For this cause I bow my knees unto the
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom
the whole family in heaven and earth
is named, that He would grant you, according
to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened
with might by His Spirit in the inner man;
that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith;
that ye, being rooted and grounded in love
may be able to comprehend with all saints
what is the breadth, ad length,
and depth, and height; and to know that
love of Christ, which passeth knowledge,
that ye might be filled
with all the fullness of God.
Ephesians 3: 14-19
People speak about "good" people, and "good" deeds, unfortunately those to whom they speak about only exist hypothetically. That is, to be supposed, conjecture, provisional explanatory, and even if spoken about living people the evaluation is often exaggerated. Why? The heart, the true nature of the heart of those exercising "good" things appear to be from people with true goodness. There is an old saying: "Don't judge a book by its cover," and that is true of people because the outward appearance might not reveal the true state of the inner person. At times the outward conduct is a mask that is hiding possibly a twisted and unrighteous person on the inside. This masking of a person' inner self is often a kind of self-atonement so as to make up their real character, character that is not pleasing to God. I think that if we could see the inner person we might be appalled. We would be appalled to see that a person is in actuality cruel, not loving, having a fundamental principle or some underlying concept, to be a person that has low moral standards. This mask is often seen that a person is gentle in public and a tyrant at home, unrestrained, unleashed.
Is what was written above always true? NO! Many people have character traits that are genuine, unfortunately, some when faced with trials or difficulties do not have the strength to maintain some consistency, no real fortitude to make a stand against a popular vice. Why? Their real character is weak and often practice that which Authentic Christianity rejects and opposes. When push comes to shove the opinion of others become more important than to sacrifice, or deny oneself to that which is truly good.
Those of weak character find within cultural Christianity a place to mask their weaknesses. They become involved, from the outer exercise of faith, to doing that which is not warranted in Scripture: i.e., speaking in gibberish sounds as though they are speaking some godly spiritual communication with God. Or, going about attempting to bring peace to people by praying with them about their cares, or sickness, (even while may seem good, the Gospel is not proclaimed), all to make them feel as though they are doing the work of God, and then when alone the "real" inner person shows up and they falter (no one can see, so they feel safe). The problem: A lack or none Authentic Christian Faith. They say they have Authentic Christian Faith but they do not as they do many things that are not warranted in Scripture, doing things that make them feel good about themselves, even when they actually do "good" deeds: i.e., going on missions to build homes, or aid in some way, a humanity approach, good but not done for the right reasons, done for themselves (look at me) and people have not come to know the "real" Jesus.
The world, those who do not or will not believe in Jesus Christ do "good" deeds, they do philanthropic things, say "good" things, so doing "good" things is not different from the world. Do we stop doing "good" things? NO! We do them due to our Authentic Faith, that faith that is found in Scripture, not on things done, rather on the reality of Jesus Christ. Authentic Christian Faith endures, not just when things are going well, rather their Authentic Christian Faith will maintain a person when things are not going well. When things are going good it is easy to maintain, but, when things are not going good and if our faith is not Authentic Christian faith failure is at the doorstep. How would a person' faith hold up when people desert you when things for you have gone wrong? When your business failed, when you finances are dwindling, when life seems to be in reverse, it is only by Authentic Christian Faith that will produce the results that a person needs to make it through the trials and uncertainties of life. Only when a person becomes "rooted," "grounded," in the love of Jesus Christ, then that person can comprehend that nothing can harm them in this life, they do not need to please others who may scorn them due to circumstances that cause suffering, etc., for it is this Authentic Christian Faith that separates a person from cultural Christianity, from liberal Christianity, that has God's approval. Come to know this love of God and be filled with all the fullness of God. There are two choices: choose well!
Hear ye the word of the LORD
speaketh unto you, O house
of Israel: This saith the LORD;
Learn not the ways of the
heathen, and be not dismayed
at the signs of heaven; for the
heathen are dismayed at them.
Jeremiah 10:1-2
God is granting His riches: receive them!
Richard L. Crumb
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