TRUE Believers - FALSE Believers
Imagine your self a pastor of a Church of 300 members,
Imagine your self a pastor of a Church of 300 members,
Would you know for sure, which ones were saved, and which ones were not, ...probably not?
Now, you have to preach a message, to all of them.
In your message would you give them all the impression, they are lost?
In your message would you give them all the impression, they are saved?
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What would you do?
Think for a minute,
that was exactly what God was up against,
in putting the Bible together.
So when we interpret the bible
we need to realize this principle.
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The Bible speaks very clearly of religious people who think they are Christians when in reality they are not. It is evident that these people attempt to weave themselves in with true believers. The writers of the New Testament speak to the Churches with this understanding. This puts the reader in the position of always taking this principle into consideration when interpreting the Scriptures.
For Example:
2 Corinth 13:5-6
Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you, unless indeed you fail the test? But I trust that you will realize that we ourselves do not fail the test.
1 John 2:19
They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
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Many people appear to be Christians and think they are Christians. But when all is known, it is discovered that they are not Christians! These non-Christian's appear to be sincere. They carry Bibles and sit under men they believe to be godly. However, these are the people that God in His foreknowledge makes mention of repeatedly in the New Testament as not being saved.
The following examples exemplify this point:
Matthew 7:21
Not everyone that saith unto Me, "Lord, Lord" shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven.
2 Corinth 11:13
For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ.
1 John 4:1
Believe not every spirit, but try the spirits to see whether they are of God: because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
Matthew 7:15
Beware of false prophets, which comes to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Examples continued:
2 Corth 11:26
I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my countrymen, danger from the Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger on the sea, danger among false brethren;
2 Peter 2:1
But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false prophets among you, who privately bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
Mark 13:22
For false Christ's and false prophets shall rise, and shall show signs and wonders, to seduce if it were possible, even the elect.
Titus 1:8-9
For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision; whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.
Romans 16:17-18
Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.
2 Timothy 3:5
Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
2 Thessalonians 3:2
and that we may be delivered from perverse and evil men; for not all have faith.
Hebrews 3:12-13
Take care brethren, lest there should be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, in falling away from the living God. But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "today", LEST ANY OF YOU BE HARDENED BY THE DECEITFULNESS OF SIN. For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end.
Hebrews 10:38-39
But my righteous one shall live by faith; and if he shrinks back my soul has no pleasure in him. But we are not those who shrink back to destruction, but those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.
The unsaved false believers have the opportunity to change to real saved believers. God in His foreknowledge, through the Bible, has made it very easy for a person to figure out the errors of his way. But he must be honest, and humble, with the Scriptures, and willing to repent.
2 Peter 3:9
God is not willing that any should perish, but that all men should come to repentance.
Their are many verses in the Bible that seem to be able to be interpreted differently, that's why people have various views on subjects like,
YOU CAN'T LOOSE YOUR SALVATION AFTER YOUR SAVED
...VS. YES YOU CAN.
The presupposition I'm suggesting can answer many questions that have been causing minds to be uncertain for many years about certain verses in the Bible.
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Examples continued:
Two groups of people are seen in Galatians 4:21-31
Those under Grace Those under Works
Free woman = vs. 22 .. Bond woman = vs. 22
Promise = vs. 23.. Mount Sinai = vs 24
Jerusalem above = vs. 26.. Present Jerusalem = vs. 25
Isaac = vs. 28.. Ishmael = vs. 30
Spirit = vs. 29.. Flesh = vs. 29
Galatians 4:30
Cast out the bondwoman and her son; for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the free woman.
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Matthew 13:1-23
Two groups of believers, one false and one true, is seen.
True Believers False Believers
Fruit.. No Fruit
Understanding.. Does not understand
Saved.. Not Saved
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John 15:2
Two groups of believers, one false and one true, is seen.
True Believers False Believers
Bears Fruit .. Does not bear Fruit
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It is wrong for us to give a person the impression that he is saved when he really is not.
I think truly saved people will continue in the things of God, He wants them to know they are secure.
1 John 5:13
These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may know that you have ETERNAL LIFE.
On the other hand there is a devil in the world that wants people to think they are saved when in actuality they are hell-bound.
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A person is truly saved by the grace of God through faith, not by works...But the best evidence (maybe only evidence) after salvation is good works which are pleasing to God.
If you think you are a Christian, but do not have good works continuing after your initial salvation, then more than likely you are not a Christian.
James 1:22
And be not just hearers of the Word, that deceive themselves, but be doers of the Word.
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F a l s e B e l i e v e r s
Since Satan controls false believers within the Churches what is his intent, and where would they be found?
Satan's intent is to keep the Churches from being what God wants them to be.
False believers may be found everywhere in the churches. Satan's purpose for the false believers is to place them in places of influence, leadership, teaching, Church boards, elders, or even a pastor.
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They will speak the truths of the Bible at times.
They will tell half truths.
They will tell just enough truth to keep them from being detected.
The intent is to keep truth out of balance or vague.
They will appear to be Godly.
They will promote ministries that concentrate on the saved, not the lost.
They emphasize entertainment, calling it worship.
Depending on the Church, they may use different methods.
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They will not want to offend people with the truth.
They will not want to talk about sin.
They will not want to personalize sin.
They will place doubt on what sin is.
They will not want to talk about the sinfulness of man.
They will not want man to realize his need for salvation.
They will not want to talk about holy living.
They will not want to talk about the Judgment and Hell.
They personally will not want to be involved in evangelism.
They will want to be involved in leadership and decision making.
They look at the Church as a business.
They value people because of who they are, not what they are. They do not want to follow the examples of the early Church.
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O the sorrow of many well meaning saints that have been on Church boards, in places of authority, and leadership. When they find out their decisions and Church polices were influenced or controlled by unbelievers, who they thought were true believers.
It is not my purpose to cause paranoia within the Churches on trying to tell who's, who. My intent is that each of us will evaluate himself and the people around him with discerning wisdom.
There are, however, some things to keep in mind.
Do you teach there is only one way to God, (JESUS)
Do you warn the lost?
Do you speak out against sin?
Do you address the need for the Savior?
Do you advocate righteous living?
Do you teach man is responsible for his sin?
Do you teach that all unsaved people will stand before the Judgment of God?
Do you teach people without Christ will go to Hell?
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THE LORD JESUS CHRIST BACKED HIS WORDS UP WITH ACTIONS
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The True Believers
"I am under obligation". Romans 1:14
"I am eager to preach the gospel" . Romans 1:15
"I am not ashamed of the gospel" . Romans 1:16
Eph 6:19-20
19) and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel,
20) for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
JOHN 16:8
"And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment;
If you're not preaching about sin, righteousness, and judgment, it should be a dead giveaway that the Holy Spirit is not working through you. God uses imperfect people to take forth His perfect message.
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THE FALSE BELIEVERS
False believers are happy to talk about Jesus, but are not willing to follow His example in personally getting involved with the unsaved people. Or teaching the urgency of salvation, and Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation.
(Simply because they're not saved themselves.) |
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