God is Shaking Hypocrisy Out of the Church. Don't Fall Out Now!

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Romans 4:13 Clearly, God’s promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants was based not on his obedience to God’s law, but on a right relationship with God that comes by faith.

Abraham's faith preceded His obedience.  This is one of the most important principles in knowing God and His redemptive plan.

Wanting the world to act righteous before it has the power of a relationship with God flowing through it is not only a vain hope, it denies that any obedience ever offered from my life came from God's help, not my will.

This vain hope that someone else would "get it" uncovers the fact that I think I "got it." Rather than embrace the humility in accepting how much God has given me and changing from an accuser to a blesser, walking in accusation towards those that don't see life the same as I do is hypocrisy.  I am wasting what God has given while pressing on others to get the same in this scenario!

Matthew 18:32-34 NLT — Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt.

That is what God is judging right now.  He is evaluating real fruit from the places it should be coming from.

No one can truly please God without faith. Faith comes from God.  It's a fruit of HIS Spirit.  Embracing this truth fills my heart with humility and teaches me mercy towards those that haven't tasted and seen.

If I believe that people are saved through grace, but then expect the world, living outside of grace, to be "good," I am hypocritical in my thinking. 

God expects those given much to do much.  Forgiven much, love much.  Given much, give much.  Etc.

Those with the Holy Spirit are walking around with the answers the world needs... The grace...the forgiveness, the mercy, gentleness, kindness, and self control the world desperately needs... All a GIFT from God.  None of it earned. Having this great treasure and then pointing the finger at the world, rather than extending a loving hand, is what God is judging right now.

He will keep shaking until every tare is removed from the wheat.

The world cannot be righteous without God.  The church must be righteous according to God's standard.  We are the church.  It isn't "everyone else" that is the problem. It's me.  Maybe it's you.  Have you been given enough from God to quiet down and work out your own salvation?

All the lukewarm "other" believers aren't the problem.  Politicians aren't the problem.  The media isn't the problem.

The problem is that those who have been given the most from God resist righteousness by accusing everyone else of being the problem.

It's the same problem the first coming of Jesus uncovered: hypocrisy.

If you want to be a part of the solution, start asking  God where you need to change and let Him tell everyone else where they need to.  We have the perfect context to take up a cross and follow Him right now.  No one else needs to change for me to go all the way with God.

1 Peter 4:12-19 NLT — Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world. So be happy when you are insulted for being a Christian, for then the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you. If you suffer, however, it must not be for murder, stealing, making trouble, or prying into other people’s affairs. But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name! For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin with God’s household. And if judgment begins with us, what terrible fate awaits those who have never obeyed God’s Good News? And also,
“If the righteous are barely saved,
what will happen to godless sinners?” So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.


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