Don't Fake It!!

This has been said and how true it is: Politics without principle; pleasure without conscience; wealth without work; knowledge without character; worship without sacrifice... all collaborate to destroy man. And yet, how many live without these principles and truths and adamantly believe they are right.

The bible repeatedly warns about self-deception. It’s hard to grasp that at first because when you think of deception you immediately think of one person deceiving another person. However, it is possible for a person to deceive themselves. Incorrect thinking, false doctrines, pride, sin, along with a whole host of other things can cloud the true perceptive and discerning abilities of an individual. The worst part of it all is that a person who is self-deceived is unaware of the condition they are in.  

Satan is very good at impersonation as evidenced by the following Scripture.

2 Corinthians 11:13-15 (KJV)
¹³ For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
¹⁴ And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
¹⁵ Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

Concerning Cain, we get to know some hard facts by the following.

Genesis 4:3-5 (KJV)
³ And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.
⁴ And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:
⁵ But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

Don't be fooled! Cain worshiped, built an altar, offered a sacrifice, had an appointed time to meet God, and still was rejected by God and eventually killed his own brother. Wow! Faking a true relationship w/ Jesus is no laughing matter!!! Think about it, Cain was having church but God was not excepting anything offered by it. I wonder how much this happens today.

Here is something that has always astounded me – why didn’t any the disciples suspect Judas?

John 13:21-30 (KJV)
²¹ When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.
²² Then the disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom he spake.
²³ Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved.
²⁴ Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake.
²⁵ He then lying on Jesus' breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it?
²⁶ Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.
²⁷ And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly.
²⁸ Now no man at the table knew for what intent he spake this unto him.
²⁹ For some of them thought, because Judas had the bag, that Jesus had said unto him, Buy those things that we have need of against the feast; or, that he should give something to the poor.
³⁰ He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night.

Interesting! Not one disciple suspected Judas. This man obviously went through the routine of outward appearances of religion and fooled everybody but one. Jesus knew it by the revelation provided by the Spirit. This is how important discernment is to the body of Christ. We need to know as Paul stated in the KJV of 1^st Thess. 5:12 “…to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you…”

One parting thought: not everything that glitters is gold!