Then Jesus said unto His disciples, “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.” -Matthew 16:24
Not too long ago, I wrote an article addressing the prevalent hypocrisies among professors when asking the simple question: If you are saved, for what have you been saved? It was a question that those who merely professed to be saved could not answer, because they were, without a Scriptural doubt, not saved at all.
“And why call ye Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not the things which I say?” -Luke 6:46
If I look to myself, how can I be saved? If I look to Christ, how can’t I be saved? And if I am saved, how can I, in following Christ, not become a fisher of men, when this is the Spirit’s leading and natural outcome.
I also hit on the topic of how the appointed gatekeepers (paid influencers and hirelings-1 Kings 13:33; John 10:12), per se, are teaching those who will listen to them to merely pray and to do nothing more (James 2:14-26).
There must come a point where one must ask themselves what is being taught to the said congregants that they have become so apathetic, impotent, incompetent, and ineffective.
Really, what I mean to address here is this: Because genuine Christians and non-believers hear and see this loud and clear with these hypocrites, they sit back and declare that the Lord will do what He will do somehow, mysteriously exempting themselves from their responsibilities (Matthew 23:3).
In fact, what the Lord has appointed and commanded these professors to do (This is what they don’t see) is that His will is NOT done on this earth as it is in Heaven, rather than the other way around.
It is unscriptural. As a matter of fact, the Lord says they are abominable (Titus 1:16).
“They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.”
Furthermore, James 2:14-26 clearly teaches and instructs not some, but all Christians.
“What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.”
How contrary to what we see today.
To add to this, much of what I am also noticing (adding to the list of faithless grievances) is that others who occupy the pulpits (popular media figures) are also put in place to keep the congregants’ eyes fixed upon themselves rather than on the author and finisher of their faith (Hebrews 12:2). This is so that others may see and emulate their unbalanced, cowardly and fruitless examples (Proverbs 11:1).
These are constantly putting the message of repentance (that is, if they preach it at all), repentance and more repentance (for 10, 20, 30, 40 years) before their said congregants, and that is the summation of their message. Nothing more. Though this teaching is in part Scriptural.
“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” -2 Corinthians 13:5
I find that much of the reiteration of this message is used to hide behind. We cannot do one good deed while neglecting another. Friends, if this is all that is taught, how in the world are the congregants going to get to their God-ordained purpose of the ministry?
Friends, there does come a point (long overdue, though it is) where the church congregants are to “leave the principles of the doctrine of Christ,” where they are to “go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God.”
This, of course, means to follow Christ, to grow up in Christ so that the church may fulfill its purposes on this earth that the Lord’s will is done on this earth as it is in Heaven by seeking and saving those that are lost (Luke 19:10).
Note: “Leave the principles of the doctrine of Christ” -The Greek word translated as “leaving” means to progress from or build upon. It is a call to stop repeating first-grade lessons and start growing into advanced spiritual understanding (2 Peter 3:18).
This is the very heart and purpose of God. This is how He is glorified (John 15:8). This is how the church’s light so shines in a dark world (Matthew 5:16). The harvest fields are ripe for the harvest, the Lord says.
“Come, follow Me, “and I will make you fishers of men.” -Matthew 4:19
“Say not ye, ‘There are yet four months and then cometh the harvest’? Behold, I say unto you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, for they are white already to harvest.” -John 4:35
