DECEIT, COMPROMISE AND COMPLACENCY

Have you died in Christ? But you live. Yet not you but Christ lives in you? Can Christ live in you and not go about doing good? Have you (Christ in you) healed anyone today? Can Christ go about not healing?

God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power: who went about doing good , and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. Acts 10:38

OK…how about witnessing to someone to the point of their salvation…. have you done that today? Can Christ go about and not witness to the Truth?

Obviously, I am not speaking of those whose lives are actually manifesting Christ in deed.

Christ was (in His earthly ministry) the embodiment of God. We are (intended to be, should be), in the new birth, the physical (embodiment) temple of the Holy Spirit…. Christ IN you. Just as Jesus could not but otherwise manifest His Grace, Love and Mercy; so are WE to MANIFEST Christ in us.

Until we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ:

When is this supposed to happen?

Are we waiting for Glory to come unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ? So what are we doing down here in the meantime… killing time???

“We cannot contain all of God because God contains us; . . . we can have all of God that we can contain. If we only knew it, we could enlarge our vessel. The vessel gets bigger as we go on with God.” A. W. Tozer.

I personally, where I live, am hard pressed to “recognize” Christ in anyone Monday through Saturday, out in the streets. There are about 101 churches in my three city area. IF we presume a modest 50 "professors" per church, that is 5050 professing Christians that I seem to never "bump" into Monday through Saturday, other than those I recognize because we attend the same church. And it has been difficult in most “churches” I've attended in the past to witness ACTUAL love, grace and mercy within the assembly as a whole... "in one accord". Sometimes I was at a loss to find friendship among themselves… people who never see each other until the following Sunday. I have seen week after week after week of people not speaking to some other people. Oh, there are “cliques” …some very exclusive, right? It’s unbelievable. I know, I know… that does not happen in your “church” …right?

Let me clarify with the distinction that, as a social gathering, most are very gracious. But we do not assemble for social festivities. That would be no more than gathering ourselves UNTO each other instead of UNTO the Lord.

The word “church” in the New Testament does not refer to a building where professing Christians gather, nor to a denomination. The scriptures use this word to speak of those who have been “called out of the world” by God. The New Testament church is really an assembly of believers…εκκλησία - ecclesia… those who have been called UNTO the Lord Jesus Christ and OUT of this world.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a dedicated nation, [God’s] own purchased, special people, that you may set forth the wonderful deeds and display the virtues and perfections of Him Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:9

Can it be any more PLAIN?

The spiritual problem has occurred over the many decades. Paul and Peter both cautioned that it was occurring even in their day…

For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Acts 20:29-30

But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privately shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. 2 Pet. 2:1

And it is still happening…exponentially. It is called COMPROMISE and COMPLACENCY. We must divorce ourselves from this present evil age completely. 

We are cleansed, we are washed CLEAN by the Word!

"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost" Titus 3:5.

Otherwise, God can NOT inhabit. And if He does not inhabit, there can be no fruit.

[There is a kind of peace in the heart of an unconverted soul, while the devil, as a strong man armed, keeps it. The sinner is secure, has no doubt concerning the goodness of his state, nor any dread of the judgment to come. But observe the wonderful change made in conversion. The conversion of a soul to God, is Christ's victory over the devil and his power in that soul, restoring the soul to its liberty, and recovering his own interest in it and power over it. All the endowments of mind, of body are now employed for Christ.

Here is the condition of a hypocrite. The house is swept from common sins, by a forced confession, as Pharaoh's; by a feigned contrition, as Ahab's; or by a partial reformation, as Herod's. The house is swept, but it is not washed; the heart is not made holy. Sweeping takes off only the loose dirt, while the sin that besets the sinner, the beloved sin, is untouched. The house is garnished with common gifts and graces. It is not furnished with any true grace; it is all paint and varnish, not real nor lasting. It was never given up to Christ, nor dwelt in by the Spirit.

Let us take heed of resting in that which a man may have, and yet come short of heaven. The wicked spirits enter in without any difficulty; they are welcomed, and they dwell there; there they work, there they rule. From such an awful state let all earnestly pray to be delivered.] ~Matthew Henry Commentary