The self-righteousness of the Pharisees.... Self-righteousness is thinking that our righteousness has something to do with how well we perform. It suggests that we can appease God by being good or doing good works, by keeping the law, or such foolish things as fulfilling our Sunday morning obligation. The Pharisees kept the law in order to be saved by the law. Paul expressly stated that “the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life” (2 Corinthians 3:6). They knew the law, but did not know THE SPIRIT of the law. We are the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). It does not say we “will be,” “we should be,” or “we almost are,” it says “we are.” It has to do with being and not with doing. We are because Jesus made us to be who we are in Him through His own finished work on the cross. There is nothing in fallen, sinful man that has the potential to save himself or to be good enough for God to put His saving stamp of approval upon him. Rather than bringing others to a faith in and relationship with (God), the Pharisees brought them to their religious observances of traditions, days, and rituals; here implying, “This is the way, walk in it.” In so doing, they put others under bondage to their law. Their motivation was to increase their own sphere of influence. They lead their converts to believe that salvation is assured by being associated with their form of religion. In so doing, they preach “another Jesus” (2 Corint 11:4 ) and make their converts twice the children of hell as themselves (Matthew 23:15). Jesus came to set men free. Binding others to our religious practices is an offense to Him. We are to join people to Jesus in order to set them free. Pharisees today spiritually slaughter the sheep of God when they use them for their personal gain.... These present-day Pharisees, who bear the marks of the Pharisees, are the doorkeepers in spiritual Babylon. Babylon is the Great Mother of Harlots (Revelation 17:5). Spiritual harlotry is seeking anything for Self. It is the flesh hungering to enhance itself. We all have harlot hearts and are easily deceived. When this idolatrous harlotry is brought into our assembly life as the body of Christ, we have the Jezebel spirit in operation. Our idolatry and spiritual harlotry may not be so blatant as hers, but is just as much a hindrance to having an intimate relationship with our Lord. The harlot spirit is present anytime we try to build something in the flesh for Self. In contrast, the Holy Spirit is present when we set our hearts to build only for Him and by Him. We deceive ourselves when we think that our great church building programs are for Him. They are not. They are for Self. Many well-meaning, but ill-informed Christians try to exploit the Holy Spirit to advance themselves. Many fake the presence of the Holy Spirit to make their church or their services look good. This is wrong. We have not been given the Holy Spirit to make the harlot look good. She Leads God’s Servants Astray Eating things sacrificed to idols (Rev 2:20) is what we do when we allow the old, arrogant, self-centered, self-promoting man of flesh and sin to rule rather than allowing the Holy Spirit to rule. It is the lordship of the harlot instead of the lordship of Jesus Christ.... Those in the churches today who violate God’s sheep in order to increase themselves in power, position, and domination are, likewise, causing the sheep to eat things sacrificed to idols — the idols of self-glorification. If the Jezebel spirit can succeed in getting God’s bond-servants to worship other gods, to get their eyes off of Jesus and onto themselves, she will have caused them to commit spiritual fornication and to eat things sacrificed to idols (Rev 2: 20). She will have caused them to commit sins that are an abomination to God. When we lift up this Thing we call church and join people to it, we turn their hearts away from the one who should be their first and only love, Jesus Christ. Prophets that have been seduced by this Jezebel spirit seeks out their Ahab’s The “Ahabs” in the churches today Are the “yes” men. They will continue to bow down to their own Baals and consult with their own prophets of Baal as long as they are addicted to bigger, better, and more. Bigger, better, and more of anything. Bigger, better, and more of everything. Bigger church buildings. Better salaries. More members. Greater offerings. Increased honor, recognition, and reputation. Even when they know this is leading to their destruction, their insatiable appetite for increase drives them on. They do it anyway. The Jezebel spirit kills the prophets of God. Ahab’s Jezebel is noted for having killed the true prophets of the Lord (1 Kings 18:4,13)... All that is written above is how she has killed many men and women of God Today....
Posted on: Wed, 08 Oct 2014 01:40:32 +0000
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