A person can acknowledge the teachings of Christ. He may believe and know all the facts of the gospel without ever repenting. He can practice "churchianity" and follow religious traditions and rituals without ever experiencing the true life of Christ. True Christianity is not just knowing biblical facts, or the practice of Christian traditions and rituals. True Christianity is KNOWING and HAVING Christ. It is being at one with Him in heart and mind. It is the very life and essence of Jesus Christ living and dwelling within the believer.

I John 5:12 "He that has the Son has life; and he that has not the Son of God has not life." This life is not something that God gives independent of Himself. This life is Himself, Christ and the Holy Spirit living and dwelling within the believer. The reality of Christ actually living within a person's being is the only core of true Christianity. Any practice of religion without a vital and living relationship with Christ is only deception, emptiness, and death.

Warning to charismatics!

Matt. 7:21-23 "Not every one that saith to me Lord, Lord shall enter into heaven; but he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity."

These people were so deceived that they were true Christians that Christ Himself had to confront them. They thought that because they used the name of Christ to do "good" things, that they were good people, but they didn't KNOW Christ Himself. These people were not submitted to Christ and His Kingdom. Everything that they did was really done to further establish their own kingdom and their own selfish interests.

I was once like this myself. I considered myself a true believer because of my experiences and what I did "in His name". I spoke in tongues in my private life and in the church. I also prophesied with the stamp of approval of the church leaders. I had received what was called the baptism in the Holy Spirit and had been told that tongues were the sure evidence of it. I had an active ministry in evangelism. I was on the radio and television and had many that I called converts. This was all done when I was not truly born again. I was only living for myself and using God and these things to further my own selfish interests. God placed me in some very humbling circumstances before I would even consider the possibility that I was not saved. After much prayer and searching by the Holy Spirit I knew that I was still my own king and that I had never really submitted myself to Christ's rulership over me.

You must understand that true Christianity is not something you have without being under the rulership of Christ. Church membership, so-called spiritual gifts, emotional experiences and many other factors can lead a person to a false belief that he is a Christian. A person should never consider his experiences, feelings, and emotions as evidence of Christianity. The only experience worth trusting is one that directly leads a person to live a holy life.

Many people who consider themselves filled with the Spirit and led by the Spirit are only led by impulses and desires. The Holy Spirit enlightens and influences the mind and leads the Christian under His influence to act reasonably. Many people look and wait for the Spirit to make direct impressions on their feelings and not through the intelligence. They are full of impressions.

The devil transforms himself into an angel of light and persuades them to give themselves over to the impulses and impressions. He then leads them captive at his will. The person who gives himself up to be led and directed by feelings, impulses and impressions, no matter how good or religious he appears, is a sinner. The true Spirit-controlled Christian is not led by these things. The Holy Spirit leads him by enlightening his intelligence.

Christ is the door through which each person can experience the fullness of God. He made provision for everything we need to escape the corruption in the world. We can be a partaker of God's divine nature and truly be holy and perfect as God requires. Through Christ we can conquer and overcome any sin. Through Christ we can do all things. We can truly fulfill all the requirements of the law so that when God looks at us He sees true actual obedience without needing some blood stained glasses.

I know many people who claim to have legal righteousness and holiness while still living in sin and rebellion. This means they believe that God accepts them as holy for what Christ did on the cross. This is pure deception. Christ did not hand out legal holiness. The truth is very simple; Christ only made it possible for us to experience true holiness and righteousness through His death. We need His LIFE inside us. As He rules over us, He imparts righteousness to us.

Each person must take God at His word and walk in it. The problem is, many people think they believe God's word but their experience proves otherwise. True faith always will prove itself in true works. James 1:21 & 22 says: "Wherefore lay apart ALL filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

A person is deceived if he says he believes the gospel but continues to fail to fulfill all the requirements of the law. This person may think that he believes, but if he really did believe, then he would experience it. Many people think that God's grace will somehow overlook the fact that they sin every day in thought, word and deed. God's grace does not cover up sin. Christ's righteousness is not something that is pasted over a person's disobedience.

