Deceiving your own self!
Let no man suppose himself to be a Christian who does not actively obey the Word of God! Until the false notions of church attendees are laid bare by the pastors, the church will remain destitute of true holiness now and forever. As long as people are permitted to call themselves Christians who will not obey Christ, live godly lives and deny worldly lust, the efforts of the local church will be in vain. "They are hearers & not doers, deceiving themselves!" James1:22
No one can deny the church has works. But the results are shameful! Our society is devastated by sin and all the church can do is stand by making excuses, because they wallow in the same sin! The preachers are afraid to take on the responsibility of warning the righteous & the wicked, (Ezk18:26) and people go on sinning with impunity. They hide behind their theological mumbo jumbo and turn God's grace into a vast scheme of indulgence by implying that it's normal for Christians to live daily in sin!
That the Bible actually teaches otherwise is a foreign concept to most people. They insist that grace is God's way of accommodating them in their 'wretched' condition, because He loved them and sent His Son to die in their place. Christ is our righteousness, they loudly proclaim. NO ONE is expected to live without sin & lust in their heart. Salvation is a free gift, I don't have to 'work' my way into heaven. Anyone who preaches otherwise is accused of 'legalism'.
Yet Purity of heart is the principle doctrine of the Gospel! Unless your heart is made Pure by faith and subsequently followed by 'purity' of life, you have NOT received the Grace of God. Religion is not merely correct doctrines and orthodoxy, it is HEARING the Word of God and putting it into practice!(Lk11:28) People who do not live according to the Word of God are NOT Christians, no matter how much they attend church, sing in choirs, listen to preaching or come to bible study. Most people assume themselves Christians because they enjoy listening to good preaching & gospel music. They like discussing the 'abstract' notions of religion, but never seem to arrive at the understanding of how it applies to them. Suggest that holiness is something you DO, not something you talk about doing and watch them scatter.
In Scripture there's no 'middle' ground. You are either obeying Christ or not obeying Him. You are either Dead to sin or living 'in' sin. You are either serving the Jesus or serving yourself. You can't have it both ways. There's no such thing as half-hearted service to God. The double minded man is unstable in ALL his ways, James1:8. No one can serve two masters, Matt6:24 (this also includes 'lust' in the heart! True faith will give you power over such things)
Why then do MOST professing Christians live as though none of these things were true? Why are people permitted to enter into a supposed relationship with Christ and still cling to selfish endeavors & sinful lusts? Jesus set the standard of Grace when He said if you 'look' at a women to lust for her in your heart you have already committed adultery with her. And if you hate your brother, you are guilty of murder.(Matt5:22-30) He completed the point by adding that if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out, if your hand, cut it off! (Matt5:29)
YET these things ignored by the majority of preachers? Too harsh? Don't apply? For another time frame? The professing church doesn't have a CLUE it applies to them! But those who refuse to heed these and the many other warnings of scripture will suffer the penalties prescribed. No matter what the 'preachers' say, it's the Word of God that matters. You can hide behind their shirt tails at present, but a time will come when there's no where left to hide. At Judgment you will know that His Words were true. That FEW did enter into life and MANY did not. That most will be left standing outside the kingdom wondering what happened. Matt7:13-23
"I was a Sunday school teacher, a choir director, an assistant pastor, youth director, deacon and elder...WHY am I excluded from the kingdom? My pastor TOLD me I was saved! He said the little sins didn't matter, that no one was perfect and God only expected us to believe. God loves me and sent His Son to die for my sins! I'm forgiven in Christ and NOTHING can separate me from His love! WHAT HAPPENED!!!?"
Have you ever stopped to consider your profession of faith may not be genuine? Can you produce any hard fast evidence that Christ is in you working His will, cleansing you of sin, purifying your heart by faith? Are you growing in His Grace, yielding yourself up to His Word, being weaned from the world, hating sin, keeping yourself unspotted by the flesh and grieving over the souls of others? (Each of these points is a 'command' of scripture, can you quote them? Do you have any idea where they are? Do you even care?)
