How Cultural Christians Are Misled

But this is that which was spoken by the

 prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in 

the last days, saith God, I will pour out of My 

Spirit upon all flesh; and you son and your 

daughters shall prophesy, and your young

 men shall see visions, and your old men 

shall dream dreams: and on My handmaidens.

 I will pour out in those days of My Spirit; 

and they shall prophesy: and I will shew wonders 

in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; 

blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke: the sun 

shall be turned into darkness, and the moon 

into blood, before that great and not notable

 day of he Lord shall come: and it shall come 

to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name 

of the Lord shall be saved.

Acts 2:16-21 

     A major problem with cultural or liberal Christians is they are looking for excitement, experiences, visions, prophecies, as though they are the recipients of Joel chapter 28, and in Acts chapter 2. Cultural or liberal Christians will "latch" onto any meaning they can give in translating the Scripture to fit their already determined theological doctrine. Scripture is made to prove their theology or doctrine instead of allowing Scripture to give to them doctrine and theology. A way to aid a person in their search for the truth is to use word studies. It takes some time but the reward is great. For instance: vision. This word is used in many places in Scripture and this word has several meanings that the context gives to this word. The Dictionary gives several meanings: 1. the act or power of sensing with the eyes; sight, 2. the power of anticipation that which may come to be; foresight: 3. something seen in or as if in a dream, often attributed to divine agency. The experience of perception, 4. a vivid, imaginative anticipation. 5. something seen; an object of sight, the act of seeing. It is the job of the one seeking truth to determine how the Greek noun is used to determine the correct translation and to give aid to our understanding. Cultural or liberal Christians select the meaning that best fits their doctrine or theology and do not determine what is the "real" meaning so that they would arrive at the correct translation. This then, is false teaching. This then leads to incorrect exercise of faith. This then allows the culture of the world to give meaning leading to misunderstanding. Authentic Christians do not just accept any meaning and do diligent work to study to show themselves an approved workman: "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun propane and vain babblings; for they will increase unto more ungodliness" (2Timothy 2:15). Turn off the TV, turn off the cell phones, isolate yourself for a time to study. 

     Do you want a vision? Well.... you can have one! See how your life is based and how it has determined your perception of the world, as see it as how this perception affects our experience of the world in our fallen state. When our vision, our sight, even though we cannot see God, our vision is not some imaginary sight, it is sight based upon the word of God. This affect in a dynamic way our faith and we see, have a vision, of life from a different perspective. We see it through the lens of God's truth. The unseen becomes seen, we have a vision, not because we have seen but because we have come to know the truth. This sight is a way for our mental and spiritual life come together to form vigilance, to conform to word of God, not some man-made doctrine or theology. Cultural or liberal Christians look to the "good" to do "good" and the truth is unknown to them, and only some euphoric feeling of piety. We live in this world and we cannot escape from this world except in death, but, Authentic Christians live according to God's commands and see the world as it really is, and not live in some unreal misunderstanding about this world. Authentic Christians keep their minds attuned to the truth of God, and live active, productive lives, enjoying the comforts afforded them, yes, and the blessing given to them by God, they use the material things of this world but with a proper sense of moderation and thankfulness. Authentic Christians do not become absorbed in the culture of this world. 

     Authentic Christians, Authentic Christian Faith keeps the eternal in focus, not what they do, not what they say they may have seen in visions, or in other forms of their exercise of their false theology, no, the priority of their lives is to live the life that God has outlined for His children to live. Authentic Christians are in the world but are not of this world and the concerns of this world do become almost all their preoccupation. This world with all its attraction do attract Authentic Christians. Authentic Christians do no not need to put on a display of their faith, rather they live it quietly, as a witness to the truth, they speak, as the Greek word denotes, to speak the words of God, they witness, not some form of special miracles, or other such things, they simply bring the Good News to the world. Authentic Christians have a proper perspective and are able to handle the uncertainties of life and with a sense of dignified composure. By this Authentic Christians are able to reach out and serve others. This is Authentic Christianity!