If a person truly believes, they will fulfill the law in actual experience. If you continue to fail to keep the law, the only conclusion is that you have not yet received what is necessary from God to achieve the result. If this is you, stop now and admit the real truth that your so called faith is in vain and you have yet to really obey and follow Christ.

True grace does not overlook sin or cover it up. Through Christ we have the power to overcome sin and walk in holiness. If you truly believe in and experience God's grace, then you will keep the law. Either a person is actually holy in their thoughts, words and deeds or they are not. Do not be deceived. If you are not truly experiencing holiness and righteousness then you are not holy and righteous. It really does not matter what biblical facts you know. Your life speaks for you. What does your life say about you?

One reason why Christ cursed the fig tree is because it had no figs. (Matt. 21:19). The tree had many leaves and from a distance appeared to bear fruit. When Christ found no fruit on it, he cursed it. This was a symbolic act. The leaves represented religious activity. There are many people that appear to have healthy spiritual lives who on closer inspection bear no true spiritual fruit.

Christ said in John 15:4-6 "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can you, except you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches: He that abides in me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit: for without me you can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned."

Christ expects the Christian to show forth the fruit of the Spirit which the Bible says is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and self-control. (Gal. 5:22-23). Abiding in Christ and bearing fruit is a command of Christ. Either you abide in Christ or you do not. Either you bear true fruit or you do not. It is obvious that if you do not bear fruit then you do not abide in Christ.

Luke 6:44-46 "For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. And why call you me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?"

If you are dishonest in a small thing then you are totally wicked. If you stole a penny your sin would be as bad as if you stole one million dollars. If an employee lied on his time card it would only reveal that he could not be trusted in anything. Remember it is the heart that decides all good and evil. Any person who sins knowingly, only reveals an evil and wicked heart. Is your heart full of self love or full of love for God as the scripture requires?

Matt. 22:36-39 "Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, thou shalt love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

Mark 12:30 "And you shalt love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. The second is you shalt love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandments greater than these."

Luke 10:27 "You shalt love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself."

The word used to describe the kind of love that God has and requires is the word "agape" in Greek. This word means total unselfish love. This love is always concerned with the interests of others. It is translated as love often in the Bible, but this love is not the same love that a husband may have for his wife. Neither is it the love a mother may have for her children. A married couple may truly love each other and their children but still not have the love that God requires. Everyone must repent of their total selfishness to be born again.

God's requirement is to love Him totally. Either a person totally lives for God or he loves himself and lives to bring himself pleasure. There is no other choice possible. When a person truly loves God they will keep all the commandments. John 14:15, 21a, 24. "If you love me, keep my commands. The person that has my commandments, and keeps them, he it is that loves me. The person who does not keep my sayings, loves me not."

Keeping the commands is a simple test to see if you really love God. If you do not fulfill and keep God's law, then you do not love him. If you think that you love Christ but fail to keep all His commands then you are deceived. Keeping the commands is the only real evidence and proof that a person truly loves Him.

Now is the time for total honesty. Do you really fulfill all the requirements of the law? Do you really obey God? Or do you just call yourself a Christian and accomplish your own private agenda? Are you really holy and do you really practice righteousness? Have you really embraced Christ, and depended upon Him to deliver and keep you from all sin? Do you really have Christ Himself really living within you giving you the power to slay all sin? Or do you just have a set of biblical facts that offer no help in showing forth the true character of God? Does your life show the fruit of the Spirit or just leaves?

Now we will look at some deceptive statements and why they are wrong.

Babies are born sinful.

1. If this was true, it would be a crime to be born.

2. Man would have no choice in sin. The only thing man could do, is sin.

3. God could never hold man guilty or justly send him to hell.

4. Without at least two things to choose from, and freedom to do so, sin or holiness cannot exist.

5. A baby does not have the intelligence enough to make any choice.

6. A baby if sinful could not repent.

Sin is a sickness or disease.

Disease or sickness can result from sin but is not the cause of sin.

A sin nature makes us sin.

