HAVE YOU AVOIDED ENTRAPMENT BY FALSE FAITH?

© 2020 by Tom Boynton (editing by Kathy Boynton)

Do you know someone with false faith?  Such a person claims to have faith in Christ but doesn’t really follow Him.  Jesus said,

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:  And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” (John 10:27-28)

Jesus made this statement to people with false faith.  They were religious leaders whom He had just declared to be unbelievers.

Later, Jesus’ inspired writer, James, dealt with this same issue of false faith.

“Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.  Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.  Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.  But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?” (James 2:17-20)

My Dad summarized the preceding Scripture with two words:  “Faith works!”  Don’t misunderstand me here.  Scripture is clear that no one earns salvation by works!

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:  Not of works, lest any man should boast.  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:8-10)

You may have marked, in your Bible, a date on which you prayed a prayer asking for salvation.  However, this doesn’t prove you have true faith.  A person who has no repentance over sin may ask God for deliverance from the penalty of that sin.  Such a person may do this with the full intention of continuing to sin as before.  Such “faith” is false faith.

Scripture tells us that Jesus commanded people to repent.

“…From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:12-17)

The Greek word, “metanoeo,” (“repent”) which Jesus used, is a powerful imperative signifying far more than remorse.  It demands abhorrence of sinful behavior leading to complete reversal of moral purpose and action.  False preachers, deemphasizing Jesus’ intense command, encourage false faith by those seeking only a pass to continue sinning with impunity.

Have you escaped entrapment by false faith, and the temptation to preach it?

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