Countless numbers of people today are religious but are not born again. They attend church faithfully and they try to do what the minister says to do and they think they are justified because of this, but unless they are born again and have the Spirit of God their fruits will be corrupt for the tree bearing the fruit is not of God.
You cannot serve God unless you have the Spirit of God.
Recently there was a problem with a person in our little church group. I had to know the reason for her problem so I turned to God and asked God the reason for her problem. The following came forth showing the truth about this woman.
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She is not born again. She does not have the Spirit of God. She is very religious and has gone to church all her life and her mother was very religious. She did what religious people (ministers and her mother) did. Basically she was copying people she considered to be religious but she is not born again. Therefore her works (fruits) are not good for they are of her own flesh and not authored by God. She thinks herself to be alright because she is doing what she hears from humans, from ministers and religious people, but she is not hearing from the Spirit of God she is hearing from a minister and in past was hearing from her religious mother and a church group.
I have a cousin exactly like this. Her mother was my favorite aunt. This aunt had been taken into heaven and told me about it and said everything was "golden". I related very well to this aunt. The other people in our family were afraid of her saying, "What would Ardath think?" This aunt was the religious gold standard for our family. Her daughter worshiped her mother. Of course Jeanne followed her mother to church. She was baptized in water. She tried to do what was taught by their ministers and by her mother. But Jeanne was following them and did not have the Spirit of God. So she looked religious to other people. She looked wonderful on outside, having nice clothing and being physically beautiful, while sitting at church. But she was not born again.
Jn. 3 ... Jesus says ... Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? 5Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 8The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
Paul explained ... I Cor. 2 ... But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
These people are very religious and even desire to do religious works but they are trying to understand with their minds for they do not have the Spirit of God.
Their works turn out to be bad fruit ... meaningless and sometimes even harmful to others.
Jude spoke of them ... vv 17-19 ... But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; 18How that they told you there should be mockers (imitators) in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. 19These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.
They attach themselves to the church by their own will. But they do not have the Spirit of God. They follow humans and their faith is in humans rather than in God but they don't realize this. They imitate those persons whom they consider to be religious. (mockers/ imitators) And often they become so skilled at copying the true people of God that they look like the people of God. But when we speak to them, they have blank looks on their faces and we know they don't understand what we say though they try to do what we say and they try to look like us always copying us. They cling to real ministers of God and often to real people of God because they feel justified and right with God through being with us. But their justification is not through Jesus Christ.
Jesus said there would be "many" of these people come forth in the last days ... Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? (They trust in that which they did, in their works.) 23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Mt. 7
Mt 7 ... Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
People like this try to do good works. But they are always off a little in their efforts. We, who are of God, see them and hear them and recognize they are off. Sometimes we try to make excuses for them. But the truth is their fruits (their works) show what they are for those of us who will see.
Salvation is truly of God. And unless salvation comes through God there is no salvation. And only God can bring salvation.
These people can hear excellent Bible teaching and still not be of God. They can hear corrupt Bible teaching and not be from God. It is only when God reveals HIMSELF to them and gives them HIS Spirit that they can be from God. And whether bad or good, their own fruits will identify them.
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Their faith is in humans and not in God.
Example: This woman in our church group moved to Lubbock where I live. She asked me to help her find a light fixture for her house. I was to meet her at the store. Before I left to go to store, I prayed: God, please help us to find a fixture and to find it quickly without having to go all over town. When we entered the store, I looked up at the ceiling where fixtures were hanging and I saw an appropriate fixture immediately. I said nothing until this woman had a chance to view the fixtures. Then I pointed one fixture out to her. It suited her and she bought it. As we were leaving store, I asked her if she had prayed concerning finding a fixture. She replied: "No. I knew you would."
One time I asked her to give me examples of her faith in God. She replied that when she was having trouble concerning her elderly father, she asked me to pray. I did pray that this man would not be a burden to her. He died very shortly after that... Then she recognized as she told this as an example of "her" faith that this was really example of "my" faith ... but actually it is example of both faiths ... Her faith was not in God but was in me. My faith was in God.
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Their faith is in their minister.
Their faith is in their mother.
Their faith is in their churches.
Their faith is in going to their church.
Their faith is in what they do.
Our faith is in what God does.
I have a cousin exactly like this. Her mother was my favorite aunt. This aunt had been taken into heaven and told me about it and said everything was "golden". I related very well to this aunt. The other people in our family were afraid of her saying, "What would Ardath think?" This aunt was the religious gold standard for our family. Her daughter worshiped her mother. Of course Jeanne followed her mother to church. She was baptized in water. She tried to do what was taught by their ministers and by her mother. But Jeanne was following them and did not have the Spirit of God. So she looked religious to other people. She looked wonderful on outside, having nice clothing and being physically beautiful, while sitting at church. But she was not born again.
Jn. 3 ... Jesus says ... Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? 5Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 8The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
Paul explained ... I Cor. 2 ... But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
These people are very religious and even desire to do religious works but they are trying to understand with their minds for they do not have the Spirit of God.
Their works turn out to be bad fruit ... meaningless and sometimes even harmful to others.
Jude spoke of them ... vv 17-19 ... But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; 18How that they told you there should be mockers (imitators) in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. 19These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.
They attach themselves to the church by their own will. But they do not have the Spirit of God. They follow humans and their faith is in humans rather than in God but they don't realize this. They imitate those persons whom they consider to be religious. (mockers/ imitators) And often they become so skilled at copying the true people of God that they look like the people of God. But when we speak to them, they have blank looks on their faces and we know they don't understand what we say though they try to do what we say and they try to look like us always copying us. They cling to real ministers of God and often to real people of God because they feel justified and right with God through being with us. But their justification is not through Jesus Christ.
Jesus said there would be "many" of these people come forth in the last days ... Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? (They trust in that which they did, in their works.) 23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Mt. 7
Mt 7 ... Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
People like this try to do good works. But they are always off a little in their efforts. We, who are of God, see them and hear them and recognize they are off. Sometimes we try to make excuses for them. But the truth is their fruits (their works) show what they are for those of us who will see.
Salvation is truly of God. And unless salvation comes through God there is no salvation. And only God can bring salvation.
These people can hear excellent Bible teaching and still not be of God. They can hear corrupt Bible teaching and not be from God. It is only when God reveals HIMSELF to them and gives them HIS Spirit that they can be from God. And whether bad or good, their own fruits will identify them.
=============
Their faith is in humans and not in God.
Example: This woman in our church group moved to Lubbock where I live. She asked me to help her find a light fixture for her house. I was to meet her at the store. Before I left to go to store, I prayed: God, please help us to find a fixture and to find it quickly without having to go all over town. When we entered the store, I looked up at the ceiling where fixtures were hanging and I saw an appropriate fixture immediately. I said nothing until this woman had a chance to view the fixtures. Then I pointed one fixture out to her. It suited her and she bought it. As we were leaving store, I asked her if she had prayed concerning finding a fixture. She replied: "No. I knew you would."
One time I asked her to give me examples of her faith in God. She replied that when she was having trouble concerning her elderly father, she asked me to pray. I did pray that this man would not be a burden to her. He died very shortly after that... Then she recognized as she told this as an example of "her" faith that this was really example of "my" faith ... but actually it is example of both faiths ... Her faith was not in God but was in me. My faith was in God.
=================
Their faith is in their minister.
Their faith is in their mother.
Their faith is in their churches.
Their faith is in going to their church.
Their faith is in what they do.
Our faith is in what God does.