Matthew 7 : 22-23 « Many will say to Me in that day,
‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name,
and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I
never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness !
»
Matthew
13 : 30 « Let both grow together until
the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First
gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the
wheat into my barn. »
1 Samuel 16 : 7 « But the Lord said to Samuel,
“Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused
him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward
appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. »
The third
exhortation on this topic, which we have been discussing since May, is about
people who are physically present in church, yet their hearts have strayed from
the Lord. They are Christians in name only. They live a Christian life in
public, but in their hearts, they reject the Word of God and are no longer
sensitive to the Holy Spirit.
Isaiah 29: 13
« Therefore the Lord said: “Inasmuch as these people draw near with their
mouths And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me,
And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men. »
Several things
can damage our relationship with God and even lead Him to withdraw His Spirit
from our lives completely.
A. False teachings
spread through false doctrines (Revelation 2:14–15; 1 Timothy 1:3–7).
Many have been led astray by doctrines that promote practices and teachings
contrary to God’s word. These doctrines seem logical, just as when the devil
deceived Eve and led her into disobedience or when he used Bible verses to
tempt Jesus. However, these teachings
are nothing but lies. All Christians are advised to exercise caution and test
the teachings they receive against Scripture. They should also be selective
about what they listen to and watch.
B.
Bad Influences (1 Corinthians 15:33; Proverbs 13:20):
There is no better way to explain the effects of bad influences than with the
words of 1 Corinthians 15:33 " Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts
good habits." The effectiveness of bad influences depends on our desire to
conform to the world to be accepted by others. However, the Bible clearly tells
us that we are the salt of the earth, not the other way around. It is not up to
the world to dictate our behavior, but rather up to us, guided by the Word of
God, to influence it.
C.
A lack of meditation on God’s Word (2 Timothy
3:16–17): In order to live according to
God’s will, we must know it. To know it, we must meditate on His Word.
Otherwise, our lives are guided by the standards of our social environment,
religion, or sect, and we are certainly not following in the footsteps of
Jesus.
D.
A lack of communion with the Holy Spirit (John
14:26; 16:8): We are not righteous or good by our own strength, but by the
power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit teaches us, helps us understand God’s
Word as we meditate on it, convicts us, and gives us the strength to resist
temptation. Therefore, failing to be in communion with the Holy Spirit leaves
us vulnerable to harmful influences.
This text calls
on those who have strayed to return to God by renewing their good habits
through meditation, sincere prayer, and communion with the Holy Spirit. Let us
choose to please God rather than people. Let us live an authentic life
according to His Word and seek His approval rather than that of others.
2
Corinthians 5: 18-19 « Therefore, if
anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold,
all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to
Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation»
