Spiritual Illegitimacy Among the Faithful

Without a dynamic relationship with Christ as Lord, Christianity has been tried and found wanting, and without faith one cannot please God.

You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, "MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM; FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES." It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Hebrews 12:4-8.

“You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin…” v.4.

Living in sanctuary and sanitized conditions is hazardous. Most people have lived and are living in such sanitized styles of life that the reality and dangers that surround them are unnoticed. For many, there is no listening to newscasts because of the fear of hearing negative statements and are therefore uninformed about the truth of life.

Neither do they read and study God’s Word and are therefore living with and trusting in people who are living apart from Truth. Unfortunately, there are many who might reference themselves as Christians who keep daily company with folks whose lives reflect anything but righteousness and are unaware, these are unbelievers and may be good people so far as culture is concerned. Believers should not keep company with them. Many who are standing in pulpits and teaching Bible Studies are doing so at their own peril because of the false teaching coming from them. They are not speaking truth.

Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? 2 Corinthians 6:14-15.

Certainly there are many arguments that seek to excuse the reality of what God’s Word is teaching. But, do we must not get caught up in the making of excuses. The thought from Paul is obvious and that is Believers are not to be bound by contracts of any kind with those who seek to not follow the teachings of God.

The difficulty arising from such relations is that of influence. Many well intentioned Believers somehow think that they will be able to have a positive influence upon some, and this is true. But those who enter into these kinds of relationships must be aware of the power of sin that the other person is bringing with them. Too often the Believer is not prepared spiritually to enter into that environment and for this reason must be made aware of evil motives.

Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God. 3 John 1:11.

There is much illegitimacy among the Faithful and everyone must be made aware of the same.