BibleNote Writer
He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry.
Registered: 01-2008
Location: Earth
Posts: 309
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A Phony Faith
A Phony Faith
quote: Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling; Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm. (I Timothy 1:5-7)
When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee (II Timothy 1:5)
Twice Paul, the Apostle, gives us the term UNFEIGNED with the word FAITH. Paul apparently was aware of some who had a faith that was indeed "feigned". This follows right in line with Satan's deceptive methods ever since the Fall of man in the garden down to this hour. He creates nothing new. Rather, he is an imitator, an impostor, and one who perverts and mocks the things that God has already created.
For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works. ( II Corinthians 11:13-15)
Satan, therefore, is certainly in the business of offering a counterfeit religion, a false gospel, an empty hope of everlasting life, a salvation that does not truly save, and a faith that is but a weak and despicable presumption.
This brings me back to the main idea of this Bible Note: Many people today, have a phony faith.
To illustrate: Just this week I met a man who told me that he is a Christian, but he does not believe that he has to go to church. After I had given him several Scripture verses and the admonition to read the epistle of James, he basically told me that all he needed was John 3:16. He obviously believes that all he has to do is "believe" and that God and Jesus require nothing more out of his life. I warned him that many people only accept the parts of the Bible that they like and just skip over or ignore the parts that they do not like.
I have met numerous people with the same faulty, unscriptural concept. They think that they can simply "have faith" in Christ and He will overlook all their current and continuing disobedience.
A phony faith will fall far short of the real thing. There are some definite evidences that one has real faith; and, these will be absent when one instead is leaning upon the broken staff of presumption.
Here are a few ways to tell whether you may have a phony faith:
1. Phony faith will cause you to continue languishing in the bondage of sinful living. Real faith on the other hand brings true deliverance from sin.
2. Phony faith will make "Doubting Castle" your continual home. In other words, you will be missing the witness of the Spirit that makes one certain in his soul that he is indeed a child of God.
3. Phony faith will leave your heart empty of the love of God. It is the love of God that causes us to want to be in God's house, attending to His Word and worship, and to want to fellowship with the saints. Therefore, this phony faith will find no true satisfaction in these things, though one may outwardly attend them faithfully.
4. What naturally follows is that your phony faith will cause you to lack any real concern and heart-rending burden for lost souls on their way to Hell.
5. Phony faith will require you to make excuses for your lack of true love and devotion for God and the things of God.
6. It will also tend to make you testy towards those who have genuine faith. When they speak of duty to God, it will put you on the defensive. Phony faith requires that you defend it so that it will not be exposed for what it is.
Enough about the negatives of a phony faith! If you will truly repent of your sins and turn your heart and life over to the Savior, He will enable you to believe Him with a faith that is real, lasting, effective and satisfying to your soul. Let us prove Him today with a heart that truly believes Him and accepts His Word as the final authority on everything in our lives. In the words of the hymn, Trust and Obey, "For there's no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey."
Let us then trust and obey that we may have faith unfeigned rather than a phony faith.
Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? (James 2:18-20)
Dear reader, please share this Bible Note with others who may be interested or helped by it.
Bible Notes Archives (2002 through 2008): http://freegroups.net/legacygroups/bible_notes/
--- Sincerely Yours in Christ,
The Bible Note Writer
Bible Notes
written to glorify God
and to help souls
on the way to Heaven.
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21/Sep/2015, 9:09 pm
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