LOST IN THE CHURCH:
[BEING LOST IN CHURCH]
Part Five
Measuring Holiness
There has been a great deception among many people who believe that holiness is measured by comparing good deeds with bad deeds. When the scale of good deeds appears to outweigh the bad ones, a person is then considered holy.
In this way, many have continued to measure Christianity by looking at what they have done and what they have not done. This kind of holiness focuses heavily on measuring sin according to the “Don’ts” found in Scripture.
And this has become the interpretation of religion throughout history. It has continued to damage the Church and has contributed to leading many people to hell.
Holiness or sin is not merely an action—not simply what a person does or does not do—but it is a condition of the heart. God is deeply concerned with the condition of our hearts. Actions are only the results of what is already within the heart. Many have measured holiness by good deeds, but the Lord does not look at things in that way. He looks at the spirit or intention behind every action, examining how and why that action was done.
Therefore, the Lord is not simply looking for people who perform good deeds in the world, but for people who do what is right!
There is a great difference between doing a good thing and doing the right thing. Sometimes, the right thing may appear to be wrong in the eyes of people. When the Lord commanded the Israelites to destroy the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites (Deuteronomy 20:17), do you think the world would have called Him good? Yet we know that the Lord was doing what was right, because He does not make mistakes, and His works are always without error.
Understand that sin is a condition of the heart, and there is One who examines the deepest intentions of our hearts. A person can perform good deeds with evil intentions, while another can do something that appears bad while having a good intention. Therefore, you can see how easy it is for a person to be deceived if they place their confidence in goodness or in their works.
Indeed, evil kills, but goodness can also be used to deceive and destroy many people in the world—perhaps even more than obvious evil. One of Satan’s most powerful weapons for bringing destruction into the world is to disguise himself in goodness. There is no greater deception Satan can use than coming to us “as an angel of light.” (2 Corinthians 11:14)
Since sin is a condition of the heart, a person can be a murderer even if they have never physically killed anyone. Likewise, someone can be an adulterer before God even if they have never slept with a woman.
For example, even if a lemon tree refuses to produce fruit, perhaps in an attempt to hide its true nature, it cannot change its nature and become a mango tree.
We cannot remove sin from within ourselves simply by keeping the Law or trying to be good. We must be transformed in our hearts as we hold firmly to the Cross. Otherwise, even if a person never commits an outward act of sin, that does not necessarily mean that they are without guilt!
Remember: even if a lemon tree produces no fruit, that does not mean it will be considered an orange tree.
Circumcision of the Heart
Essentially, there is no action a person can perform that can change their inner nature. Things such as religion and the Law cannot transform the inner person; they can only change the outward appearance. Christianity does not begin from the outside and move inward; it begins from the inside and moves outward.
Therefore, through religion, the Law, happiness, habits, the desire for praise, and so on, it is entirely possible for someone to appear good outwardly while not being good in their heart.
That is why the Lord used circumcision as an illustration of removing the outward covering of hypocrisy so that the inside would correspond with the outside. This was the foundation of the circumcision commanded by the Lord in the house of Israel, when He instructed them to circumcise the foreskin of their bodies.
And was this not a prophecy concerning the circumcision of the heart in our present age, when we look to Christ and consider what is written in Philippians 3:3?
> “For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.”
If you are in Church but have not been born again, understand that your nature has not been transformed.
Therefore, even if you pretend to do good, fast frequently, keep all the Laws, observe all the ancient festivals, new moon celebrations, or Sabbaths, understand this: hell awaits you!
And these are words of truth.
He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
Amen!
#ToBeContinued...
Mwl. Ernest Nyalula
+255 616 609 885
#LostInTheChurch #CircumcisionOfTheHeart #TrueHoliness #BornAgain #GraceAndTruth #ChristJesus #Christianity #TheCross #SpiritualGrowth #GodsWord
[BEING LOST IN CHURCH]
Part Five
Measuring Holiness
There has been a great deception among many people who believe that holiness is measured by comparing good deeds with bad deeds. When the scale of good deeds appears to outweigh the bad ones, a person is then considered holy.
In this way, many have continued to measure Christianity by looking at what they have done and what they have not done. This kind of holiness focuses heavily on measuring sin according to the “Don’ts” found in Scripture.
And this has become the interpretation of religion throughout history. It has continued to damage the Church and has contributed to leading many people to hell.
Holiness or sin is not merely an action—not simply what a person does or does not do—but it is a condition of the heart. God is deeply concerned with the condition of our hearts. Actions are only the results of what is already within the heart. Many have measured holiness by good deeds, but the Lord does not look at things in that way. He looks at the spirit or intention behind every action, examining how and why that action was done.
Therefore, the Lord is not simply looking for people who perform good deeds in the world, but for people who do what is right!
There is a great difference between doing a good thing and doing the right thing. Sometimes, the right thing may appear to be wrong in the eyes of people. When the Lord commanded the Israelites to destroy the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites (Deuteronomy 20:17), do you think the world would have called Him good? Yet we know that the Lord was doing what was right, because He does not make mistakes, and His works are always without error.
Understand that sin is a condition of the heart, and there is One who examines the deepest intentions of our hearts. A person can perform good deeds with evil intentions, while another can do something that appears bad while having a good intention. Therefore, you can see how easy it is for a person to be deceived if they place their confidence in goodness or in their works.
Indeed, evil kills, but goodness can also be used to deceive and destroy many people in the world—perhaps even more than obvious evil. One of Satan’s most powerful weapons for bringing destruction into the world is to disguise himself in goodness. There is no greater deception Satan can use than coming to us “as an angel of light.” (2 Corinthians 11:14)
Since sin is a condition of the heart, a person can be a murderer even if they have never physically killed anyone. Likewise, someone can be an adulterer before God even if they have never slept with a woman.
