Those exposed to God’s Word but don’t change don’t merely become hypocrites. Worst, they can become Monsters

When church people are exposed to more truths from the Bible and don’t apply it, it’s not that they only become hypocrites but I fear they can become something worst: They become monsters.  At first it begin innocent enough in most people’s eyes:  Whatever you tell tell them they say “I know.”  But over time they become monsters who feel secure that their pride of knowledge makes them superior to others.  They are great at manipulation: when confronted concerning their life they know enough to turn it into a theological debate with a learned tone but they don’t know enough to see how ridiculous it looks.  It might even be an opportunity to show others how much they know or have thought about a certain issue!  They become one-sided, they emphasize certain truths that don’t threaten their ways and the more unpopular the truth the better since they can hide it under the righteous guise of “standing for truth.”   It’s easier on their conscience to see those who raise concern for them as attacking the faith instead.  But being one-sided of God’s truth, whether it’s popular or unpopular is not what God wants, it’s what the demons wants.  Truly we can say its monstrous since it’s demonic.  Over time those who are less biblically literate will see these people as wise and thus in the church or on social media they can become a de facto leader.  Then in that role their poison is spread.  But since they are not morifying their flesh with Biblical truths, soon biblical truths are twisted as a means to an end of gratifying their desires.  The fruit of this will manifest itself as all sorts of abuses that the monsters can connive according to their wicked imagination.

We must always ourselves this question:  How faithful are we as stewards in applying and being transformed by the truth of God’s Word that we have been given?

The more we know the more we need to ask that question constantly.  God is gracious if we confess our sins and repent.   He will change our hearts to love God’s truth so much we actually want it to transform us!

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Review: What is Justification by Faith Alone?

J.V. Fesko. What is Justification by Faith Alone?  Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing, February 15^th, 2008. 32 pp.

This is a booklet in the Basics of the Reformed Faith series.  I picked it up out of the curiosity of wanting to see what an example of a short theological summary of the doctrine of justification looks like and also for my spiritual edification and whether this booklet is something I can recommend to others.  This booklet is divided into five parts.  The first part surveys how God intended to create and judge Adam and His creation.  The second part looks at God pointing to His Son as the one who will justify us in the Old Testament with the third looking at how Jesus’ life death and resurrection is the building blocks of the doctrine of justification by faith alone.  The fourth survey how this doctrine was expressed historically within the Reformed tradition and lastly the fifth part answers some common questions.

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