Fighting the Four Evils

Many local churches teach the dangerous doctrine of 'once saved always saved'. This is a false doctrine. While it is true that "he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6), one must not only persevere in the faith in Jesus Christ as the whole book of Hebrews exhorts. One must constantly guard against abandoning one's faith in Christ to go back into the world.  Hebrews 11:14-16 warns the follower of Christ not to go back into the world: For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city. Even those listed in the Hebrews 11 Hall of Faith were tempted to go back to the world, to seek earthly riches, g...

He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful (Matthew 13:22). The Bible warns that riches are deceitful, not the love of riches, but riches itself. Jesus had much to say about riches. He rebukes his disciples that no one can serve both God and mammon (Matthew 6:24), not being anxious about basic earthly needs (Matthew 6:25-34). He rebuke the rich young ruler who was not willing to lay all things down to follow Christ for not doing so, and turned to his disciples and warned them that they must also do so (Matthew 19:16-22; Mark 10:17-27). He rebuked the man who demanded his 'fair share' of his inheritance to not seek the abundance of possession, with the parable of the rich fool (Luke 12:13-21). Many Christians try to construe Jesus' teachings on mammon as that which only relates to money, and not other things which are sourced by money ...

Blessings are often thought by many in the modern western Church to be that for oneself to enjoy. However, that is only a half-truth, and is a very dangerous half-truth. Many Christians think that having a new car, big house, or high income is a sign of God's favour to them. They think such is a blessing, and therefore for them to enjoy for themselves, and their own lives on earth. Such is an extremely self-centred, selfish and prideful mindset. It assumes that one has what one has because one deserves it, when all things are given by God's grace:   Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning (James 1:17). Note how James 1:17 refers to good gifts, and not entitlements or rights. People may be obliged by God on their own part to treat people in the right way or conduct themselves in right way towards others. However, the good which comes from the righteousness of...

This is an excellent article about worldliness, which explains how followers of Christ can fall into worldliness, all without realising it: http://www.gty.org/Blog/B160912

  For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil (Luke 6:32-35). The world expects to receive what it lends to people in return. It thinks it is legitimate to so expect, not because it truly upholds the righteous principle of honouring one's debts as per Psalm 37:21: The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth.   The world has such an expectation out of its own self-centredness, thinking that it is entitled to what it has, and that what it h...

Many in the modern Church in the west think that giving money is an act of generosity. The truth is, that giving money is almost always a means to control people. It is usually a means of tempting or seducing people into doing what one wants another to do. Money works that way because most people, including many in the modern western Church are serving or so tempted by mammon that they are controlled by him. This is exactly why so many think that giving money is necessarily an act of generosity while not giving money is not. It is precisely because they themselves desire for more money. They love money. You may think that that cannot be you because you are a true follower of Christ. As long as you think that money is that which you 'need' and you are anxious for it to provide you with your needs, including your legitimate needs, you have fallen into the love of money. You love money more than God. You need to repent. If you do not repent, many sorrows will come for you will b...

Many people generally think that a poor person could not be materialistic, greedy and prepared to commit all kinds of evil in the quest to satisfy their desires for earthly comfort. Nothing could be further from the truth. A poor person can be as mammonised as a rich person. Both can be equally mammonised, let's get that fair and square.  It is all too easy to feel sympathy for the poor, just because they are poor. This is exactly why the Bible has to tell us to not show partiality the poor:  Do not show favoritism to a poor person in a lawsuit (Exodus 23:3). Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly (Leviticus 19:15)  Feeling sympathy for the poor because they are poor is not righteousness or kindness at all. It is partiality. Such sympathy is humanistic sympathy, sympathy of the flesh, because it sympathises with the poor because it is thinking of how one's own earthly security might b...

Many in the modern Church think that handling finances has nothing to do with morality, just as many in modern society think that marriage, divorce and sex has nothing to do with morality. While many in the Church of today are very strict about righteousness and holiness in many matters, they completing separate morality and righteousness from finances. They think that how one handles finances is purely an economic thing, an earthly thing which does not matter. They think that an individual can spend money in the way one wants, for one's own purposes, rather than spending it the way God wants.  Handling finances is a moral and spiritual issue. How one seeks to earn money, spend money and give money is the fruit of his heart. Earning money in the manner of spirit of seeking to satisfying one's own needs or that of one's loved ones including, is an ungodly thing. It is to earn money in the spirit of self-centredness and selfishness, to seek to satisfy one's earthly need...

Debt. We are constantly bombarded by the debt problem we hear in the news. We hear secular commentators comment about how insidious the problem is. They are right: debt is a problem. However, what the secular commentators do not understand is the spiritual and moral side of debt which only a true follower of Christ can have the capacity to understand: But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned (1 Corinthians 2:14). The spiritual and moral side of debt can only be understood by spiritual wisdom and revelation from God, not earthly, worldly wisdom. As 1 Corinthians 2:13 says: " Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual ". No secular commentary or secular movement, can fight what debt truly is: materialism, greed, pride, a disregard for fello...

The modern world talks about people, all people, getting their 'basic needs' as basic f undamental hu man 'right' , assuming that all people are entitled to such needs. Such needs are not debated about. They are assumed to be a "right". This is not an indication of the world becoming more and more compassionate, kind or loving, or even, more equitable and fair. No, not all at. It is all a manifestation of the world becoming more humanistic, individualistic, earthly, proud, arrogant and materialistic. The whole idea of people needing to have their 'basic needs' is a deception. It is an extremely subtle one, one that is true enough to be regarded as true in the large part, but of a very dangerous twist. That twist is that this demonic idea not only implies that people need to pursue their 'basic needs' for themselves to survive, which itself is utter lack of faith in God, and thus the serving of mammon. It is much more than that.  It is perv...