Mat 19:21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
Rom 16:18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.
It would be so easy to know a teaching was false if it just said put yourself first, but that is not how it works. Consider the rich young ruler. Taken at face value he seems to be a God fearing man...after all he does not kill, steal, commit adultery, lie, he honors his father and mother, and loves his neighbor as himself. His life seems right but the motive of his heart is to receive what God can give for himself.
The false teacher may say some biblical things but if you break their message down it is not about obtaining God for who he is but to obtain the blessings of God.
Hence Paul concludes, though they speak with fair words about loving him, it is in truth their hunger to receive for them self that is their master.
With the rich young ruler Jesus shows him the carnality of his service for God by saying sell all you have...and come and follow me. If he had simply said follow me; this young man would because he was determined to do what was needed to receive.
Yet to sell all he had his heart could not bear...to give to the poor what he had worked to steward over.
So we see a man who to himself, and to those who look on the outward, lives his life trying to do for others is exposed by actions as one who is for himself.
Don't tell me the things of this world don't matter to you only Jesus...when your outfit cost as much as building a church in another country
Don't teach me about the compassion of Christ... then when a christian is in need speak of how they must not tithe or have faith,
Jesus gave us the command follow me.
What we receive from God is not for us if we follow him, it is for others.
Our Lord went to his death because he was giving us everything even his blood and breath and flesh.
Even on his cross he was giving
his love for his mother to a disciple
forgiveness to those who where killing him
eternal life to a dying thief
a lesson of psalm 22 to his murderers
and even as he breathed his last faith to a roman soldier.
So of we will call ourselves his disciples we must pour out of us everything that God gives us; holding nothing back for ourselves.
Do not hear another gospel or another Jesus
The false teacher may say some biblical things but if you break their message down it is not about obtaining God for who he is but to obtain the blessings of God.
Hence Paul concludes, though they speak with fair words about loving him, it is in truth their hunger to receive for them self that is their master.
With the rich young ruler Jesus shows him the carnality of his service for God by saying sell all you have...and come and follow me. If he had simply said follow me; this young man would because he was determined to do what was needed to receive.
Yet to sell all he had his heart could not bear...to give to the poor what he had worked to steward over.
So we see a man who to himself, and to those who look on the outward, lives his life trying to do for others is exposed by actions as one who is for himself.
Don't tell me the things of this world don't matter to you only Jesus...when your outfit cost as much as building a church in another country
Don't teach me about the compassion of Christ... then when a christian is in need speak of how they must not tithe or have faith,
Jesus gave us the command follow me.
What we receive from God is not for us if we follow him, it is for others.
Our Lord went to his death because he was giving us everything even his blood and breath and flesh.
Even on his cross he was giving
his love for his mother to a disciple
forgiveness to those who where killing him
eternal life to a dying thief
a lesson of psalm 22 to his murderers
and even as he breathed his last faith to a roman soldier.
So of we will call ourselves his disciples we must pour out of us everything that God gives us; holding nothing back for ourselves.
Do not hear another gospel or another Jesus
