True or False Professor?
\nThere is a distinguishing difference between a true child of God and a false professor. The Bible is filled with illustrations of this truth – Mt 7:22-23; Mt 23:27; Mt 25:32; John 14:21; 1John 3:14. This discernible difference is characterized from an inward presence of the indwelling Spirit of God which is produced and manifested by the love of God in the true believer, and is absent in the false professor. The child of God, by his grace, loves God, loves his Son, loves his Gospel, loves the brethren, and loves his work.<\/p>\n
Although this inward nature can be imitated outwardly by the false professor for awhile, to some degree, it can never be counterfeited in the heart. What a person loves and gives himself to is, at some point, revealed in his life – For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also Luke 12:34. There are those who profess their allegiance and love to Christ and His Church, yet can never bring themselves to a commitment to the same. They remain their own person, not Christ\u2019s.<\/p>\n
The true children of God have a new nature, the Divine nature, which continually causes them to give themselves to the things of God. The truth is that the distinguishing difference is LIFE and DEATH. To those who know him, he is their life. Those who only profess to know him, their life consists of themselves, which is death.<\/p>\n
It is of a truth that the true believer\u2019s life revolves around Christ, and that to the false professor Christ revolves around his life. It is comforting to know that God has a people, in this world of falseness and deception, and that they, having the divine nature, live for his glory.<\/p>\n
No, they are not perfect in themselves! But they are perfect in him and seek to honor him and his cause by his distinguishing grace. WHICH ONE OF THESE PROFESSORS ARE WE?
\nTommy Robbins<\/p>\n
Natural Sense is not Spiritual Sense
\nIsaiah 6: 10: Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.
\nWhat did the Lord command Isaiah to do to make the heart of this people fat, their ears heavy, which caused them to close their eyes? Isaiah was to simply preach Christ Jesus the Lord, the Son of God, the Messiah, the Holy One of Israel. Most delighted to participate in hearing the message preached. They drew near to the Lord, or at least appeared to (Isa 29: 13, 14; Isa 30: 8-11.)
\nYet, in hearing Isaiah’s gospel the Lord declared he would make the heart of this people fat (v10.) Literally, their hearts swelled with pride as they thought themselves secure because of their act of seeing and hearing. But like the sun hardens the clay, so God’s Word hardened their hearts. Their ears became heavy (v10) because as they refused to hear, they became more deaf so that they could not hear. They shut their eyes (v10) and because they willfully shut their own eyes to the truth of the Messiah, God gave them up to judicial blindness. So that they could not see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed (2 Thes 2: 10-12.)<\/p>\n
The declaration is clear. Until God gives the sinners a new heart, spiritual discernment and a willingness to come to Christ then our religion is vanity. Listen to the words of Christ Jesus to the religious elite who mocked him. John 9: 39: And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not, might see; and that they which see, might be made blind. 40: And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also? 41: Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.
\nHear the word of the Lord, “If ye were blind, if you cried out to God for sight, not only would you have sight, you should have no sin.” But now you say, “I see, therefore your sin remaineth.” Unless a man be born of God he cannot see…(Joh 3: 3.) This truth will make a blind man mock even more. But it will make one in whom God has given sight to say, “Who is Christ, Lord, that I might believe on him?” And that man shall hear Christ in the heart saying, “Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee.” (Joh 9: 34-38.)
\nClay Curtis.<\/p>\n
Simple, Silent, Unassuming Worship
\nMark 14:3-9
\nI find it wonderful how our Lord expresses this woman\u2019s simple, yet focused act of worship in these verses here in Mark\u2019s gospel. How different is this real worship as compared to today\u2019s \u2018contemporary\u2019 style. How low key and unassuming and peaceful is this woman\u2019s utter devotion to the Lord of Glory. I also noticed the Lord\u2019s phrase in verse 9 . . . \u201cthis also that she hath DONE shall be spoken of . . .\u201d she did not say a word, did not make a bunch of noise \u2018praising Jesus,\u2019 but simply, and with full understanding worshipped Him! May this be said of us here today. Not a lot of stuff was going on in that place; not a lot of music or pageantry or play acting but the \u2018doing\u2019 from the heart which truly shows itself in humble adoration for the One who called us and washed us in His own blood.
\nDrew Dietz<\/p>\n
Church Member or Christ Worshipper?
\n>From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God. (John 6:66-69)
\nI have an acquaintance that has been a member of three churches in the last year. Every time he hears something he does not like, sees something he doesn\u2019t approve of, or just gets tired of what is going on, he leaves and finds another church. He and his wife are nothing more than church goers. There is a big difference between a church member and Christ worshipper.
