True and False Christians

by Mike Ratzliff from here: https://mikeratliff.wordpress.com/2020/07/13/true-and-false-christians/

In these last days it seems that what is up is down and what is down is up. The dynamic, forward moving evangelical part of the visible Church is quickly moving into a form of Christianity that seems oh so right to people. It seeks to offend no one. Many “evangelicals” have openly embraced union with the Roman Catholic church implying that the Protestant Reformation was a mistake. The focus of this form of Christianity is never on the Gospel. Instead it is on feeding the poor or world peace and always seeking to be friends of the world. Then there is the Social Justice Movement with its roots in Marxism and is often called “WOKE.” This form of Christianity is an attempt to divide Christians up into groups of victims who are seeking justice with those in Orthodoxy as the culprits behind all their problems. However, even though what we see seems to be many different apostate movements in the Church, the fact is, there is really only two groups of people calling themselves Christians. There are True Christians and False Christians. – Mike Ratliff

The following devotional by Martin Luther is from Faith Alone.

When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false.” John 1:47

The Lord Christ does not want us to brag about being a Christian or, as in the case of Nathanael, being an Isrealite. It’s not enough to say, “I am baptized,” or even to say, “I am a bishop,” “I am a cardinal,” or “I am a preacher.” You must believe in Christ and live like a Christian. You must be righteous both on the inside and on the outside. You must not be embarrassed of the Lord Christ and the Christian faith. If you are, then you are a false Christian. If you don’t believe in your heart, your entire life is a lie and you remain in darkness. You aren’t righteous, and you only appear to be a Christian. Your actions don’t reflect your Christian faith.

If we could separate Christians from one another and divide them into true and false Christians, how many true Christians would we find? The world is crazy, foolish, and wild. It’s filled with all kinds of evil—adultery, drunkenness, vindictiveness, and other sins. Some people no longer consider it a sin for people to cheat each other. Yet these same people want to be considered good Christians.

Believe me, you’re not fooling anyone but yourself. God isn’t fooled or mocked. He will know what you are really like in an instant, just as he knew that Nathanael was a true Israelite who believed in he prophets. He will look at you and say, “Yes, here is a true Christian!”

Soli Deo Gloria!

How Do I Wisely Tell a Professing Believer I Don’t Think He Is Saved?

Audio Transcript from here: https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/how-do-i-wisely-tell-a-professing-believer-i-dont-think-he-is-saved

A podcast listener named Jacob writes in to ask a really tricky pastoral question. “Pastor John, how do you approach people in your life who believe they are saved, but you have a feeling they are not? I understand the dangers of being judgmental in a situation like this, but being in the Bible Belt, I feel like I am in this situation all the time.” What would you say to Jacob?

A Pervasive Problem

I would say this is a huge concern. It is now, and it always has been. Of course, it is not just in the Bible Belt. I mean, every church has nominal members. Yes, they do. Every church. The mainline churches are just as plagued as the Bible Belt by people who think they are Christians when they are not.

I live in Minnesota, and to be Minnesotan is almost to be Lutheran or Catholic. Those churches, just as much as any Baptist church in the Bible Belt, are shot through with people who think they are Christians when they are not.

“Those who fail to bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

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It always has been a huge concern. In the New Testament we read, “They went out from us, but they were not of us” (1 John 2:19). For a long time, there they were in the church, looking just like everybody else, and then they went out. That is how you knew finally that they weren’t of us, John says.

Paul speaks to whole churches — people sometimes stumble over this — words of warning that those who fail to bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit will not inherit the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:19–22). He is just talking in general to the whole church. He is not saying, “Oh, there are one or two unbelievers among you.” He means, “All of you take heed — because you might be faking it.” Those who have “no love for the Lord,” he says, are “accursed” (1 Corinthians 16:22).

