Why do so many Christians continue to make the same mistake, continue to encounter the same issues, go back to the same bondage or addictions, seeing but never perceiving, and hearing but never understanding? Why are so many stuck and not moving forward growing in Christ, growing in HIS Grace to move from glory to glory? Rather, many Christians define themselves by time (I been a Christian for decades) but nothing has changed except they have gotten old. Church has been a formality. Walking the Christian life has been going to church on Sundays, perhaps some Wednesday and then falling away from attending. Then after some time, many return out of guilt but can never stay on fire. The fire or first love has faded away. Why? We must come to a fearful realization that our current physical manifestation of our relationship with HIM reflects whether we are falling away or getting stronger in HIM. Our natural and physical condition reflects either we are facing in the direction of heaven or facing hell. But rather than facing the reality of our spiritual condition, we deceive ourselves to think we are the seed of Abraham when many do not act like children of God.
John 8:31-33 Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. 32 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”33 “But we are descendants of Abraham,” they said. “We have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean, ‘You will be set free’?”
The Pharisees thought they were free. Many Christians today think they are free but they are not. Freedom in Christ is not a theory. Spiritual Freedom is reality and such freedom must be manifested physically and naturally if we are truly spiritually free. But the Pharisees were full of wickedness. Pharisees were full of knowledge of the Word. They tithed and fasted faithfully. But they were full of greed, covet, lust, lack of love, and etc. They were not truly following God. They were following their sins and Jesus said since they followed their sins and were slaves to sin, their true father was the DEVIL! But in their minds, they truly thought they were serving God and were heaven bound. This is the case with many Christians. We cannot continue to serve sin and think heaven will be guaranteed. Why do so many Christians continue to call Jesus Lord when they continue in their sins?
I asked the Lord last week. Why are so many Christians after teaching and preaching to them continue to ask the same questions? Why do they continue to make the same mistakes? Why do they continue in their sins never overcoming, never finding breakthrough? Why are they so lacking in faith? Why seeing but never perceiving, hearing but never understanding? Even in our church, we have people who continue to fail in full obedience to the Lord.
The Lord said it is because they have NO FOUNDATION. They are trying to build the temple of God which is in their hearts without a foundation. Many have been Christians for years and many have knowledge but they believe those two qualify them for the higher works or anointing. But frustration meets them as there is no foundation.
Luke 6:46-49 NLT “So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say? 47 I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. 48 It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. 49 But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.”
1 Peter 2:1-3 EXB So then, rid yourselves of all evil, all ·lying [deceit], hypocrisy, ·jealousy [envy], and ·evil speech [slander; C all traits that destroy relationships; Rom. 13:13; Eph. 4:25–32; Col. 3:8]. 2 As newborn babies want milk, you should want the ·pure [sincere; unadulterated] and ·simple [or spiritual] ·teaching [L milk; C probably referring to the word of God; see 1:23–25]. By it you can ·mature [grow; reach maturity] in your salvation, 3 because you have already ·examined and seen [L tasted] how good the Lord is [Ps. 34:8].
Those who have no foundation are baby Christians who try to act and do what mature Christians are called to do. If we attempt to build a home, we cannot start with the roof. But many do not want to start at the foundation. They want show themselves approve by starting at the top rather than the bottom. The foundation is boring to them. The foundation is but a slab and looks gray and flat. We are the Temple or House of God and it must be completed in us so that God may fully dwell in us. There must be no idols and there must be proper foundation and construction.
I teach my people to go back to basics. It does not matter how long they have been a Christian. I tell them to pray, read, worship, and fully obey your pastor each day and spend some quality time with God. But some without foundation and their hearts full of idols wants to see visions/dreams, they want to prophecy, they want to evangelize, they want to perform miracles, and they want to preach. The basics in reading, praying, worship, and fully obeying your pastor is not an easy thing to do especially if God is requiring them to do it for years before God uses them.
In Luke 6;46, “So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say?" Does Jesus have to literally speak to you and give you direct instructions for you to obey HIM? HE is speaking to many of you through HIS servants and pastors and many are not fully obeying their pastors. How can God test you approve to obey HIM if you cannot obey your pastors or other authorities. How can you continue to slander your secular leaders and call yourselves to be followers of Jesus Christ? Jesus said whether the governments are for good or bad, they are HIS SERVANTS and HIS appointed. If you continue to slander your governments and leaders, you are touching HIS Authority. You are actually slandering God. This has made many Christians stuck in their walk with God as they do not know how to obey and submit in the elementary authorities of this world. Thus it is manifested as they are revilers to their parents, teachers, pastors, governments, and etc.
Romans 13:1-5 Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. 2 So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. 3 For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you. 4 The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong. 5 So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience.
It does not matter whether you have been a Christian for one year or fifty years. If you are full of envy, jealousy, and quarreling, you are still carnal and babies. Humble yourselves and build your foundation. It is alright to start over. In fact, you must start over.
"As newborn babies want milk, you should want the ·pure [sincere; unadulterated] and ·simple [or spiritual] ·teaching [L milk; C probably referring to the word of God; see 1:23–25]. By it you can ·mature [grow; reach maturity] in your salvation,"
Humble yourselves and go back to the pure simple teachings of milk. By it you can grow to maturity. Go back to basics of reading, praying and worship and ask for spirit of obedience. If you do not grow properly by being fed properly, then you will grow defectively and spiritually deformed and as Jesus said to the Pharisees, they were but sons of the devil as their characteristics were sinful, carnal, greed, fighting, addictions, hate, anger, short tempered, lust, coveting, jealousy, coward, lack of love, lack of faith, and such things my friends will NOT inherit the Kingdom of God.
May we all humble ourselves and ask for a spirit of obedience to fully yield to God's Spirit.
Glory to God for HIS Mercy
Pastor Steve Yong Kim
Fire of God Church
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