In these last days Christianity is every bit as susceptible to problems as Israel, under the OT Law, was. We are encouraged to learn from the history of Israel in 1 Cor 10.6 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did.
So in looking to sound Christian theology and practice in these last times we need to be aware of the kinds of problems that we will encounter. As John said, "As you have heard Antichrist is coming, so already there are many Antichrists." Paul lays out the problem as follows...
Acts 20.25 “Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. 26 Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you. 27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. 28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.
Do you think this is an important matter? In the Early Church they did not use language to distinguish Christians between "born again" or "nominal Christian," which is how we often distinguish these people today. At that time Paul seemed to collect all who signed onto Christian doctrine as "Christian" and then distinguished from them those who "distorted the Gospel" to lead people astray and after themselves.
This was so important that he for 3 years, night and day, with tears, argued for the Church to keep watch and be alert. This absolutely was happening, when inevitably people within the Church began to wander off, not being interested in following through with the Christian knowledge they had.
It was not enough for Paul that Christians simply had the knowledge of the "belief" in Christianity. If they did not follow up on that belief by actually putting Christianity into use in their lives, they were "Antichrists," leading others away from the real Christ and after themselves in pride.
Today we say we must "believe the Gospel." Yes, to be a Christian we must believe the Gospel. But if you believe the Gospel you must do what the Gospel says. You must not just believe in Christ and in his Cross, but you must make Christ your Lord from day to day, and live by what the Cross meant, which is the abdication of our independent choices for a life lived in partnership and in deference to Christ.
If we truly choose Christ we must choose to embrace him within and then make choices out of the abundance of his presence within us. We must choose to conform our lives to that which is consistent with the Spirit of Christ, and so turn our mere belief into genuine action.
Those who simply believe and who merely have "knowledge" are what I call "nominal Christians," and are in error. And we must constantly be aware of this, and take note of those who spout Christian language and yet in their spirits are poisonous and inconsistent with Christ himself.
So in looking to sound Christian theology and practice in these last times we need to be aware of the kinds of problems that we will encounter. As John said, "As you have heard Antichrist is coming, so already there are many Antichrists." Paul lays out the problem as follows...
Acts 20.25 “Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. 26 Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you. 27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. 28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.
Do you think this is an important matter? In the Early Church they did not use language to distinguish Christians between "born again" or "nominal Christian," which is how we often distinguish these people today. At that time Paul seemed to collect all who signed onto Christian doctrine as "Christian" and then distinguished from them those who "distorted the Gospel" to lead people astray and after themselves.
This was so important that he for 3 years, night and day, with tears, argued for the Church to keep watch and be alert. This absolutely was happening, when inevitably people within the Church began to wander off, not being interested in following through with the Christian knowledge they had.
It was not enough for Paul that Christians simply had the knowledge of the "belief" in Christianity. If they did not follow up on that belief by actually putting Christianity into use in their lives, they were "Antichrists," leading others away from the real Christ and after themselves in pride.
Today we say we must "believe the Gospel." Yes, to be a Christian we must believe the Gospel. But if you believe the Gospel you must do what the Gospel says. You must not just believe in Christ and in his Cross, but you must make Christ your Lord from day to day, and live by what the Cross meant, which is the abdication of our independent choices for a life lived in partnership and in deference to Christ.
If we truly choose Christ we must choose to embrace him within and then make choices out of the abundance of his presence within us. We must choose to conform our lives to that which is consistent with the Spirit of Christ, and so turn our mere belief into genuine action.
Those who simply believe and who merely have "knowledge" are what I call "nominal Christians," and are in error. And we must constantly be aware of this, and take note of those who spout Christian language and yet in their spirits are poisonous and inconsistent with Christ himself.