Wisdom for Your Witness

There is nothing new about this problem at all, so let me just throw out a few possible suggestions for how to relate to someone in whose life you don’t see — and you are not infallible here — sufficient evidences of God’s grace to give you confidence that they have been born again or are truly Christian. I am assuming here now that we are talking about a person who has an ongoing relationship with them, not just a person who sees them once a year at a family gathering.

1. Go to God first.

Pray earnestly for a spiritual awakening — and awakening is the right word. It leaves open whether the person is saved or not saved. You don’t know for sure, but awakening is what we all need anyway. If you are a coasting believer, or if you are an unbeliever who thinks you are a believer, you need to be awakened, stunned, brought awake, and brought to a vital love-relationship with Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. So, pray.

2. Draw them into your life.

Fold these folks into your life as much as possible, and draw them into situations where you can set the agenda rather than they. The goal here is that they taste and see the kind of experiences they may not have, rather than them drawing you into the empty worldly entertainments where it is almost impossible to speak about spiritual things. Draw them into your joy and your kind of walk with Jesus wherever you can.

3. Attend church together.

Be willing to go with them to their church and to invite them to go with you to your church (assuming you go to different churches), and use those occasions to talk about your experience of worship and the word. If you go to the same church, model for them how you respond spiritually, affectionately, earnestly to the preached biblical truth, to the songs, and so on.

4. Let your faith overflow.

Speak regularly of your own actual experience of the Holy Spirit and of Jesus and of the power of the word of God and of the spiritual disciplines in your life. This is not preaching. This is overflow. If it is not overflow, it is not going to be very helpful. This is just overflow from a real walk with God. The hope is that they will taste something that they are missing when they see you talking of the Lord as a real, precious Friend that you spoke with this morning.

5. Share touching content.

When a particular website or a quotation or a sermon or a testimony or a book or an experience has been moving to you — has done something real for you, has touched you by the Spirit — share that with them. Offer the book to them, the website to them, the sermon, and tell them why it touched you. Maybe they will look at it, and perhaps God would use it to quicken their own experience.

6. Focus on the affections.

Continually circle back to the affections that the new birth brings about. Don’t go to behaviors over and over again: this behavior, that behavior. Don’t go mainly to disciplines, not mainly to moral standards — but to authentic, spiritual emotions that are created by the Holy Spirit through the new birth by the word of God.

I am sensitive to this right now. I am including this because I just finished teaching 1 Peter, and one of the main lessons I am taking away from it is the stress, over and over again, on a life marked by a different set of passions than the passions you once had in ignorance, as Peter says in 1 Peter 1:14.

So, when it seems appropriate to ask them about their experience, do it. Ask and say things like this:

• “What is it like for you to fear God?”
• “What does it mean to you to sanctify Christ, to regard him as holy, to experience awe of Christ in your heart?”
• “What does it mean to you to love Christ? Talk to me about your love for Christ.”
• “What does the phrase ‘joy unspeakable and full of glory’ mean to you (1 Peter 1:8)?”
• “What are your experiences of experiencing no anxiety or of experiencing fearlessness in the face of threat?”
• “Talk to me about Spirit-wrought affection for fellow believers.”
• “Describe to me tenderheartedness.” Tell him you are struggling with tenderheartedness. Ask him to talk to you about his pursuit of tenderheartedness.

The point here is that genuine Christianity is marked by a new heart, new emotions — not just new ideas and new patterns of behavior. That is quite down the road. That is fruit from this sap — surging up from the root of the new birth — called the religious or the Christian affections.

“Genuine Christianity is marked by a new heart, new emotions — not just new ideas and new patterns of behavior.”

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So, draw them out so that they can recognize if they may not have them. They may have a totally superficial, external, formalistic view of the Christian life, and all this talk about affections will be a foreign language to them. They may wake up and say, “I don’t think I have been born again.”

One of the easiest ways to do that, by the way, is to be in a little Bible study with them, and when you come to those words born again, just ask them to talk to you. It is a Bible study, after all. Ask, “What do you think that means? How do you experience that?” Maybe they will say, “I don’t.” Then you can get to the root of the matter.

