Category: Christian name

Whom Doth Thou Really Follow? #1

Friday, January 13, 2012

“Then they reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple; but we are Moses’ disciples. We know that God spake unto Moses: as for this fellow, we know not from whence he is” (John 9:28,29 KJV).

For approximately three years Jesus Christ preached to the nation Israel. He performed miracles (raised the dead, healed the sick, cast out devils) to verify that doctrine He taught. Alas, most Jews ignored their Messiah as He clearly demonstrated the powers of the world to come (Israel’s earthly kingdom) (Hebrews 2:3-5; cf. Isaiah 35:4-10).

In the context of today’s Scripture, John chapter 9, Jesus heals a blind man (verses 1-7). From verses 8-34, Jews debate whether or not Jesus performed the miracle using God’s power. Eventually, the man Jesus healed is brought before unbelieving Pharisees. These religious leaders of Israel then attempt to discredit the miracle and intimidate him into silence.

According to today’s Scripture, they insult the man and then—swelling with religious pride—claim, “Thou art his [Jesus’] disciple; but we are Moses’ disciples. We know that God spake unto Moses: as for this fellow [Jesus], we know not from whence he is.” What pathetic hypocrites!

Jesus declared (John 5:45,46): “Do not think that I will accuse you [unbelieving Jews] to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?” If these Pharisees really followed Moses (and thus, God), they would have followed Jesus, for Moses foretold Jesus’ coming (Deuteronomy 18:15,18; cf. Acts 3:22,23).

In John 1:45, Philip said, “We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” The Pharisees knew the Old Testament, yet they willingly ignored what Moses wrote of Jesus Christ (cf. John 5:39)—to retain their vain religious tradition, they pled ignorance. They claimed to be following God, yet they were not. Like today, many claim to be Christians, but just how many are really Christians?

Are You a Nominal Christian?

Sunday, October 30, 2011

“Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:7-9 KJV).

The title “Christian” was such a hateful, derogatory term in the first century A.D. It was used to describe a small number of people who lived such “Christ-like” lives, conversations that communicated God’s grace instead of the world’s vile standards. Today, over two billion people identify themselves as “Christian.” Nevertheless, we have not lost sight of what the Bible says about nominal believers.

Unbelieving Jews and saved Jews look alike on the outside. In Jesus’ day, millions of Jews practiced Judaism. While they had the outward physical circumcision of their fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, very few had the inward spiritual circumcision of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Physically, they were all Jews. Spiritually, most of them were not Jews—they were not God’s spiritual children, but Satan’s children (John 8:44). These lost Jews had never been born-again (they had not received the spiritual circumcision of Romans 2:28,29).

In today’s Scripture, the Lord Jesus Christ describes these “nominal believers” (cf. Mark 7:6). Scribes and Pharisees (Israel’s religious leaders) loved to keep the Mosaic Law and feel “religious,” but the Lord Jesus claimed it was vain worship. They appeared to do everything that God told Israel. However, they disobeyed the commandments they hated and embraced the tradition of men (Matthew 15:3-6; Mark 7:8-13)!

Jesus quoted Isaiah 29:13 to describe these “hypocrites.” Despite their godly façade of Matthew 23:27-36, they were not God’s children (“their heart is far from [God]”).

God is not fooled. He knows the hearts of those who are saved and those who are lost. Are you a nominal Christian, in name only? Have you truly trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour, thereby being rightfully called a “Christian?” Or are you just a church member who merely professes to be a Christian? Friend, it makes an eternal difference!