1. When Adam and Eve sinned they had no sin nature. What made them sin?

2. If we have to sin, God cannot hold us responsible for our acts.

3. There can be no crime without responsibility.

4. There can be no penalty without a crime and all would go to heaven.

Sin is natural or normal.

1. God never created sin.

2. God did not design man to sin.

3. If sin is normal, why would God call it a crime worthy of eternal hell?

4. If sin is normal, then the devil is normal and God is not.

Sin is a slip or an accident.

1. Sin is a willful act.

2. Would God send someone to hell for just a slip?

3. Would Christ suffer and die on the cross just for a slip?

No one is perfect.

1. The Bible commands us to be perfect as God is. Matt. 5:48: "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." God does not expect us to be perfect in understanding and knowledge, but He does expect us to be morally perfect. God is not selfish nor does He live for selfish reasons. We are to have the same aim and to live for the same end that He does. This perfection is not something that we strive for or work towards. It is an essential requirement of salvation that we must have at the present time. A Christian can grow and mature in understanding of what the Lord's will is, but he must be morally perfect at any stage of growth, and conform to all that he knows of the Lord's will. If we truly love God totally and obey all the light which He has given us then we are morally perfect.

2. God never gives a command that is impossible to fulfill.

All men make mistakes.

We can make mistakes without sinning. Man does not have perfect knowledge. A person can make an honest mistake without violating God's law.

Adam lost the ability to obey after he sinned.

1. Without the ability to obey God could not hold him responsible for his future acts.

2. If Adam lost the ability to obey, he would have no moral freedom. Without the ability to choose to obey, Adam would be neither holy nor sinful.

3. Adam lost the desire and willingness to obey but not the ability itself.

If it is not possible for any person to obey God after Adam's sin, then how did these people obey?

1 Kings 15:5 "Because David did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite."

1 Kings 15:11 "And Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, as did David his father."

2 Chronicles 14:2 "And Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God:"

2 Chronicles 24:2 "And Joash did that which was right in the sight of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest."

Genesis 26:5 "Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws."

Joshua 22:2 "And said unto them, Ye have kept all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you:"

Haggai 1:12 "Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him, and the people did fear before the LORD."

Did Adam or his descendants lose the ability to obey God after Adam's sin?

No!! The Bible tells the story of many people, some who walked with God and did what was pleasing in His sight and others who rebelled against God and did evil in His sight. It would be impossible to rebel or obey without the freedom to do so.

Joshua 24:15 "And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." KJV

Isaiah 1:19-20 "If you be willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land: but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD has spoken it." KJV

These passages prove that all of Adam's offspring still had the ability to obey or refuse God.

What about Enoch and others who really followed Gods commands? Again, it would not be possible to obey God if they did not have this ability.

Man is born without the ability to obey because of Adam's sin.

1. Because of Adam's sin, man is born with a bias, tendency or inclination to sin. This fact is not the cause of sin. God does not hold man guilty for this.

2. This fact would require God to restore this ability before he could find him guilty.

To sin is only human.

1. Christ was fully human and did not sin.

2. If being human was a crime, then all would go to hell.

3. Christ came to save us out of our sins, not from being human.

There is no sin in being human. Matt. 1:21 "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins."

Any doctrine that expresses the idea that man is not fully responsible for his own actions and choices is wrong. Sin is the result of choice. Each person creates their own sin when they freely choose to live for themselves.

Study questions.

1. What is true Christianity?

2. Is the proof of Christianity operating spiritual powers?

3. Can a person ask Christ to be his personal Savior and get refused? Why?

4. How does the Holy Spirit lead a Christian?

5. Is it possible for God to see you as holy if you are truly disobedient? Why?

6. Did Christ's death on the cross pass out legal holiness? Why?

7. What did Christ really accomplish by dying on the cross.

8. Does the grace of God overlook sin? Why?

9. What is one purpose for grace?

10. What is the truth about a person who bears no fruit? Why?

11. What was one reason why Christ cursed the fig tree?

12. What is the only true test that shows if you truly love God or not?