Are You Living a Religious Lie?

"Why do so many people live one way on Sunday and another way during the week? There’s no cost to it. Plus, they get the benefits of religion while also choosing to live however they wish. This is living a lie and dangerous for the eternal soul."

The great Christian leader, Paul of Tarsus, appointed a young man he was mentoring to lead the church in the city of Crete within the Roman Empire. He wrote a brief letter filled with guidance for his task. Part of it was a warning about some ungodly teachers that were doing tremendous harm, “They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.” (Titus 1:16)

This strong, but accurate statement, hits on a theme of the Bible. It springs from a problem in the human heart, that causes one’s words and actions not to align with each other. This type of living is a lie. It is deceptive and manipulative, leading to a lack of personal trust and integrity. It is spiritually dangerous, potentially causing the damnation of one’s personal soul.

Paul received this teaching from Jesus, whom spoke about it when He asked a rhetorical question to His listeners, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” (Luke 6:46) In other word’s Jesus is asking, “Why do you say you believe in me, but do not obey my commands?” This was also dealt with hundreds of years before Jesus, as God spoke through the prophet Jeremiah, “Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely . . . then come and stand before me . . .?” (Jeremiah 7:9-10)

All three quotes are statements of contradiction. On one hand, people profess to know God or His Son Jesus through their words or Christian activities, but contradict that profession in how they live. What they say on Sunday and how they live the rest of the week does not match up. They give ample reason for another to question the genuineness of their faith, if they have truly been born again or to wonder about their salvation.

They say with confidence, “I pray”, “I believe”, or even “I have asked Jesus to forgive my sins.” Yet, their life is a walking illustration of a religious conflict when sins like drunkenness, sexual immorality, anger, bitterness, profanity or others mark their life. How can this be? They may respond with, “No one is perfect.” Yes, that is true, but it is no excuse for continuing to do what one knows is wrong, especially while boldly professing Jesus to be their Lord and Savior. This is a hypocrite. A religious actor. It is written, “Therefore you have no excuse, O man . . .” (Romans 2:1)

This is a widespread problem. Why have so many chosen to live this way?

Simple. There is no cost to it. It is a vain attempt to have two kingdoms. God’s and mine.

This way of thinking provides the benefits of religion. One can pray, believe in God, experience His blessings, or even enjoy worship and taking the Lord’s Supper, while receiving a sense of peace and ease of conscience. But then one also has the freedom to live how one chooses without feeling judged.

Those who teach or believe this, are embracing a dangerous lie. For God strongly condemns this and will not be deceived or mocked. Jesus will one day say to them, “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.” (Matthew 7:23)

To enter into God’s Kingdom, you must walk away from YOUR kingdom. Yes, there is a cost. There might be relationships that need to be broken or places you need to stop going. This is repentance and is costly, because it means you are turning away from someone (you) and toward someone – Jesus.

If God were to examine your life, what would He see? Just empty religion or a life that is totally sold out to Christ?

A prayer for you – “Lord God, examine our lives. Help us to see what you see. If we have been living for two kingdoms, show us. From this day forward help me to live fully for Christ, the One who suffered, died and rose again that I might truly live. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

What Covid and Inflation Reveal About Us

 

"In the power of Jesus, believers in Christ can face any crisis with peace and confidence; including inflation and Covid. Believers can overcome the temptation to be fearful or anxious. They know their gracious and ever-present God will provide all their needs, even when things do not make sense."

When a society is used to living with a certain lifestyle, then suddenly it changes due to events beyond their control, it is revealing. It reveals the true nature of its people. The good life masks a lot of things, but sudden adversity reveals what is hidden.  (Photo courtesy of Khanchit Khirisutchalual/iStock via Getty Images)

There was once a wealthy farmer that had a bountiful harvest and sought to build bigger bins to store his surplus. He was so proud of his successful work that he said to himself, “. . . you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” (Luke 12:19) However, God declared to him, “Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?” (Lk. 12:20) The man did not anticipate he would die after this great harvest, and not be able to enjoy its fruits. He faced the unexpected.

After Jesus told this story, He stated, “So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” (Lk. 12:21) The farmer was only focused on laying up treasure for himself in this world, so when the sudden and ultimate crisis of death came, he was not ready.

America is paying record prices for food, fuel and other necessities. Millions of households are in a financial crisis. Costs have skyrocketed upward, while incomes remain the same, with no solution on the horizon.  This crisis comes after facing a long two-year battle with Covid. Both inflation and Covid have hit our health and finances with a sledge hammer. Neither did we anticipate.

When these situations happen, it is an opportunity to examine who we are laying up treasure for. Ourselves or God? Nearly all of life is impacted by our health and finances, so when one or the other is on-the-line it is truly a sobering moment.

