I am in a few Catholic/Protestant groups on Facebook, and thousands upon thousands of members actually think they are being good followers of Christ, posting from their egos, when instead we are taught to die to self.
To take after Christ is to be despised by the world. It is to be the one in a hundred who walks alone, with only God by his side, because there is only one who can be shepherd. The handful in an entire community who have the honesty to challenge mediocrity and the politically correct social committees. Those precious few, already rare, who are then scattered as well. This is one of the devil's war tactics: divide and conquer.
Instead of supporting each other, we look at our faith superficially so that we can appear to be more favoured or pure, more desirable and trust-worthy. We think to be a good Christian is to do good deeds or say the right prayers at the right times of the day. No, that is not what it means to be saved, at all. To be a real follower of Christ is to have a total rebirth, to cut out the root of darkness that has grown like a weed in the very depth of our spirits. To then have that newly emptied space which has been utterly voided of sin, ready and open and desperate to be filled with God's spirit - that is what it means to be born again.
To love our neighbour enough that we genuinely want them to have a nice day, free from the pain of this cold world, and to not do a good deed simply because it is convenient, on the way, a resource directly in front of us, or that we're in a good mood. *Brushes palms of hands briskly against each other, "That's my good deed for the day" nonsense*.
To love our neighbour enough that we genuinely want them to have a nice day, free from the pain of this cold world, and to not do a good deed simply because it is convenient, on the way, a resource directly in front of us, or that we're in a good mood. *Brushes palms of hands briskly against each other, "That's my good deed for the day" nonsense*.
No, it is to come from a place of love even in suffering, of compassion even when feeling dejected. While it is well and good to want to earn heaven and avoid hell, it is even better to sincerely care enough for a person that we will pray for them, even if they have hurt us, that we will be happy for those we are jealous of, or that we will lift others up, with the risk of being unseen ourselves. That is the Great Commandment.
Jesus said that he will spit the lukewarm from his mouth. He also said that he will deny anyone who is not reborn, even if they do all the right "actions".
Jesus said that he will spit the lukewarm from his mouth. He also said that he will deny anyone who is not reborn, even if they do all the right "actions".
"Many will come to me on that day and say, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons, and perform many miracles?' And to them I will say, 'Get away from me, you evildoers. I never knew you.'" - Matthew 7.22-23
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