called."
— Romans 8:30
In the second epistle to Timothy, first chapter, and ninth verse, are these words—"Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling." Now, here is a touchstone by which we may try our calling. It is "an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace." This calling forbids all trust in our own doings, and conducts us to Christ alone for salvation, but it afterwards purges us from dead works to serve the living and true God. As He that hath called you is holy, so must you be holy. If you are living in sin, you are not called, but if you are truly Christ's, you can say, "Nothing pains me so much as sin; I desire to be rid of it; Lord, help me to be holy." Is this the panting of thy heart? Is this the tenor of thy life towards God, and His divine will? Again, in Philippians, , we are told of "The high calling of God in Christ Jesus." Is then your calling a high calling? Has it ennobled your heart, and set it upon heavenly things? Has it elevated your hopes, your tastes, your desires? Has it upraised the constant tenor of your life, so that you spend it with God and for God? Another test we find in Hebrews 3:1—"Partakers of the heavenly calling." Heavenly calling means a call from heaven. If man alone call thee, thou art uncalled. Is thy calling of God? Is it a call to heaven as well as from heaven? Unless thou art a stranger here, and heaven thy home, thou hast not been called with a heavenly calling; for those who have been so called, declare that they look for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God, and they themselves are strangers and pilgrims upon the earth. Is thy calling thus holy, high, heavenly? Then, beloved, thou hast been called of God, for such is the calling wherewith God doth call His people.
Romans 8:30
Charles Spurgeon
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Permalink Reply by Charles Burwell on
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Dear David
Excellent word my friend. Especially the part about
" So my desire is for us to examine our walk not to bring up doubts about our salvation, but to see if we are truly in the faith."
I have recently come through a 'very dry place' in my relationship with the Lord . He has ( as He is always faithful to do ) brought me out of this wilderness with the same message that you mentioned about ' examining ourselves '. Again, as you have so well stated, ' Not to bring up doubts about our salvation, but to see if we are truly in the faith."
I was so desprate to get back to a relationship that I once enjoyed that I told Him that if I couldn't ' feel ' the reality of His presence again that I just needed to leave it alone. I am one who cannot be ' lukewarm' and be content. And I was finding my self progressively in that situation.
Of course God refused to hear that stupid comment about Him just leaving me alone . He let me go finally until I got to the point that I asked Him ( in a state of total desperation ) " what do I have to do to get back the relationship that I once had and so much desired to have again. " I was done with the " option" of Him just letting me go and desperate to just do whatever I needed to get my relationship back where I ' needed ' it to be. I didn't just ' want ' it back I 'needed ' it back.
When I got to the point that there was no other option but to have Him , He flooded me with His peace and let me know that this was the ' attitude' ( for lack of a better word) that He was waiting for. My point in this was that He was requiring me to ' examine ' my motives for serving and the genuiness of my confidence in Him to lead me from that day forward. He also gave me a notification ( again for lack of a better word ) that things could never be the same again. I must be all His with no reservations.
I have been rejoicing in His mercy and grace towards me since then. In spite of the fact that some people that I share this with seem to be almost indifferent. I have trouble understanding why some people can be so , seemingly indifferent to something that is so amazing to me . The Lord has just let me know that I just need to understand that people must first be able to ' relate ' to what I'm talking about before they can rejoice with me. So I'll go on rejoicing and not worry about them. I just need to pray that God will ' wake them up' and motivate ( for lack of a better word) to examine their walk with Him as He required me to do.
I guess I said all that to say this. I have been and will continue to ' examine myself' ' until the day when I no longer need to be cause I will see Him face to face.
God bless you for this well timed and much needed discussion.
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Beloved Charles,
Thank you for sharing this. It fits perfectly with the discussion and it shows us how blessed we can be when we examine ourselves.
2 Corinthians 13:5 (New International Version)
5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?
Our motives are so important in why we do what we do.
>>Of course God refused to hear that stupid comment about Him just leaving me alone.
Amen and amen haahaha God is so good to us.
Romans 12:15
Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
I am rejoicing with you my friend, Praise God. His patience and love towards us will forever amaze me.
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Amanda,
That is not the attitude of what I get from Scripture. That sounds like some arrogant person who believes they have been called and can live any way their flesh desires. What about a verse like this:
2 Pe 1:5-11
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
10 Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, 11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. NIV
We are instructed to make sure of our calling and election. The true believer will study the Word of God to make sure of their calling.
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I personally would prefer your last statement over your first. I don't think we should ever become presumptuous in our calling. I do agree, however, that God is going to save all those that are His. I think a good balance is something that we should all seek. We should be confident in our salvation because of Him but never confident in ourselves. We are saved only because our faith and trust is in our Lord Jesus. Faith is our part. He does the rest. Yet, faith without works is dead. Faith, without fruit, is no faith. Faith will produce. Unbelief may be pretentious but will never save us from anything. Works do not save. Works come as a result of being saved. Jesus is the Savior. I am the recipient of what He has done for me. My confidence is completely in Him and none in myself.
We can fall but we will never stop believing. We will always know that He is the King and we still need Him. We may wander, but always know our Father is waiting for us. We might even end up in a pig pen but will never live out our days in that condition. He will bring us home.
Roy
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