Fraudulent Faith

Often Christians fall into error in their early Christian days, thinking that if they “Deny Themselves” in some way God is going to be pleased, and their status in His sight will be advanced.

Mark 7:13 And so you cancel the word of God in order to hand down your own tradition. And this is only one example among many others.”
The Word of God has power. However, you could lose the value or the effects that the Word has in your life by focusing on excessive rules and standards that fit your thoughts and ideas- thinking–“Deny Myself” in some way God is going to be pleased, and my status in His sight will be advanced.

“Everyone who goes on ahead and does not Remain in the Teaching of Christ does not have God. The one who remains in this teaching has both the Father and the Son.” (2 John 1:9)

*  We must be careful that we do not take for granted what Christ has done for us and make sure that we Remain Focused on JESUS in ALL Roles in life!!

*  If we wander away from the Truth in His Word,( at times it seems our culture has ‘run ahead’ and no longer continues in the teaching of Jesus, but mans teachings)  we have cut off our relationship with the Father.

The sins of some men are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them, in the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not cannot be hidden (1 Timothy 5:24-25).

*** Fraudulent Faith
Read  Scripture: 1 Timothy 4:1-5
“They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth” (1 Timothy 4:3).

**  One of the strange marks of religious error I have witnessed and even experienced is that it is so often accompanied by “Ascetic Practices”, that is, “Denial of certain normal, natural human enjoyments”.

***One of them is marriage.
*Marriage Defined- One man and one woman entering a covenant with God in love through marriage.
The marriage share Oneness with commitment, accountability, and safety of Marriage.

A number of groups have historically forbidden marriage to their adherents with the idea that SEX is unclean, and those who indulge in sex are certainly less dedicated than those who refrain.
(Our picking and choosing what is moral or not with the husband and wife in one union relationship).
Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: (Hebrews 13:4).
*Sex is not a nasty things made allowable by marriage. It’s a beautiful thing that is designed for marriage. Genesis 2:24 – 25
** Am I honoring my marriage? I need to make sure that in my thoughts, words, and actions I am honoring my wife! It is such a great privilege to be married now I have the opportunity to honor my wife.
*Don’t bring the past soul-ties into Your Godly marriage which God is in charge. *Self-Denial of certain things don’t make past mistakes forgiven (it’s like a works mentality).
**You are forgiven when you Confess them to Jesus!!
* The sin is no longer held against you-the sin is washed away by the blood of Jesus.
*When sex is not spouse focused, it’s purely about self gratification.
*Trust in His word.(He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. Psalms 103:12)

Foods come under this heading too. I do not mean to imply at all that there is anything wrong with diets. It is obvious that some people need dieting(ME!). There is nothing wrong with studies on nutrition and proper eating.
Nevertheless, through the course of human history there has been a strange affinity between food restrictions and fads and religious error.

The reason is that at the heart of asceticism is a conviction that.        “self-denial” somehow pleases God.
Self-denial can be very earnest, very sincere.

***Often us Christians fall into this error in their early Christian days, thinking that if they Deny Themselves in some way God is going to be pleased, and their status in His sight will be advanced.

For example that is why some Christians love to get up early in the morning for Scripture reading or memorize hundreds of verses of Scripture or pray on their knees for long periods of time.
*These practices, which in themselves are not wrong, nevertheless become wrong because their Motive (that of gaining God’s favor by self-denial) is wrong.

This is a good example of the subtlety by which error begins.
*When a deviation enters a stream of truth, at the first point of deviation, error looks like truth; it is very hard to see it as error. (Romans 1:18 But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who Suppress the Truth by their wickedness.).

This is what has misled so many people. *They never recognize error until they become engrossed in it.
Down the line they begin to suspect that it is error, but by that time they are already hooked.(Addicted to Sin).

There is a difference between self-denial and denying self.    Jesus said,
“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). That is denying self!
**But that is easily confused with Self-Denial, which says,
“I will give up this thing or that thing. I want to gain a special mark of favor before God, and I want to influence God to do something for me in return.”

***When our motivation ultimately is to achieve something for ourselves by our actions, we are no longer denying self but practicing self-denial.

How subtle the differences are!
** Self-denial is an attempt to “earn favor apart from faith” in the gift of righteousness which makes us wholly acceptable before God right at the very beginning of our Christian life.
***Denying self is a Refusal to heed those silken arguments of the inner ego that appeal to us to show how good we are by giving up something.
I ask myself ” What am I giving up trying to get something in turn from God”??

Your happiness is not something you pursue; it’s something that ensues from efforts that transcend yourself.

The hardest time to focus on your relationships is when you’re frustrated with that person or group.
I know that. I know you’d rather turn inward. But if you do, you’ll narrow your existence. You’ll close yourself in. You’ll shield your pain (to some extent), but you’ll also turn your back on your only hope.
You’ve got to turn and face the darkness in your life.  And I don’t mean face it for
a couple of weeks and then give up because “it didn’t work.”
The key to most circumstances is ENDURANCE. If it took you years to get yourself into this mess, it’s going to take more than a couple of weeks to get yourself out of it.

Only after we have “put off” the old man and “put on” the new are we truly set free to praise the Lord with a whole heart.
* “Sing for joy in the Lord, O you righteous ones; Praise is becoming to the upright.”Psalm 33:1

Dear Lord thank you for giving me a wonderful wife, help me to honor Laura in everything. May we have your blessing on our marriage with YOU being number One. May we let Your will be done in work and ministry to give You the Glory.
Lord, thank You for Your concern for Your church body, for what You have envisioned it to be and for what You are ready to make it as men and women willingly obey You, and walk in the power of Your Spirit.  Lord, thank You that I can enjoy the things You have created. Teach me the difference between self-denial and denying self in all areas of life, for Your Glory and my joy.

In Jesus Name, Amen