true Christian or faux?

TRUE CHRISTIAN OR FAUX?

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PROFESSING BELIEVERS

This title, too, is misleading for these are carnal men who, themselves, profess to be believers, but they are not genuine believers.

“A dangerous yet real possibility is that apparent followers of Jesus may not be true disciples at all but only professing believers (e.g. Judas Iscariot)” The ESV Study Bible (ref#125, p1859, [Matt 18:14]).

“There are multitudes of unregenerate religionists [professing believers] who are taught, numbers of them well taught, in the letter of the Scriptures.  They are thoroughly versed in the historical facts and doctrines of Christianity; but their instruction came only from human media—parents, Sunday School teachers, or through reading religious books.  Their intellectual knowledge of spiritual things is considerable, sound, and clear; yet it is unaccompanied by any heavenly unction, saving power, or transforming effects….many of them are total strangers to a miracle of grace being wrought in the heart.  How it behooves each of us to test ourselves rigidly at this point” A.W. Pink (ref#269 p103, brackets mine)!

Jonathan Edwards lends sobering words in his famous sermon, “Sinners in the Hand of an Angry God.”  “Every one lays out matters in his own mind how he shall avoid damnation and flatters himself…that his schemes will not fail” Jonathan Edwards (ref#139, point 9 in second set of beginning points).  “…whatever pains a natural man takes in religion, whatever prayers he makes,…God is under no matter of obligation to keep him a moment from eternal destruction” Jonathan Edwards (ref#139, point 10 in second set of points).

“It is not that he [the sinner] is averse from being saved from Hell—for none desire to go there—but that he is unwilling to “forsake” (Prov 28:13; Isa 55:7) his idols—the things which hold the first place in his affections and interests….the things of time and sense…” A.W. Pink (ref#269, p88-89, brackets mine).

“Man may change from error to truth, yet only in the head, not in the heart…morality is but nature at best….Sudden passion, or stirring of the affections.  Many desire heaven, but will not come up to the price.  King Herod heard John gladly; his affections were moved, but his sin was not removed” Thomas Watson (ref#48, “The Conuterfeits of the New Creature”).

TRUE CHRISTIAN OR FAUX?

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CARNAL-LIKE CHRISTIAN VS. A SOUND CONVERT

“…the carnal state is a state of continual sinning and failure…sins…are the sign that we are not living a healthy life…” Andrew Murray (ref#272, p12).

“A biblical Christian is one who has wholeheartedly complied with the terms for obtaining God’s provision for sin….True faith is permeated with repentance, and true repentance is permeated with faith….a believing penitent and a penitent believer” Albert N. Martin (ref#221, p15).

“The unsound ‘convert’ takes Christ by halves.  He is all for the salvation, but not sanctification.  He is all for the privileges, but neglects the person of Christ.  He divides the offices and benefits of Christ….They desire salvation from suffering, but do not desire to be saved from sinning.  They would be saved and keep their lusts; they are content to destroy some sins, but cannot leave the lap of Delilah….” Joseph Alleine (ref#301, Aug 26th).

“The sound convert takes a whole Christ without exceptions, without limitations, without reserve.  He is willing to have Christ upon any terms.  He is willing to have the dominion of Christ as well as deliverance” Joseph Alleine (ref#301, Aug 26th).

“You see a mark of the carnal state not only in unlovingness, self-consciousness and bitterness, but in so many other sins.  How much worldliness, how much ambition among men, how much seeking for the honor that comes from man—all the fruit of the carnal life—to be found in the midst of Christian activity” Andrew Murray (ref#272, p12)!

“…spiritual men were not called so because there was no flesh in them but because the Spirit in them had obtained dominance…” Andrew Murray (ref#272, p14).

“…let us beware lest the blessing God gives us in our work deceive us and lead us to think that because He has blessed us, we must be spiritual men.  God may give us gifts that we use, and yet our lives may not be wholly in the power of the Holy Spirit” Andrew Murray (ref#272, p14).

“The sincere convert accepts a complete Christ.  He loves not only the reward, but labour.  He seeks not only the benefits, but the burden of Christ.  He takes up the commands, yes, even the cross of Christ” Joseph Alleine (ref#301, Aug 26th).

TRUE CHRISTIAN OR FAUX?

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A TRUE CHRISTIAN – A FAUX CHRISTIAN

I realize that the title is misleading because there is no such thing as a “faux Christian.”   The definition I would put on a “faux Christian” is a person who thinks he is a Christian but is not.

