There are many in the
professing Church today who are always talking about Jesus. His Name rolls from
their tongues like the waterfall, and they are always singing songs that exalt
His Name. His Name is the first and last Word, the Alpha and Omega, of all their
prayers. Yet, their hearts are far from Him. Many of them are not really true
followers of Jesus Christ, who truly love Jesus, intimately and passionately,
as a Bride loves Her Groom:
Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth—
For your love is better than wine.
(Song of Solomon 1:2).
The love the Shulamite woman had for her groom is only but a shadow of the Love the Church should have for Christ, one that obeys Christ because she loves Christ, as Jesus said: "If you love Me, keep My commandments (John 14:15)."
True Christianity is about love for God, and love for others. That is how simply the fundamental tenet of what true Christianity is. Owing to the perversion and the waywardness of the human heart from God, as evident by humankind's natural hatred for God and His Laws, this love has been perverted into nothing but hatred for God (Romans 1:18-32). Such is the way of the unregenerated human heart. But the regenerated heart is one that not only has the ability to love God, but does love God. To love God one must love Christ for Christ is God Himself (John 8:58; 1 John 4:2-3).
It is the love for God itself as manifest by obedience to Christ that enables one to enter the Kingdom of God, and that alone. Ministry work, or living a life without obedience to His Commands, where one does things to profess Christ, be it, attend Bible studies every week, sing worship music that professes His Name, performing miracles in His Name, or fighting for 'Christian values' in the public sphere do not enable a person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. This describes many religious people in the Church, whose hearts are lukewarm towards God, and who do such works to validate themselves before God, but whose works are futile.
The Kingdom of Heaven is only for His Bride, the True Church, and not everyone regards themselves as part of the True Church is counted as such by Christ. Christ, not us, is the one who decides whether He knows us, and hence whether we really know Him. Matthew 7:23 records Jesus as saying "And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’", and not "You never knew Me", or that "The Bride says, 'I knew you'."
So, to be counted as a true Bride of Christ, one must truly obey the Commands of Jesus, out of a true genuine love for Him, and not because of the consequences of not doing so being condemned to eternity in Hell, or because of what will supposedly get from Jesus in this life by following Him, such as a large house with a backyard, good-looking spouse, nice children, luxury car, yearly exotic holidays, or a well-paying job that one loves.
Do you not know that such things will fade away? Can you take them with you once you are gone? Can you enjoy them one you are gone? Can you ever find real and long-term satisfaction with such things?
Many who profess the Name of Jesus are involved in all manner of ministry, which is simply a nicer name for that despicable name 'religious work' or 'religious life'. Alternatively, many who profess the Name of Jesus are those who are all too quick to say that they are not religious, and whose lips are all too familiar with His Name, saying worship songs that constantly say His Name, expressing gratitude for Jesus everywhere especially on social media, beginning all of one's prayers with His Name, and ending with His Name, but whose hearts are far from Him. Instead, their hearts love the world and the things in it. For as the Word of God exhorts:
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
(1 John 2:15-17)
One cannot love both God and the world, which is precisely what most professing Christians are trying to do. Their hearts love the world because they are still in the world. For a person either loves God or does not love God. If a person truly loves God, he will not love the world, but hate it. Only those who love God do the Will of God, and abide forever. Whoever does not wholeheartedly love God, as manifesting in doing His Will, will not abide forever, for he shall not make it into the Kingdom of Heaven.
The spirit of religion deceives people into thinking that they love God by doing ministry work or by simply professing the Name of Christ. It gives them a false sense of holiness. But truth be told, such people are really Hellions with a Christian appearance. They are full of carnality, greed, lust, hatred, and all manner of wickedness in their hearts. They may not commit the gross sins that they like to target for criticism, such as fornication and adultery, (or so they say), but they are just as worldly, and hypocritical, in claiming to love God but whose hearts are far from God. They despise their enemies. They are unforgiving. They are full of rebellion against God. They are seeking to have all the best things in life for themselves. They love pleasure and treasure, especially in marrying only to seek sexual pleasure, financial security, wealth, and status.
The only difference between them and the unsaved who do not profess Christ at all is that the unsaved do not profess Christ, while they hypocritically profess Christ. Jesus said of such people:
These people draw near to Me with their mouth,
And honor Me with their lips,
But their heart is far from Me.
And in vain they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.
(Matthew 15:8-9)
Most professing Christians draw near to Jesus with their mouths, professing His Name, thanking him for all their so-called 'blessings', like their car, house, spouse and children. Many of them are outraged at attacks on what they call 'Christian values' in the public sphere, and turn mere human tradition into the Law of God, but yet are full of carnality themselves, demonstrating that their worship of Jesus is not only in vain, but an abomination to God. For their worship of Jesus is false. Such is of the spirit of religion that replaces the true worship of Jesus with false worship of self that deceptively uses Jesus as a guise.