7. Express your concern.

Lastly, if and when the time seems right, you might just want to be straightforward and express your concern for their soul. One way to approach this gently would be to ask if they ever struggle with assurance of their salvation and to tell them that you do from time to time. Then illustrate for them how you apply the promises of God in order to make war against doubt and fear and to encourage your own soul.

Maybe they will open up like a flower and say, “Yeah, I really do sometimes wonder whether I am a Christian.” They may get angry at you for asking that question. They may pull away from you. Always assure them that you love them and that you are praying for them and that you want to be their friend and that, however it shakes out, you don’t want to pull away from them.

Praying for Mass Revival

Of course, at some point you lay out the heart of the gospel, making sure that they have it right and don’t have some moralism replacing the gospel, which they might have missed. You do it with a view to the seriousness of sin and the necessity, the miracle, of the new birth so that they know it is outside of their reach. This is a miracle that has to happen to them.

What our churches need is old-fashioned, heaven-sent revival — that is, a great Spirit-given awakening, where hundreds and hundreds of nominal people are awakened to the seriousness of sin and the preciousness of Christ. That is what we pray for.

Profile of an Apostate

by Mike Ratliff from here: https://mikeratliff.wordpress.com/2020/07/15/profile-of-an-apostate/

20 The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away. 22 And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. Matthew 13:20-22 (NASB)

The Bible very clearly teaches that Christians should examine themselves quite often in order to see what their spiritual condition is. Genuine Christians are not perfect people. Neither are they always full of happiness, in perfect health while having plenty of money in the bank. No, the fact that all believers are called to be humble, poor in spirit, meek, pure in heart and many other things that are growing in their character means that they will spend much of their time in the fires of sanctification. It is during these times of pruning that believers are in the greatest danger of becoming despondent, discouraged, and even depressed if they have not learned to view their circumstances correctly.

Despite what many in the Easy-believism or Universalism camp teach, there are people who profess Christ who are not genuine. They are not regenerate nor do they have the Holy Spirit. They are not in Christ. Genuine Christians abide in Christ. They remain. They may go through the worst tribulation imaginable, yet they remain attached to the Vine. However, when tribulation descends on the disingenuous professing Christians they do not endure because they have no root in themselves. The world and the deceitfulness of riches cause others to fall away. These are not genuine believers.

19 They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us. 1 John 2:19 (NASB) 

The English word “Apostate” describes one who has renounced their religious faith. It implies that he or she is a defector. Many apostates make no public profession of their defection from Christ yet they are because their allegiance is to another Jesus, not the genuine Christ of the Bible. What are the traits of an apostate so that we may recognize them? Is that possible? Our Lord’s brother, Jude, wrote a book bearing his name that we find in the New Testament. It contains just one chapter. We find the purpose of this book in vv3-4.

3 Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints. 4 For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. Jude 1:3-4 (NASB) 

As we look at the profile of an apostate, we should also be encouraged to contend earnestly for the faith so let us begin. Jude lists the attributes that are common traits of apostates. Some will have them all while others will have fewer. We have already seen the first three attributes in v4 where Jude tells us that apostates are ungodly, morally perverted, and have denied Christ.

The Greek Word that is translated as “ungodly persons” is a combined word that means “without worship.” It describes one who is godless and without fear and reverence of God. It does not mean irreligious, but one who actively practices the opposite of what the fear of God demands. Therefore, we must come to grips with the fact that professing Christians can be apostate.

The phrase, “turn the grace of our God into licentiousness,” describes people involved in “unrestrained vice” or “gross immorality.” This means they have shameless lifestyles while irreverently flaunting God’s grace by indulging in unchecked and open immorality.

12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, 13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! Romans 6:12-15 (NASB) 

This brings to mind those demanding the freedom to live any way they desire while insisting on being regarded as genuine Christians. This is a demand by apostates.