How are the things of Esau searched out!

     How are his hidden things sought up out!

All the men of they confederacy have brought

    thee even to the border: the men that were

at peace with thee have deceived thee, and 

    prevailed against thee; they that eat thy

bread have laid wound under thee; there is 

   none understanding in him.

                         Obadiah 6-7

Seek the truth: Do not be ensnared!

Richard L. Crumb

 

Should A Christian Judge?

Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with 

what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: 

and with what measure ye mete, it shall be 

measured to you again. And why beholdest thou 

the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but 

considerest not the beam that is thine own eye? 

Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me 

pull out the mote out of thine eye; and behold, 

a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, 

first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; 

and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the 

mote out of thy brother's eye.

Matthew 7:1-5

     The principle of judging faith and this on internal principles is diametrically opposed to judging it on the basis of external actions. Christians are not to judge a person' faith, those internal principles that determine their faith, as those principles or faith cannot be known except by the opposing factor: their exercise of their internal principles. Furthermore, those words of Jesus are about brothers in Christ, those claiming to be Christian. It is easy to see the actions of non-Christians and determine them as to whether or not they conform to God's commandments. God's commandments are clear and plain. Yet, when it comes to those within the Church it is not always possible to know the internal condition of their heart. Are we to judge? Yes! To judge then is to use the metric that Jesus laid down for His bride to use in judging: the external exercise of a person, both in action and in words, words that are not in line with Scripture. Paul gives us this: "But now I have written unto you not to keep company, of any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? Do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person" (1Corinthians 5:11-13). So we are to judge, those who within our congregations or those claiming to be Christian. We are reminded by this that internal principles are important as they determine the dimensions of our faith. We are reminded to be vigilant as to the condition of our hearts. Many Churches today have little or nothing as to the cleanness of those attending allowing for all sorts of sin to be present in the Church as if just allowing them to be present is to "love" them and all that is being done is to allow sin to find its way into the Church. We are told not to allow this and to cleanse the Church. There are several ways to aid a person to come to the knowledge that their internal principles of the heart are not according to Scripture. This must be done, but for outright sin, unrepentant sin, that person must be removed from the Church. Church discipline is part of what the Church must do to ensure the purity of the Church. 

     Cultural Christians, those liberal Christians, have a near total disregard for internal principles of the heart and teach that Christians are to "love" everyone, and allow sin, homosexuality, use of illegal drugs, drunkenness, fornication and adultery to exist to show "love." It may start small, and it usually does, but sin has a way to grow, to infect, just as a bad apple in the barrel of good apples will infect all the apples in the barrel if the bad apple is not removed. In the case of Christianity, the bad apple is false teaching leading to false understanding and practices. 

     Faith, Authentic Christian Faith is what we are to live our live by as instructed by Paul: "(for we walk by faith, not by sight:) (2Corinthians 5:7a). Authentic Christians suffer in this world as do not Christians, or cultural Christians. When a person is an Authentic Christian living by faith those things, as horrible as they may be, do not deter us away from the truth, we know that we are to believe. How can this be done? Authentic Christians live by faith through all this world can throw at you by us allowing our faith, our relationship with Jesus Christ, to be the habitual dynamic force by which we live out our days on this earth. The motivation factor is our relationship with Jesus, that motivation factor that underscores our faith, not experiences or experiential worship, no a quiet and subdued life that creates within us a new kind of vision for our life. What is this vision? It is to be the witness for Jesus Christ as we have been commanded to do, to take the good news to all, to those at our work, our play, our vacations, in everything we do or say. We speak the good news, not miracles, not anecdotal stories, not anything outside of the good news: Jesus Christ died for our sins and gives to those who believe eternal life. 

      Resurrection Sunday is coming (April 16th) a day for us to remember what it means to be an Authentic Christian, to have Authentic Christian Faith. 

