The hypocrisy in the church today is more rampant than road signs you see when driving along the road. Many people major in the minors and minor in the majors.
23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. 24 Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!
25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and [l]self-indulgence.
Jesus’ main enemies were the Pharisees. Even Paul’s gospel was most resisted by the same group. They persecuted all the disciples and apostles—and they still do. The main persecutors of the church are the religious people within it!
Isn’t this pure treason?
One group claims that Catholics worship idols, while another claims that Pentecostals are mad because they speak in tongues. Judaism claims that Jesus isn’t the true Messiah.
This clutter has been present since the days of Jesus. Don’t be surprised if more factions arise within Christianity. Each one claims to have a new revelation from the Holy Spirit about the true way.
Yes, more divisions are still going to happen in the Christian church.
From Catholicism, Protestantism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Latter-day Saints, Charismatics, Calvinists, Pentecostals, and more—name it. All these groups singularly claim to be the true Christians. But are they?
Aren’t all these divisions inspired by men? For indeed, if they were from the Holy Spirit, would they contradict His word?
Can God contradict Himself? For what does Jesus say in Mark 3:23-25?
So He called them to Himself and said to them in parables: “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.
But what do the above denominations claim? That only their way is the truth and the rest are deceivers!
However, we see Paul the apostle say this to the church in Ephesians 4:4-5:
There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism.
Are not these religious people who claim self-righteousness the ones deceiving you? Jesus warns us of such times to come after He is gone, in Matthew 24:5 NKJV:
For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.
Also in verses 23-28:
Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand.
26 “Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 28 For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.
Who then is a true Christian?
26 “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. 27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
That is the price of becoming a true disciple.
He who wants to make it to heaven should be less concerned about trivial clerical issues. His concern should be toward making it to heaven, not how the system should operate.
You therefore must endure[a]hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. 5 And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 6 The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops.
Do not concern yourself with how others think—you should follow Christ. Neither waste time trying to find faults in others’ beliefs when your own walk with God isn’t perfect.
For what does the Lord say in Matthew 7:1-5?
“Judge[a] not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what [b]judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. 3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
Focus more on how to please God rather than on how others may be wrong and you are right. None of us is perfect—not even you.
For these very debates and differences, many innocent and blind people get even more deceived. Yes, because people like you keep trying to point out the differences between your religion and other denominations.
Will you be able to bear the punishment damned for deceivers?
Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no [a]offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should [b]offend one of these little ones.
Let this be a reminder that we are one people under Christ. God looks at each one of us equally—not based on age, religious sect, whether native Jew or not—but He searches our hearts. The only measuring rod is faith. For no one can please God except through faith alone.
This is what separates a true Christian from a non-believer.
