To even begin with a title of this magnitude shows me that God has laid something very powerful upon my heart. Something very much intended to rock the boat if you will of those claiming the faith in Christ Jesus. Something that will most definitely bring forth offense.
So, with that said lets dive right in as this has impressed a great sorrow upon my heart. As I examine the interactions I have had and the behaviors I have exhibited, I have taken notice of a specific behavior presented to me concerning one major area. That area is the word of God from those that claim to follow Jesus Christ.
That specific behavior is the act of being contempt towards those that speak with assurance and confidence that the word of God is truth.
Now this may not come across as a bit of a shock as we are told that scoffers will come in these last days. See 2 Peter 3:3 Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. This is stated again in Jude1:18.
The shock of this is that most of us, myself included assumed that this verse was to apply to those that do not claim the faith. Yet what we are seeing is many self professing Christians are the scoffers towards their fellow believers. How is this possible?!
I can of myself not say how such a thing is possible without the Holy Spirit revealing it to me. So I shall proclaim what I have been informed.
The reason for this is that many have given themselves over to deceptive spirits.
See 1 Timothy 4:1-2 But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 2influenced by the hypocrisy of liars, whose consciences are seared with a hot iron.…
There is a deceptive spirit in this world specifically masking itself as a believer. Christ informed us of this spirit. He actually told us to beware of it. The way he described it was the wolf in sheep’s clothing. We understand the sheep clothing is to refer to the outward appearance of one that follows him, but inwardly is a wolf, one that does not. The wolf is always looking to attack sheep. This is why you see so many that claim to follow Christ exhibiting behaviors against fellow believers that come across as if they are enemies!
The level of contempt towards believers from believers is astounding! This is usually found when a believer speaks with confidence in the word of God. Stands on his word and doesn’t waver in it because of life circumstances. The wolf in sheep’s clothing hates this. You will usually see this level of contempt towards that person in forms of humor or coarse jokes about how this person is a pastor, or name calling like okay Minister such and such with a smile. I have experienced this sort of sarcasm and condescension so often that it truly stirs a sorrow in me.
My first experience with that deceiving spirit in a self proclaiming believer was when I challenged the ideology at this point for some, that we will always be in sin. I presented scriptures and did my best to explain them in the way the word of God tells us to with verses like Romans 6:11 that states we are to consider ourselves dead to sin and alive in Christ. Also in 1 John 5:18, that states everyone born of God does not sin, but the one born of God keeps him and the evil one does not touch him. Yet this was rebuked with notions like we are in Gods grace or it is arrogant and prideful to claim what scriptures says we are to claim. Dead to sin. I am still lost with the logic used by those whom reject scripture but claim to believe it. Isn’t that deception?!
It is so common for many believers claiming to follow Christ to use the language that is Anti-Christ while thinking it is a form of humility. Now I am not saying to the one that is truly sinning to be in deception about it. What I am saying to that person is what Christ are you following that is not convicting you of your sins? This is the kind of language that stirs the wolf in sheep’s clothing. Yet I do not consider him. For his purpose is to deceive other believers that sinning is just apart of life. Yet the life in Christ has no sin in it and if yours does then we ought to pray for you not comfort you in it. We are to love each other enough to not want anyone claiming Christ to perish let alone with the deception that living in sin is just a stage God has you in as he grows you. The word of God says we are transformed into his image from glory to glory. What manner of glory is a sinful life that it be to another glory?!!
This is more of the deceptive language used amongst the body to comfort people while they live in sin. Yet it proves as hypocrisy when challenged with scripture.
God never sent his Son to comfort people in sin. He sent his son to convict people of their sins in hopes of repentance. When you explain what repentance actually is you find many desire not such a thing. For true repentance is not an apology or simply sorrow for the action of sin alone but rather with those included comes a change of life. A change of behavior from the sin. We understand this concerning heinous crimes. Which shows our hypocrisy concerning this.
Can you imagine a murderer or a rapist, a sexual immoral person, or a cheater all weeping and apologizing for the killings, the rapes, the fornication and infidelity committed and then two days later doing it all again?!! Not one of us would even consider the weeping and the apology as sincere at that moment. Yet when it comes to God there is a deceptive spirit amongst the body that says the Lord understands you not changing your ways. He understands you will fall. It lies to us and speaks things like “yes his son died for your sins so just say you believe in that and when you do sin he will think nothing of it”. “Call it his grace”!
Although nothing in the word of God tells us these things are true, many prefer them as they provide the comfort to keep living how you want while maintaining the false reality that you are receiving salvation from God through his son Jesus. Look at it this way. Say you repent to God for sinning against him, and then a week later you do the same sin again and disregard feeling sorrow for it or even taking it to God. Let’s say that night you die. What manner of evil wants you to believe that God will not judge you? The idea the deceiver wants us to adopt is that he will overlook what you just did because of your apology prior. Our sincerity with our original repentance to God is proven true by not committing it again. Isn’t it?? The spirit of deception has become a voice to some and when the one that rebukes these lies shows up, he is met with contempt. Regardless the word of God is not a gray area for our comfort. Rather for change and respect for what was done for us. Unfortunately this is rejected by many.
This is very common. So I write this to bring into light those that may not understand what is happening when they experience this. I write this to shine light on it so you know it is not from God when people that claim the faith do these things to you. The word of God tells us to beware, be on guard against such wolf attacks from those wearing the clothing of a sheep. Masking themselves as brothers and sisters in Christ.
So here is a heads up on how this contempt will look when you interact with such people. Also examine yourselves as to not find these ways being done towards fellow believers. Those ways resemble the treating of others with disrespect and mocking them with sarcasm and condescension as these are forms of contempt. So are hostile humor, name-calling, mimicking, and body language such as eye-rolling and sneering.
I’m sure many have experienced this as I have. The truth is you will never see this done to you if you are the person that wavers in your faith. This is only done to those who are confident and bold in the belief that his word is true! Those that speak it with zeal and have a Godly passion for the truth in Christ.
So with that said I leave these verses for my true family of believers that stand truly in him with this.
Jude 1:20-25 20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. 22 And have mercy on those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh. 24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.