“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.” (Matt. 23:27)
The Lord Jesus went into a house that He had been invited into and more than once called some of those who were also there hypocrites. He looked right at those in the boat that night and said, Where is your faith? (Luke 8:25)
“Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?” (John 14:9)
“I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” (John 8:24)
He took the time to make a whip.
Still want to be like Christ? Still want to be transformed into His image, or just the parts you feel comfortable with?
Whatever the contention was that came between Paul and Mark, Mark left, and Paul said good riddance. “To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.” (1st Cor. 5:5)
I have had enough of you people, now I will go to the Gentiles. Still want to emulate Paul, except of course for the beatings, whippings and pain.
“Of whom the world was not worthy: they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.” (Heb. 11:38)
Easy Christianity, just love everyone, and you are a Christian. But you are not Christlike, are you?
Many who profess the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior will understand Matthew 13:50 perfectly well, “And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” For they will experience it firsthand, forever. You have met them and I pray you are not one of them, never judge even with the Word of God for fear of being seen as judgmental, never speak up against the falsehoods and misinterpretations from the one behind the pulpit for fear of being ostracized from that assembly.
Ever read and studied the Books of Hebrews and Galatians, want to know how difficult it was for some to leave a religious organization that had permeated an entire nation of people for over 1,500 years? Ever attempted to speak with someone trapped by the deceitful lies of Romanism for generations in their family?
Jesus did not like some people and He let them know why. How about you, do you know people who are religious but not born-again, have you spoken to them in love in the language of reproving, rebuking and correcting, or is the language of the Savior only love, a live and let live response from you?
You do know that you can love some people straight into hell, do you not?
Kindness speaks truth, politeness allows the lies to flourish. You don’t want to hurt their feelings though, do you, you don’t want to seem rude, too pushy, too forward with the message, and besides, it really isn’t your responsibility, is it.
The days of the ”fire and brimstone” preacher are all but gone, as are those that are not afraid to speak the truth, “Repent, or be cast into eternal darkness.”
No, that isn’t what Jesus would do is it, He only made that whip to scare people, He found those false religious leaders later and apologized for being so rude, it just isn’t recorded for us. He told the disciples in the boat that He was sorry later, He was just tired after a long day and the rain made Him grumpy.
“Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?” (Matt. 7:22)
And many of them will be the ones that you thought were the polite and nice Christians you knew here.
