Christianity VS Hypocrisy

Introduction

With so many different winds of doctrine and those who claim to be Christians but do not live up to what they profess or what is written.

To

How can we tell these deceivers and how can we keep ourselves in the truth.

How did Jesus deal with the false doctrines of his day?

He highlighted their failure to live the spirit of the law rather than reveal the errors of their theology.

TBC

In the epistles of John there are some underlying principles and reasons for him writing them for the edification of the church.

From what I read I declare what those underlying themes are:

From what I read I declare what those underlying themes are:

Contrast between right and wrong, light and darkness, sin and righteousness.

What the life of someone looks like when they keep the commandments of God.

What the life looks like of one who professes to keep the commandments, but doesn’t.

True understanding of love.

What is the spirit and nature of antichrist and what defines someone as having this spirit within themselves.

The opposite to antichrist are those who have the privilege to be called the children of God.

Let us examine these points above as the apostle John was inspired to write about them.

Light and Darkness

First the apostle John talks about the message the personal message and theme received from the Lord Himself!

1 John 1:5 KJV 1900

5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

Then, immediately after this declaration of the message received from the Lord Himself, John teaches the contrast between those who have fellowship with God and His Son, and those who do not.

1 John 1:6–8 KJV 1900

6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

John wants to make sure we understand that we have no reason to have sin remain in us while Jesus is our Advocate and that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness!

1 jn 1 6

1 John 1:6–8 KJV 1900

6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

But if we say that we have not sinned, we make God a liar and His word is not in us.

What does this mean?

First of all the word of God has described all of humanity under sin; all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

So if we say we have no sin, we make Him a liar.

Also if we say we have no sin, then we make Him a liar to offer forgiveness to those who confess their sins.

Why should we confess if we have no sins to confess?

True Christians and Deceivers

The Apostle John in his epistles gives general warning of false teachers and I believe he tries to contrast their behaviour with true Christianity and so in his epistles gives teaching as to what true Christianity is and what true love is and that if one who professes godliness falls short of this, he is a deceiver.

Let me highlight the qualities of a deceiver according to the apostle John:

1 John 1:6 KJV 1900

6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

1 John 1:8 KJV 1900

8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

1jn 1 6

1 John 1:10 KJV 1900

10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

1jn 1 8

1 John 2:4 KJV 1900

4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

1jn 2

1 John 2:9 KJV 1900

9 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.

1 John 2:11 KJV 1900

11 But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.

1 jn 2 11

1 John 2:22–23 KJV 1900

22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. 23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.

1 jn 2 22

1 John 2:26 KJV 1900

26 These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.

1 John 2:26–27 KJV 1900

26 These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. 27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

1 jn 2 26-

1 John 3:6 KJV 1900

6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.

1 John 3:8–11 KJV 1900

8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. 11 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

1 John 3:8 KJV 1900

8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

1 jn 3

The example of a deceiver was given in Cain who professed godliness but denied the power thereof.

Cain was a professed worshipper of God, but he never had that true born again experience from God and so when the righteousness of his brother Abel stood in stark contrast to his unrighteousness, he slew his brother.

Now keep in mind what John has already written about deceivers and false teachers, and that one of the most striking marks of them is that they profess one thing (light) but walk contrary to it in darkness.

They say that they have communion with God and yet walk in darkness.

What are the works of darkness? A similar condition and warning was given to the Corinthian church.

A similar condition and warning was given to the Corinthian church.

2 cor 12 20

2 Corinthians 12:20–21 KJV 1900

20 For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not: lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults: 21 And lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and that I shall bewail many which have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed.

Even in the context of John’s epistles you can see what spirit constitutes a deceiver.

3 John 9–11 KJV 1900

9 I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not. 10 Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church. 11 Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.

9

1 John 4:5 KJV 1900

5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.

1 jn 4

1 John 4:6 KJV 1900

6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

1 John 4:20 KJV 1900

20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

1 jn 4 20

1 John 5:4–5 KJV 1900

4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

1 jn 5

They feel self-confident that they have no sin in them while manifesting works of darkness.

They say that they know God while they live in disobedience to the commandments of God.

They hate their brothers; they have not that love of God in their hearts. they are revengeful, spiteful, hypocrites.

They have never received the sanctifying truth of the incarnation of Christ and what that means for the sinner.

They sin (wilfully) because they have never known God. they have never been brought to the foot of the cross where all pride is banished.

They are of the world and live by its standards and teach/live by doctrines that are influenced by the world.

Children of Light