For example, even if a lemon tree refuses to produce fruit, perhaps in an attempt to hide its true nature, it cannot change its nature and become a mango tree.
We cannot remove sin from within ourselves simply by keeping the Law or trying to be good. We must be transformed in our hearts as we hold firmly to the Cross. Otherwise, even if a person never commits an outward act of sin, that does not necessarily mean that they are without guilt!
Remember: even if a lemon tree produces no fruit, that does not mean it will be considered an orange tree.
Circumcision of the Heart
Essentially, there is no action a person can perform that can change their inner nature. Things such as religion and the Law cannot transform the inner person; they can only change the outward appearance. Christianity does not begin from the outside and move inward; it begins from the inside and moves outward.
Therefore, through religion, the Law, happiness, habits, the desire for praise, and so on, it is entirely possible for someone to appear good outwardly while not being good in their heart.
That is why the Lord used circumcision as an illustration of removing the outward covering of hypocrisy so that the inside would correspond with the outside. This was the foundation of the circumcision commanded by the Lord in the house of Israel, when He instructed them to circumcise the foreskin of their bodies.
And was this not a prophecy concerning the circumcision of the heart in our present age, when we look to Christ and consider what is written in Philippians 3:3?
> “For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.”
If you are in Church but have not been born again, understand that your nature has not been transformed.
Therefore, even if you pretend to do good, fast frequently, keep all the Laws, observe all the ancient festivals, new moon celebrations, or Sabbaths, understand this: hell awaits you!
And these are words of truth.
He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
Amen!
#ToBeContinued...
Mwl. Ernest Nyalula
+255 616 609 885
#LostInTheChurch #CircumcisionOfTheHeart #TrueHoliness #BornAgain #GraceAndTruth #ChristJesus #Christianity #TheCross #SpiritualGrowth #GodsWord
LOST IN THE CHURCH:
[BEING LOST IN CHURCH]
Part Five
Measuring Holiness
There has been a great deception among many people who believe that holiness is measured by comparing good deeds with bad deeds. When the scale of good deeds appears to outweigh the bad ones, a person is then considered holy.
In this way, many have continued to measure Christianity by looking at what they have done and what they have not done. This kind of holiness focuses heavily on measuring sin according to the “Don’ts” found in Scripture.
And this has become the interpretation of religion throughout history. It has continued to damage the Church and has contributed to leading many people to hell.
Holiness or sin is not merely an action—not simply what a person does or does not do—but it is a condition of the heart. God is deeply concerned with the condition of our hearts. Actions are only the results of what is already within the heart. Many have measured holiness by good deeds, but the Lord does not look at things in that way. He looks at the spirit or intention behind every action, examining how and why that action was done.
Therefore, the Lord is not simply looking for people who perform good deeds in the world, but for people who do what is right!
There is a great difference between doing a good thing and doing the right thing. Sometimes, the right thing may appear to be wrong in the eyes of people. When the Lord commanded the Israelites to destroy the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites (Deuteronomy 20:17), do you think the world would have called Him good? Yet we know that the Lord was doing what was right, because He does not make mistakes, and His works are always without error.
Understand that sin is a condition of the heart, and there is One who examines the deepest intentions of our hearts. A person can perform good deeds with evil intentions, while another can do something that appears bad while having a good intention. Therefore, you can see how easy it is for a person to be deceived if they place their confidence in goodness or in their works.
Indeed, evil kills, but goodness can also be used to deceive and destroy many people in the world—perhaps even more than obvious evil. One of Satan’s most powerful weapons for bringing destruction into the world is to disguise himself in goodness. There is no greater deception Satan can use than coming to us “as an angel of light.” (2 Corinthians 11:14)
Since sin is a condition of the heart, a person can be a murderer even if they have never physically killed anyone. Likewise, someone can be an adulterer before God even if they have never slept with a woman.
For example, even if a lemon tree refuses to produce fruit, perhaps in an attempt to hide its true nature, it cannot change its nature and become a mango tree.
We cannot remove sin from within ourselves simply by keeping the Law or trying to be good. We must be transformed in our hearts as we hold firmly to the Cross. Otherwise, even if a person never commits an outward act of sin, that does not necessarily mean that they are without guilt!
Remember: even if a lemon tree produces no fruit, that does not mean it will be considered an orange tree.
Circumcision of the Heart
Essentially, there is no action a person can perform that can change their inner nature. Things such as religion and the Law cannot transform the inner person; they can only change the outward appearance. Christianity does not begin from the outside and move inward; it begins from the inside and moves outward.
Therefore, through religion, the Law, happiness, habits, the desire for praise, and so on, it is entirely possible for someone to appear good outwardly while not being good in their heart.
That is why the Lord used circumcision as an illustration of removing the outward covering of hypocrisy so that the inside would correspond with the outside. This was the foundation of the circumcision commanded by the Lord in the house of Israel, when He instructed them to circumcise the foreskin of their bodies.
And was this not a prophecy concerning the circumcision of the heart in our present age, when we look to Christ and consider what is written in Philippians 3:3?
> “For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.”
If you are in Church but have not been born again, understand that your nature has not been transformed.
Therefore, even if you pretend to do good, fast frequently, keep all the Laws, observe all the ancient festivals, new moon celebrations, or Sabbaths, understand this: hell awaits you!
And these are words of truth.
He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
Amen!
#ToBeContinued...
Mwl. Ernest Nyalula
+255 616 609 885
#LostInTheChurch #CircumcisionOfTheHeart #TrueHoliness #BornAgain #GraceAndTruth #ChristJesus #Christianity #TheCross #SpiritualGrowth #GodsWord
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