Fearlessly Courageous
Desk of Dennis Piller
10 7 2024
The mentality of a fake life. Are you an Authentic Christian?
We are called to be priests. Are We Not? Are you? 2 Corinthians 6:16 says, “What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, ‘I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people'”
Justification vs sanctification. Justification is a one-time act; sanctification is a continual process throughout our lives. Justification releases us from the penalty of sin; sanctification releases us from the power of sin. it is a continuous process of believers becoming Christlike, accomplished by the Holy Spirit’s power and presence. But we are to be authentic before God and man. Transparency, authenticity, and holiness. The way less traveled.
- God expects us to be holy as he is holy. 1 Peter 1:16 This means to live in a way that reflects God’s glory and be set apart from the world. Colossians 3:12-17: “God’s chosen people are set apart and sanctified for His purpose”.
But it isn’t about putting on our Sunday smiles and heavenly attitudes. It’s not about projecting we are one way, but when we are home, we are another. Being praised on earth for what others think we are is not the prize.
Ananias and Sapphira are a well-to-do couple in Act 5. What happened? Ananias and Sapphira sold their field and kept some of the money for themselves but pretended to donate the entire amount to the church.
This really is not about the money. God didn’t care if they kept some of their money for themselves. But they were projecting an image of themselves in the presence of God’s glory and to others that was deceitful. They lied to focus the attention on themselves …they projected themselves so they could be esteemed and recognized much like the projected image of the Hollywood elites.
But God knows our motives. He knows our hearts.
God will guard his holiness and punish those who act deceitfully. That was not just a lesson for the 1st-century church. God doesn’t change. He is still holy and still wants us to be like him in that way.
Some people back then thought they could keep sinning because God would forgive them anyway and have unbounded grace for them. The truth is… that is the mentality of a fake life. So how much of a person’s life has to be fake for it to be a fake life? 10% 30%? How authentic as Christians are we really? We need to be honest with God. No more projected images before God or man.
We must guard against putting more effort into that projected image and not into a real life of service in truth and holy humility. I believe humility is a form of holiness. Let’s examine our own heart. Do you know, many people don’t stand up for an altar call or come forward for prayer because no one else is? That’s a projected image. That is not being real before God. Why do we care so much about people we don’t know?
The case of Ananias and Sapphira illustrates the fact that even believers can be led into bold, flagrant sin. It was Satan that had filled their hearts to lie in this way (Acts 5:3) and “to test the Spirit of the Lord” (verse 9). Covetousness, hypocrisy, and a desire for the praise of men all played a part in their death.
Grace is a gift from God that enables us to live a changed life and overcome sin. The moral of the story is that we cannot hide our sins from God with lies or a projected image to impress others.
The story of Ananias and Sapphira is a reminder to us today that God sees the heart (1 Samuel 16:7)… that He hates sin, and that He is concerned for the purity of His church (1 Corinthians 11; 1 John 5). As Jesus told the compromising church in Thyatira, “All the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds” (Revelation 2:23).
What might it mean to each of us to be baptized in the Holy Fear of God? It is said that it is:
• A sense of awe: It’s a feeling of wonder that comes from seeing God’s power, goodness, and faithfulness.
• A way to make decisions: When the fear of God is incorporated into daily life, decisions are made based on God’s approval and his call to holiness.
• A way to avoid evil: The fear of God inspires a sense of awe that helps people stay away from evil a projecting an image for a wrong motive.
Be honest with yourself. Be real and transparent with your fellow Christians. No more projected images and impure motives. Let’s examine our own hearts with the fear of God as our filter and only future. The Lord means for us to guard our hearts by filtering our emotions, desires, thoughts, and responses through His Word.
Please continue to be in fervent prayer for those who lost so much in Hurricane Helene. Pray for mercy, wisdom, and protection for Florida as this new hurricane approaches.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYR0xP1j4PYBethel Music
