Are they really Christians?

I recently talked to someone who was falsely accused of wrong doing by "Christians". I would like to remind each of us that it takes more then carrying the name to make us a Christian.. (read the post No Jacket Required) We need only to look at the many "religions" that call themselves "Christian to know not all can be. Some of these groups believe almost the opposite of each other.. Most do not believe in salvation by GRACE alone as God's Word declares in Eph 2:8,9. All but true Christianity requires some sort of work to be a "Christian".

Now to my point. What better way to discredit the gospel of our Lord for satan to plant his people in with God's people. Oh they can be very hard to spot at times. I hate to admit it but some of these "plants" even "live" better lives then the real thing.  Ahh but is not part of the plan? to LOOK like the real thing? but when it comes down to it, they often do things that are not Christian thus giving the bad name to those that really are. They do things like falsely accuse others of crimes? Some may even be "preachers' who collect money to line their own pockets. 

These are not  Christians...they are counterfeits, They do not KNOW God. Anything  but true Christianity is a counterfeit. True Christians know no denominational  lines, Some Baptist are Christians...some are not. Some Pentecostals are, some are not. The same can be said of those in YOUR denomination also. We will find the "tares" where ever God is working. even this group and others on the net that are doing the work of the Lord.

What is their purpose? 

To plant discord, often laying in wait for the right moment to cause maximum damage. It is these people too often that one looks at and says "IF they are a Christian...I do NOT want to be one. Often they may not even know they are tares.
 How do you know if you may be a tare? If you do NOT KNOW beyond a doubt that YOU have eternal life, you may be a tare.
John said he wrote the Gospel of John so that we may KNOW we have eternal life.

If you do not know you are a Christian. PLEASE do not let these counterfeits stand in the way of the real things.. true Christianity. If one takes the time and effort to copy something...there HAS to be some real thing behind it that has value. You would not counterfeit pennies... JESUS IS REAL!  TRUST HIM TODAY!

Matt 13:
24   Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:
25   But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
26   But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
27   So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?
28   He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
29   But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.
30   Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
31   Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:
32   Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.

NOTE: As much as tares can act like Christians, Christians can act like tares. Please if you are not living for the Lord and you know you ARE a Christian, come BACK to HIM today. 1 John 1:9 was written for YOU my friend. It restores the JOY of His salvation. In this way, YOU can live for HIM in such a way that no one will look at you and say "If he/she is a Christian...I do not want to be one!

Daddy. PLEASE help us to live for YOU in such a way that when others see us, they see YOU....help us to live for you so that others WANT what we have...YOU IN US.. the hope of Glory
Amen
 

This message is from the ministry of Shattered Men