\nYou cannot run off a Christ worshipper. He or she is like the Apostle Peter, when asked \u201cwill ye also go away\u201d he will be quick to answer, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.
\nPlease notice the words \u201cto whom shall we go.\u201d Salvation is not where shall we go, but to whom shall we go.\u201d There is only one person to whom we CAN go. There is only one way to salvation, only one door to enter. Christ says plainly “I am the door” of the sheep (John 10:7). Only one person has the words of eternal life.
\nAre you a church member or a Christ worshipper?
\nDavid Eddmenson<\/p>\n
Proof of Spiritual Life
\nJoe Terrell
\n“Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.” ~Malachi 3:1
\nA believer is a mass of contradictions so when he looks at himself he often wonders if he knows God at all. Is there such a thing as proof of spiritual life? Here it is given: all believers delight in Christ. Much to a believer\u2019s shame, there may be other things which can also delight him, but none of these other delights can ever fully displace his desire for Christ. The Lord used this very principle with Peter when restoring his confidence of an interest in Christ: Peter do you love me more than these things? Peter\u2019s conscience must have once again burned with shame when the Lord asked Him this question a third time for it reminded him of his three-fold denial of the Lord Jesus a little while ago. His broken heart gushed forth in a proclamation he likely felt unworthy to give but still could not deny, \u201cLord, you know I love you!\u201d Many years later, Peter would express that sentiment in his own epistle: To you who believe, He is precious.
\nWe delight in Christ\u2019s Person. Yes, we love his doctrine and we love His church; but we love Him more. His doctrine is dry without Him, His church a disappointment apart from His presence. Is there anything you long for more than to behold His face? Does not every rival attraction fade to insignificance in His presence? Is there any burden of your heart that will not find relief when you see Him? Does not His presence signal to you, \u201cAll is well\u201d?
\nWe delight in Christ\u2019s Lordship. It is the Lord who comes. In this case, \u201cLord\u201d is not a translation of God\u2019s name, Jehovah, but is His title, \u201cAdonai\u201d: Lord, Master, Owner. He is our Lord and we love to have it so! He is Lord of all, and we find comfort in His sovereign rule over all things.
\nWe delight in His message. He is the messenger of the New Covenant in His blood. To hear His name spoken; to hear His work described; and to have those things sealed to our hearts by His Spirit is heaven. Indeed, \u201cHis lips with grace o\u2019er flow\u201d. We say “You who dwell in the gardens with friends in attendance, let me hear your voice!” (Song of Songs 8:13)
\nOur delight in Christ is not our boast, neither before men nor before God; but it is proof in our hearts that we are, indeed, born of God. If Jesus Christ is not our delight, then we are yet dead in trespasses and sins. But if He is our delight, then we are alive unto God.<\/p>\n
Subpar Christians
\nIn listening to a message I heard a preacher say there are a lot of \u201csubpar Christians.\u201d I do not believe that for a moment.<\/p>\n
Gods holy word says, \u201cwe are complete in Him\u201d (Col. 2:9-10). They also say, \u201che hath perfected forever them that are sanctified\u201d (Heb 10:14). Christ is \u201cmade unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption\u201d.<\/p>\n
Where is anything subpar about that? All Gods people are ONE IN CHRIST, whether Jew, Gentile bond or free. Christ is all in all!<\/p>\n
I know there are \u201cbabes, young men, and fathers,\u201d but the babe in Christ is as complete in Christ as the father in the faith. There are no degrees in any believers standing before God; all are \u201cmade the righteousness of God in Christ;\u201d all are \u201cmade new creatures in Christ\u201d.<\/p>\n
Men make statements and try to present degrees or different levels of Christians, and of course they are themselves at the highest level. This is blasphemous. It dishonors Christ and his work of redemption, and makes men look to doing something to attain a higher level of Christianity, and they do that because neither they nor the preacher know Christ or the gospel. There is no higher ground, no higher level or anything else than Christ.<\/p>\n
\u201cSubpar Christian\u201d is the creation of a wicked and depraved mind. \u201cToday thou shall be with ME in paradise\u201d is what our Lord said to the thief beside him. This man had just became a believer, had just seen Christ for who he was. He didn\u2019t have time to \u201clive right,\u201d \u201cto do a good work for Jesus.\u201d But he went into glory with Christ his savior, why because Christ made him complete, clothed him with his righteousness.
\nDon Bell<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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