Americans are used to having an abundance of food, material goods, and enjoying the pleasures of entertainment and recreation as escapes from the pressures of life. We live with a “relax, eat, drink and be merry” materialistic attitude, like the farmer. So when something unexpected happens that threatens our health or finances, we panic.

This is not about good or bad planning, or even the crisis itself, but about who we are trusting in. Are we trusting in God or ourselves? Hard times have a unique way of surfacing this.

God wants us to be rich toward Him and trust in Him for all things; both spiritually and physically. Jesus once said, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:33-34)

When one lives this way, and the suddenness of life hits, they are prepared because they are rich toward God. They can face whatever is before them because they have supernatural resources. The indwelling power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the benefits He provides to those who love Him and walk faithfully according to His commands.

In the power of Jesus, they can face any crisis with peace and confidence. They can overcome the temptation to be fearful or anxious. They know their gracious and ever-present God will provide all their needs, even when things do not make sense. They also know that whatever they have been given is from God. Consequently, they do not hoard it for themselves as the farmer did, but are generous toward others, regardless of their own needs. Thus, their riches toward God increases evermore.

The situation in our world is revealing. What does it reveal about you? Where is your trust? Trust in Jesus with all your heart in these uncertain times. He is worthy of it.

A prayer for you – “Lord God, as our world continues to walk through a health and financial crisis, let us trust in you. Only you can provide for all our needs. No matter the causes, the situation is before us. Help us to trust in you for ourselves, our friends and neighbors. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Inflation, Greed and a Lust for Power

"A wealthy country can financially collapse in a short period due to the sinful financial practices of their leaders. Despite details being hidden and complicated, they are seen and understood by God and invite His judgment."

When a nation is prosperous, it is a test of its character. What will it
do with its abundance? Will the rich take advantage of the poor and the government expand its size and reach? Or will a nation honor God with its blessings, where the people share with one another and the government is just and impartial no matter if one is rich or poor?  (Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash)

The people of Israel were given much by the Lord God in their history, and at one point in their prosperity, they forgot God and turned from Him. The cries of the oppressed reached His ears and God spoke to the nation through His prophet Amos, “Hear this, you who trample on the needy and bring the poor of the land to an end, saying, ‘When will the new moon be over, that we may sell grain? And the Sabbath, that we may offer wheat for sale, that we may make the ephah small and the shekel great and deal deceitfully with false balances . . .?’” (Amos 8:5)

In ancient times, money was based on weight, so scales were essential. Ephah was a unit of dry measurement (like wheat) and a shekel was a form of weight to determine the value of what was measured out and weighed. Merchants were deceptively making the ephah smaller than it should have been, and the shekel heavier. This was stealing through fraudulent means.

Who were most often the victims of this financial scheme? The poor and needy. What did God think about this practice? “Unequal weights and unequal measures are both alike an abomination to the Lord.” (Proverbs 20:10) Abomination is something that God absolutely detests which stirs up His holy anger. Knowing this, why would the people of Israel, whom Amos addressed, continue in this crime before God? Greed and power. It blinded them from any sense of right and wrong. They were so taken by the abundance of their nation, and the potential to enrich themselves, that they wanted to hurry through the religious meetings, and get on with their lawless business dealings.

In America, we do not use weights and scales, but paper bills that are assigned a value by the government. When our nation prints and prints more bills which get circulated into our monetary system, it is like making the shekel great, when it really is not. It causes the dollar to lose value, and more dollars are needed to buy the same amount of goods or services that it previously did. It is a deceptive financial system that is not honored by God.

In times like these, the lower and middle class suffer the most, while also impacting the entire nation. A wealthy country can financially collapse in a short period due to the sinful financial practices of their leaders. Despite details being hidden and complicated, they are seen and understood by God and invite His judgment.

Even though a small percent of people can enrich and empower themselves through fraudulent means like this, it can lead to unrest in the larger country with increased poverty, business closings, division, tension, protests, famine and more. It is an unjust circumstance that often is man-made and preventable if a nation would turn from their greed and follow the ways of God.

Jesus died and rose again that the sin of greed would no longer have power over us. Through Christ, things can change. With Him nothing is impossible! Let us pray that our leaders would be protected from the temptation toward greed and a lust for power. Let us pray they would make godly financial decisions. Let us look around and share what we have with those in need, no matter if it is little or much.  

A prayer for you – “Lord God, as we go through this time of inflation, I pray our leaders would follow your ways in how our nation manages its money. I pray for the poor and needy who are struggling. Let them trust in you for their provision. Humble our country in this season of financial burden, and let this be a time of turning toward you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”