Posted on 03/19/2009 6:49:08 AM PDT by WhatNot
Be careful not to do your "acts of righteousness" before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
(Matthew 6:1)
"I'd go to church and serve the Lord but there are too many hypocrites in the church!" You've never, ever heard that one before? Sure, there are hypocrites in the church and maybe that's exactly where they ought to be. We've said it many times: "The church is not a hotel for saints; it is a hospital for sinners." I know of a church that has a huge sign at its front entrance that reads, "Welcome, sinners only!" If a hypocrite is someone that doesn't live up to the full meaning of the term 'Christian' then we are all hypocrites. And by the way if you're looking for the perfect church and find it, please stay away from it and don't dare join it. You'd ruin it!
And let me hastily add this: Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. No one has ever gone to prison for counterfeiting pennies, but many have served time for counterfeiting twenty-dollar bills. There is no profit in imitating that which is useless. The hypocrite is the best recommendation genuine Christianity can have. Did you ever see a counterfeit infidel? No, those things aren't worth counterfeiting. And I must add that even if you could live a splendid, perfect, moral life, it wouldn't help you get to Heaven. We are not saved by our works or morality. We are saved because we have, by faith, accepted His simple plan of grace for our lives.
Only cure is justification by faith and becoming servants of the Living God.
Romans chapters 5-8 handles it pretty well. Or just read the whole thing. It's good.
i like the red parts...
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