Repent, repent, repent. Turn to Jesus Christ.
Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth—
For your love is better than wine.
(Song of Solomon 1:2).
The love the Shulamite woman had for her groom is only but a shadow of the Love the Church should have for Christ, one that obeys Christ because she loves Christ, as Jesus said: "If you love Me, keep My commandments (John 14:15)."
True Christianity is about love for God, and love for others. That is how simply the fundamental tenet of what true Christianity is. Owing to the perversion and the waywardness of the human heart from God, as evident by humankind's natural hatred for God and His Laws, this love has been perverted into nothing but hatred for God (Romans 1:18-32). Such is the way of the unregenerated human heart. But the regenerated heart is one that not only has the ability to love God, but does love God. To love God one must love Christ for Christ is God Himself (John 8:58; 1 John 4:2-3).
It is the love for God itself as manifest by obedience to Christ that enables one to enter the Kingdom of God, and that alone. Ministry work, or living a life without obedience to His Commands, where one does things to profess Christ, be it, attend Bible studies every week, sing worship music that professes His Name, performing miracles in His Name, or fighting for 'Christian values' in the public sphere do not enable a person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. This describes many religious people in the Church, whose hearts are lukewarm towards God, and who do such works to validate themselves before God, but whose works are futile.
The Kingdom of Heaven is only for His Bride, the True Church, and not everyone regards themselves as part of the True Church is counted as such by Christ. Christ, not us, is the one who decides whether He knows us, and hence whether we really know Him. Matthew 7:23 records Jesus as saying "And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’", and not "You never knew Me", or that "The Bride says, 'I knew you'."
So, to be counted as a true Bride of Christ, one must truly obey the Commands of Jesus, out of a true genuine love for Him, and not because of the consequences of not doing so being condemned to eternity in Hell, or because of what will supposedly get from Jesus in this life by following Him, such as a large house with a backyard, good-looking spouse, nice children, luxury car, yearly exotic holidays, or a well-paying job that one loves.
Do you not know that such things will fade away? Can you take them with you once you are gone? Can you enjoy them one you are gone? Can you ever find real and long-term satisfaction with such things?
Many who profess the Name of Jesus are involved in all manner of ministry, which is simply a nicer name for that despicable name 'religious work' or 'religious life'. Alternatively, many who profess the Name of Jesus are those who are all too quick to say that they are not religious, and whose lips are all too familiar with His Name, saying worship songs that constantly say His Name, expressing gratitude for Jesus everywhere especially on social media, beginning all of one's prayers with His Name, and ending with His Name, but whose hearts are far from Him. Instead, their hearts love the world and the things in it. For as the Word of God exhorts:
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
(1 John 2:15-17)
One cannot love both God and the world, which is precisely what most professing Christians are trying to do. Their hearts love the world because they are still in the world. For a person either loves God or does not love God. If a person truly loves God, he will not love the world, but hate it. Only those who love God do the Will of God, and abide forever. Whoever does not wholeheartedly love God, as manifesting in doing His Will, will not abide forever, for he shall not make it into the Kingdom of Heaven.
The spirit of religion deceives people into thinking that they love God by doing ministry work or by simply professing the Name of Christ. It gives them a false sense of holiness. But truth be told, such people are really Hellions with a Christian appearance. They are full of carnality, greed, lust, hatred, and all manner of wickedness in their hearts. They may not commit the gross sins that they like to target for criticism, such as fornication and adultery, (or so they say), but they are just as worldly, and hypocritical, in claiming to love God but whose hearts are far from God. They despise their enemies. They are unforgiving. They are full of rebellion against God. They are seeking to have all the best things in life for themselves. They love pleasure and treasure, especially in marrying only to seek sexual pleasure, financial security, wealth, and status.
The only difference between them and the unsaved who do not profess Christ at all is that the unsaved do not profess Christ, while they hypocritically profess Christ. Jesus said of such people:
These people draw near to Me with their mouth,
And honor Me with their lips,
But their heart is far from Me.
And in vain they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.
(Matthew 15:8-9)
Most professing Christians draw near to Jesus with their mouths, professing His Name, thanking him for all their so-called 'blessings', like their car, house, spouse and children. Many of them are outraged at attacks on what they call 'Christian values' in the public sphere, and turn mere human tradition into the Law of God, but yet are full of carnality themselves, demonstrating that their worship of Jesus is not only in vain, but an abomination to God. For their worship of Jesus is false. Such is of the spirit of religion that replaces the true worship of Jesus with false worship of self that deceptively uses Jesus as a guise.
Repent, repent, repent. Turn to Jesus Christ.
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