And it shall with him, and he shall

     read therein all the days of his

life: that he may learn to fear the

   LORD his God, to keep all the words

of this law and these statutes, to do them:

                          Deuteronomy 17:19

Prepare now for Resurrection Day

Richard L. Crumb

Determining Authentic Or Cultural Christians

Beware of false prophets,which come to 

you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are 

ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits.

 Do men gather grapes of thorns? Even so every 

good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a 

corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. a good 

tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can

 a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every

 tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is sewn

 down, and cast into the fire. Where by their 

fruits ye shall know them.

Matthew 7:15-20 

     A problem that has almost existed within Christendom from its inception is that of making sets of rules. There are rules of course that God has given to us in His word, yet, man seems to have an infinity for rules and makes rules to fit their ideologies, or theologies that are not Scriptural. Oh, they do use sometimes "proof" Scripture to give warrant for these man made rules but all they are not truth found in God's commands and precepts. The Inquisition is such a thing as man made rules using "proof" Scripture to give warrant for many atrocities. Religious intolerance became the way to control people and this by man made rules. Authentic Christians have rules, they are found in the Bible using Scripture to give them warrant for such rules. First, and foremost it is not a set of rules that govern the faith and action of men, it is the internal principle that has authentic Biblical principles that govern the faith and exercise of that faith. Man made rules seem good at the beginning and are seen in the external function of faith, a faith that has as it set of rules the foundation of the world's culture, or has liberal thinking, almost Universalism belief. It is true that Authentic Christians have external manifestation of God's rules and these rules are formed into a habit of the mind and heart. Man made rules although seemingly good at the beginning in time without the internalizing of Authentic Christian Faith will make those man made rules to become the superstructure of faith. So often these superstructures will fail, man made faith will not last, especially when and if they are examined in the light of true authentic Scripture understanding. It is not hard to achieve this true understanding of Scripture if a person will take the time to "test all things,..." and this test is using Scripture to interpret Scripture. 

     Christianity is a matter of internal belief but this is not all that Christianity is as it is also an external manifestation of faith. Our conduct must conform to Scripture and not man made doctrines or theology. Authentic Christians have a transformation in their belief system so that they live accordingly to the truth of Scripture. You cannot have true exercise of faith without true internalization of God's truth. Authentic Christian Faith has the accompaniment of both internal faith and external conduct. 

     Men are known by their fruit as the opening Scripture testifies. If the fruit you are seeing as "good" fruit is based on false teaching then then you are not using Scripture correctly. Our fruit is first in our lives, that we are living according to Scripture and not by the number of person saved, or coming to Church. The outgrowth of our internalized faith, that Authentic Christian Faith will have fruit that is good because that fruit has as it base the truth of God and not of this world as with cultural Christians or false teachers. External actions are the reflections of the heart for as the mouth speaks so go the exercise of faith (Matthew 12:34). Here is a major difference between cultural or liberal Christians: Cultural Christians are primarily concerned with the external and Authentic Christians are concerned with the internals. Cultural concerns about faith are not what Jesus Christ desires. Jesus Christ came to save man and man who repents and believes upon Jesus Christ as their personal Savior deny themselves to become conform any longer to this world and become conformed into the image of Jesus Christ. No man can give this to you, you must come to Jesus yourself on the terms that He outlined for you to come to Him and be saved. 

     If you have not done this, that is, to fall upon your knees repentant for your sins against a Holy God, and believe upon the One He sent to this world to bring repentance to all who believe: DO IT NOW! DO NOT WAIT! CHANGE FROM THE INSIDE/OUT! Pray for repentance, not because you are caught, rather because you have come to know that God exists, that God has come to save, and not due to anything you have brought to Him outside of repentance but because He loves.WILL YOU?

I will freely sacrifice unto thee:

     I will praise Thy name, O LORD;

for it is good. For He hath delivered

    me out of all trouble: and mine eye 

hath seen His desire upon mine enemies.

                                Psalm 54:6-7

May the truth of God bring you to repentance

Richard L. Crumb