The last trait from v4 is, “deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” The Greek word Jude used for “Master” is “despotes.” It is translated as “Lord” in other parts of the New Testament. It means “master of slaves.” The Greek word Jude used for “Lord” in v4 is “kurios.” It means “Lord and Master.” What is he saying in this phrase? The apostates disowned Christ as sovereign Lord (despotes) and disdained any recognition of Christ as “Lord and Master” (kurios). They did this by their wicked behavior. All apostates pervert what the Bible declares is true about our Lord Jesus Christ.

8 Yet in the same way these men, also by dreaming, defile the flesh, and reject authority, and revile angelic majesties. Jude 1:8 (NASB) 

From this verse we learn the next four traits of an apostate. Apostates are dreamers who defile the flesh, are rebellious, and revile holy angels. Apostates are dreamers. This is referring to a confused state of the soul or abnormal imagination, producing delusions and sensual confusion. The Word of God is fuzzy to them because they are numb to it. Because of that, they are in the process of being beguiled and deluded. They fantasize wicked perversions because they are spiritually blind and deaf to reality and truth from God’s Word. The implication here is that these people were falsely claiming that their dreams and visions were from God. Because of this “dreaming” or “emphasis” on claiming their works are works of the Holy Spirit, they end up defiling the flesh in their rebellion. This reviles holy angels because they attribute their wicked works, which they call good, to “helping spirits.”

The “defiling of the flesh” refers to the fact that apostates have few, if any, moral restraints resulting in immoral lifestyles. In their rebellion they reject all authority, civil and spiritual. In their demand for “freedom” and “tolerance” they end up rejecting the Holy Scriptures and denying Christ.

10 But these men revile the things which they do not understand; and the things which they know by instinct, like unreasoning animals, by these things they are destroyed. Jude 1:10 (NASB) 

Apostates revile or speak evil. This Greek word for “revile” means to “blaspheme.” They have a brash, bold, egotistical infatuation with imagined power and authority. They blaspheme about Holy things from their evil imaginations in their ignorance. Apostates are intellectually arrogant and spiritually ignorant because Satan has blinded them. Also, they are not regenerate so they do not have the spiritual ability to understand spiritual truth. When confronted with Biblical truth, which condemns what they are calling good, ironically, they rail against those who are giving them the truth, calling them arrogant and ignorant. Because of their apostasy, they are in the process of being spiritually destroyed.

16 These are grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts; they speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage. Jude 1:16 (NASB) 

Apostates are grumblers. The only other place we find this Greek word in the Bible is in the Septuagint, which is the Greek version of the Old Testament. It is found in Exodus 16:7-9, Numbers 14:27,29 to describe the “murmurings” of Israel against God. Therefore, we know that apostates are self-focused people who grumble against God because they perceive that He is unfair. As a result, they are complainers. This means they are “fault finders.” They are finding fault with God and His ways. When confronted with doctrine they try to pick it apart in their rebellion while stating that they just need Jesus, forget all of this condemning doctrine. They are self-seeking people, which is how the New Testament often describes the unconverted. They are unregenerate people trying to be Christians on their own terms. They may be good speakers or writers, but their words are empty and lifeless with no spiritual value. They draw many people with their message, but it contains no divine truth. They flatter people by telling them what they want to hear. How popular is the Word-Faith message or the feel-good message of Joel Osteen? How about that of Rick Warren? Lately, it seems that so many have become consumed by the Social Justice, WOKE, and Intersectionality heresies, which is portrayed as a continuation of the Gospel. Haven’t these people developed their own version of the Gospel that appeals to the unconverted by removing the Law from it as well as the offense of the cross?

17 But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, 18 that they were saying to you, “In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.” Jude 1:17-18 (NASB) 

Apostates are mockers of God’s coming judgment. They deny that they will be touched by it. They have attained such high spiritual status that God will accept them on their merits. This mocks the cross as well. Aren’t some denying the necessity of the cross and the atonement through the shed blood of our Lord Jesus Christ? These are apostates who teach such things.