A carnal, natural, fleshly person’s actions are very much like a babe, carnal-like Christian.  They are so much alike that no one can tell the difference since we can’t evaluate the heart.  Even the person himself sometimes cannot tell.

“Empty professors [faux Christians] are fatally deluded by a false confidence, a complacent taking for granted that they are real Christians when they have never been born again” A.W. Pink (ref#269, p130, brackets mine).

 “Beware lest there be among you a man…whose heart is turning away today from the LORD…who…blesses himself in his heart, saying, ‘I shall be safe, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart’…” (Deut 29:18-19 ESV).

“It is true that many a carnal man is ravished to think that God loves him, and will save him; but in this case, it is not the true character of God which charms the heart; it is not God that is loved….self-love is the source of all his affections” A.W. Pink (ref#269, p67).

“How should divine justice spare the sinner, who knows the right, approves it, and professes to follow it, and all the while loves evil and gives it dominion in his heart” Charles Spurgeon (ref#34, Nov 14th AM).

The true Christian, possesses a new heart given him by GOD.  He is regenerated; he has now a different motivational direction than his old natural ways.  Yet he may remain a “babe” in CHRIST and not outwardly display any changed actions.  He may appear like a carnal, fleshly person.

With both a true Christian and a faux Christian looking so much alike it behooves us all to search ourselves and see if there is any wickedness in us.

TRUE CHRISTIANS OR FAUX?

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DEFINING TERMS

In 1 Corinthians Paul addresses the saints in Corinth – “To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints…” (1 Cor 1:2 ESV).  He speaks to the entire church but later he calls some ‘babes” and some “spiritual” saints.

“…in the church of Christ there are two classes of Christians: (1) Those who have lived many years as believers and yet always remain babes; (2) Those who are spiritual men because they have given themselves up to the power and the leading of the Holy Spirit…” Andrew Murray (ref#272, p8).

“The SPIRITUAL were those who, after conversion, had continued to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord, no longer continuing as ‘babes in Christ.’”  James Burton Coffman (ref#298).  Babes “were in Christ, and so were new creatures…though babes and weaklings in it” John Gill (ref#300).  Babes were carnal “…those who were continuing to live like the unconverted…” James Burton Coffman (ref#298).

“But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ.…For while there is jealously and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way” (1 Cor 3:1,3 ESV)?

Backsliders: “Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you:…” (Jer 3:14 KJV).  “…we do not speak of the destruction of the root principle in your soul, but of the decline of its power…” Octavius Winslow (ref#135, Aug 22nd).

The terms “backslider,” “people of the flesh,” “carnal,” “babes” can depict a Christian (a not-advancing Christian) or a non-Christian since no one but GOD knows the condition of the heart, but in 1 Corinthians, the Apostle Paul uses these terms to address Christians.

TRUE CHRISTIAN OR FAUX?

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A TRUE CHRISTIAN OR FAUX? – YOU DECIDE

A series of posts from 8/30/2021 to 12/31/2021.

PREREQUISITE ON THE SUBJECT

I have a special tenderness toward people who do not oppose Christianity outright, yet are not experiencing the joy that true Christians have.  I carry an obligation to present the Gospel Truth in a forthright, organized way that readers may make an informed choice to move ahead in Christianity or regress into denying it altogether.

“There are many matters concerning which total ignorance and complete indifference are neither tragic nor fatal….few…can explain all the processes by which a brown cow eats green grass and gives white milk…some matters, however, concerning which ignorance and indifference are both tragic and fatal…..One must not make the assumption lightly that he or she is a true Christian.  A false conclusion at this point is tragic and fatal” Albert N. Martin (ref#221, p3).

These blog posts are to urge all of us to continue our pursuit of CHRIST’s fellowship.  To stop or to go backwards is to our peril.

The thief on the cross had only to believe to gain eternal life.  But we who live on this earth day after day need to add effort to make our eternal life sure (Phil 3:12,13).

“…’Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man….The one who conquers will have this heritage…But as for the cowardly, the faithless…their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire…” (Rev 21:3,7-8 ESV).

In all seven churches JESUS speaks to in the book of Revelation, He ends by saying, “to the one who conquers” (Rev 2:7,11,17,26; 3:5,12,21).  Blessings go to the one who conquers.  Being a Christian is work.

It is human nature to arrive at a place of comfort and attempt to maintain it.  We do this with our Christian faith.  It is a kind of treading water.  But we cannot keep ourselves afloat forever by treading water.  Eventually we sink or have to swim.  It is “tragic and fatal” if we convince ourselves that we are okay with GOD and fail to swim ahead with Him.