Your attitude toward the things of God reveals your true state of mind. Jesus said it's what comes out of man that defiles him. (Matt15:18-19) "Out of the heart proceeds evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man!" That's why the heart MUST be made PURE by faith! 1Pet1:22
If it is NOT made Pure in reality, sin will defile your soul, harden your heart and deceive you into hell! THIS is what scripture says: Heb3:12-14, 12:15-17, 2Pet3:17, to name a few. The Purpose of Grace is to Deliver you from the corrupting influence of sin! 2Pet1:4, Titus2:11-14 Your heart is made PURE by Obedience to the faith! 1Pet1:22, Acts15:9
Let NO One call themselves Christian who has NOT received Deliverance from sin. If you have been 'Crucified' with Christ, Gal2:20, SIN no longer has dominion over you, Rom6:14, You are DEAD to sin, Alive to God. Rom6:6, Walking in Newness of life! Rom6:4, Gal2:19-21
To Continue in sin would be a mockery of God's Grace! Rom6:1, 15 It would make Christ a minister of sin! Gal2:17 and it will ruin your soul. Heb6:1-6 (Can you see the simplicity in all this? It's satan's own deception to beguile you from the simple message of salvation by the exact same means he used on Eve, 2Cor11:3, lying to her that one act of 'sinful' disobedience WON'T result in spiritual death!)
Most people who call themselves Christians have no idea what the Bible really teaches about Repentance, salvation and faith. They are content to have their ears tickled by some local preacher who will assure them that God is love and they are forgiven in Christ no matter what they do. The 'little' things don't matter, God understands how imperfect you are and feels sorry for your wretched condition. That's why grace is a free gift, because NO ONE could possibly do anything to earn it! "Not of works, lest any man should boast!" the preachers say. "Don't let anyone tell you differently."
The problem with this point of view is it's a PERVERSION of God's grace and it leaves people with the impression that they can get 'saved' and continue in their sins. (as long as they ask forgiveness and realize God would rather have them obey) But if they don't, it's of no eternal consequence. After all, their sins are forgiven, they believe and that's the Gospel!
BUT THAT'S NOT THE GOSPEL! The Gospel of Christ is Redemption FROM SIN!
The "More Excellent Way!" 1Cor12:31, is the WAY of Newness of Life! Rom6:4, The New Creation, old things passed, New things have come! 2Cor5:17, is: I have been Crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith. I DO NOT set aside the grace of God!" Gal2:20-21, Thereby making Christ a minister of sin! Gal2:17
The "Abundant Life" in Christ, John10:10, is the Life Free from the corrupting influence of sin! 2Pet1:4, 1John5:4, Freedom in Christ, John8:31-32, is release from the bondage of sin. Walking in the Light as He is in the Light, 1John1:7, is being turned from the Power of satan to the Power of God! Acts26:18. If you are Called out of darkness into His Marvelous Light, 1Pet2:9, and Translated into the Kingdom of His love, Col1:13, Thereby YOU are Dead to sin and Alive to God! Rom6:4,6,8 AND SIN no longer has Dominion over you! Rom6:14
THIS IS THE GOSPEL MESSAGE!
The Narrow Way, Christ spoke of, Matt7:13-14, The Difficult path constrained by false prophets, Matt7:15-16, that you are to Make EVERY effort to enter thereby, Luke13:24. This is the Road only a FEW will find and the warning that MOST will be 'self deceived!' Matt7:17-18. The ROCK is Christ, the foundation, the Chief Corner Stone, ONLY those who have wholly dedicated their lives to His service and show forth the Obedient Walk of Faith working by love, will enter His Kingdom.
You can Take His Yoke, Matt11:29-30, or carry your own. Deny yourself, Matt16:24, or LOSE your own life trying to find it. Matt16:25 You can Take up Your Cross daily, or be ashamed at the Judgment, Luke9:23-26 And You can Fear Him now. Luke12:4-5, or face Him later. Heb10:31 There is no middle ground. You either count the cost or suffer the loss! Luke14:28
Understand that YOU ARE NOT a Christian if these things are NOT evident in your life. You may call yourself one or be told by some preacher you are forgiven in Christ. BUT unless the Bible itself is in error, you have not one ounce of the Spirit of God in you unless:
1) Your heart is made PURE by faith
2) You are Walking in the Light
3) You are Obedient to His Word & active in His service
4) You have overcome the World
5) And your number one concern in this life is to introduce others to the Redemptive Power of God's Grace.
(Do you really need scripture to verify these things are true? Study for yourself and then maybe you'll really find Christ!" 2Tim2:15)
If after all this, you STILL think it's normal for a Christian to sin everyday and walk under the influence of worldly lust, you are in DEEP spiritual delusion and no matter how 'good' it feels now or how 'secure' you 'think' you are under grace, YOU WILL be thrown into the lake of fire at the Judgment unless you repent. (Rev21:8)
Heed the warning while there's still time! Find the Redemptive Power of God's Grace in Christ and be truly saved from your sins!