19 These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit. Jude 1:19 (NASB)

Apostates cause divisions. They may accuse those who confront their apostasy as being divisive, but it is their false teachings that fracture the church. In their arrogance, apostates tell their hearers and readers that they have the highest spiritual knowledge. However, they are sensual in that they are attracted to the most debased levels of life. When professing Christians try to prove that it’s okay to be fleshly rather than holy and pure they appeal to Human Reason that they equate to spiritual knowledge. They are worldly minded rather than spiritually minded and they resent anyone telling them the truth from God’s Word, which condemns what they are doing. Lastly, they do not have the Holy Spirit. They are not genuine Christians because without the Holy Spirit in a believer there is no possibility of spiritual life.

Now, what must we do with this? We must examine ourselves. We must pray for God to look deep within us then show us what must be repented of and killed. We must learn to walk before the face of God as Spirit-filled believers with wisdom and discernment. When we encounter apostates we must do so in the power of the Holy Spirit in our humility and obedience to God.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Unquestioned Answers

Dr. Jeff Myers wrote the book "Unquestioned Answers", which is about questioning easy answers, simplistic statements, to ten popular Christian cliches. He urges us to go beyond unquestioned answers to dig deep into Biblical truth. You have probably heard some or most of these. #3 and 7 seem to be especially pervasive as of late. Think deeply, friends. Below is some text from the book:

In the world of ideas, like in the ocean, many people settle for surface-level answers to life’s deepest questions. Doing so seems sensible. It satisfactorily settles most issues and prevents bickering. Unfortunately, prepackaged solutions only float on the surface. They keep us in the shallows when breathtaking wonder awaits those willing to go a little deeper. 

1. God Said it, I believe it, that settles it for me.
Alone among history’s influential religious books, the Bible calls for the reader to examine its truth. The Bible records many mysteries, but it does not shroud in secrecy the most important revelation in all the world: there is a God who speaks to everyone everywhere about everything. It’s a book for all his people. God welcomes our inquiries.  

The Bible is a book about everything, and it applies to everyone everywhere. As such, it is transformational, psychologically insightful, historically accurate, literarily brilliant, and inspired. 

The Bible claims to be inspired by God and true in its claims about God and his creation, but it also calls for examination of its claims. 

Jesus’s claims astonished his audience, his enemies, and his disciples. They astonish us today too and leave us with a choice. Many people appreciate Jesus’s decency but not his divinity. They approve of his teachings but not of his claim to be God. Jesus did not claim to be only a good moral teacher. He claimed that his words were God’s words. 

Careful study-or questioning-of the Bible has inspired believers through the centuries to seek a deeper faith. The Bible’s moral guidance led them to abolish slavery, ban child molestation, seek dignity for women, form hospitals and schools, secure liberty and justice for all, advance science, develop great art and architecture, and protect human life. 

2. Just have faith. 
We all place faith in something. The question is whether the object of our faith is worthy. Biblically, faith does not mean believing things that don’t match up to reality. It means admitting that God is the greatest reality in the universe, who solves the mysteries of knowledge and existence, bringing healing and purpose to our lives. Faith in God isn’t something we have; it’s something we live. Biblical faith is a kind of knowledge that is worth acting on, with eyes wide open, because it is based on good reasons. You know you are faithful when your everyday actions prove what you say you believe. Biblical faith isn’t blind. It’s an eyes-wide-open trust in a God who is there and who is worthy. 

3. God will heal our land if we humble ourselves and pray.

We don’t need to twist God’s hands behind his back by holding him to a promise that was not made to us. The testimony of Scripture, especially through the words of Jesus, shows us that the almighty Sovereign of the universe has invited us to ask and promised to answer. That’s a lot better than any prayer formula. If we stop trying to claim promises that may not belong to us, we will be free to focus on God and his plans rather than on whether our nation is failing to receive blessings. God wants us to boldly align our wills with his, praying that what is important to him will be recognized as what’s important here on earth. Prayer doesn’t replace action; it sparks it. 

4. It’s just me and Jesus

The “me-ness” of “me and Jesus” is precisely what I need to be rescued from. To find redemption, I must first admit I can’t save myself. The path to purpose is outside myself. The biggest dreams are given to characters whose stories are larger than they can tell by themselves. This larger story is the story of the church. Being in community with other believers is the only way we become mature spiritually. Measuring the value of God’s plan based on how fallen people live is like blaming a car designer for people’s poor driving skills. 

5. Love the sinner; hate the sin.

When we see others as God sees them, we view everything in the light of our own fallenness and Jesus’s unimaginable offer of grace. This cliché suggests that others’ sins are worse for them than ours are for us. By asking questions and knowing others, we can share Jesus’s love and offer of reconciliation with them. 

6. Christianity is a relationship, not a religion.

If we trust what the Bible says, neither the word relationship nor the word religion sufficiently portrays the awesome work of God in sending Jesus. He is fully God, the one through whom we can be reconciled to God. A personal relationship with Jesus culminates in robust insight into the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe. That’s religion. But this is no dead religion; in relationship with Jesus we can see the whole world from his viewpoint and proclaim the hope and healing he offers. We need both relationship and religion, assuming we properly understand each. The Bible’s teachings about faith are deeply personal, but they also form a worldview that has changed the world forever. Self-destruction is our bent. Some suffer through disastrous lifestyle choices; others suffocate on haughtiness and contempt. A Jesus-focused faith begins with a personal relationship and expands into a set of beliefs about everything that affects everything. 

7. Jesus was a social justice warrior.

Jesus came as the Son of God to reconcile us to God, not to affirm anyone’s utopian agenda. At the same time, the salvation we have received out to restore our capacity to love our neighbors. Because Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life (Jn. 14:6), we can know what justice is, see the truth, and live lives of wholeness and completeness with those around us. Political and social groups use justice as a weapon to claim moral superiority and shame those with whom they disagree. The question is not whether God is on our side but whether we are on his (Josh. 5:13-14). Trust purpose, true peace, and true justice have their source in Jesus, whether we recognize it or not. 

8. It’s not my place to judge.

Uttering this slogan cuts vital conversations short just when they’re becoming meaningful. Instead, we ought to ask questions that display curiosity and friendly determination. Asking, not telling, helps people see past our faults – and their own – through the lense of the Bible’s message of restoration

9. This world has nothing for me. 

In Christ all things are being made new. Relationships violently ruptured in the fall can be restored. Walls can be repaired. The path to God and eternal purpose can be cleared of brush and followed once again. The Bible says that God has called creation “very good” (Gen 1:31) and made it clear that we are to spread shalom until he tells us to stop. We can experience peace with God and proclaim it to the generations after us. The world worships its ability to draw a crowd or muster political power, because that’s all it’s got. 

Richard John Neuhaus (Catholic thinker): “We have not the right to despair, for despair is a sin. And finally, we have not the reason to despair, quite simply because Christ has risen. And this is the strength of a Christian world view, the strength of the Christian way of telling the story of the world: it has no illusions about it. All the other stories are built upon delusions, vain dreams, and utopias.”

10. God is good all the time – all the time God is good. 

God is indeed good all the time, not just when I like what he is doing for me right now. God’s answer to evil is a person – Jesus. At the cross God declared victory. Our toughest questions may never be answered this side of eternity, but each day is a gift God has given us to bring glory to him and do good to our neighbors. 

Larry Crabb: “God is not waiting to bless us after our troubles end. He is blessing us right now, in and through those troubles. At this exact moment, He is giving us what He thinks is good.”

God’s goodness is not an argument or a pronouncement. It is a person-Jesus. 

If you remember nothing else about these ten cliches, remember this: the most questionable thing about unquestioned answers is how they put the focus on me - what I like, what I'm comfortable with, and what makes sense to me. Life isn't about me. Nor would I want it to be.