There is a satanic lie that is widely embraced and wholeheartedly believed by much of professing Christianity today. I have heard it proclaimed from the pulpit many times. Here is that LIE: “When God looks upon a Christian all He sees is the righteousness of Jesus Christ.”
You would have had a hard time convincing those in the early church in Jerusalem that lie. They had among their members a man named Ananias and his wife Sapphira, who had lied to the apostle Peter about some land they had sold. Peter said to Ananias, “Why has Satan filled your heart TO LIE!” (See Acts 5:1-3). When looking at them did God still see the righteousness of Jesus Christ in them? No! He saw their lying hearts. He heard their lying tongues, and He struck both of them dead on the spot. (See Acts 5). “So great fear came upon all who heard these things!” (verse 5 and 11).
Paul wrote to the believers at Corinth, Greece, “Now being absent I write to those WHO HAVE SINNED before, and to all the rest (of the congregation), that if I come again I will not spare, since you seek a proof of Christ speaking in me” (See 2 Corinthians 13:2-3). Paul said one sure proof that Jesus Christ was using him as one of His anointed spokesmen was his speaking out boldly against sin among God’s people, and not just speaking out against it, but dealing swiftly with those who had sinned! Are we to believe Paul saw their sins but God did not???
Paul further wrote, “If we would judge ourselves (identifying any sin in our lives and dealing with it swiftly), we would not be judged (by God).” He also said, “For this reason many are weak and sick among you, AND MANY SLEEP (the sleep of death).” (See I Corinthians 11:30-31). When looking upon these sinful Corinthian believers God saw their sins, chastening them with sickness. Some were chastened with such severe illness they died! Multitudes of church members suffer lingering illnesses and die prematurely unaware they are being judged by God in the here and now for their continued sinful conduct!
Paul warned the Galatian believers, “You’ll reap what you sow.” (See Galatians 6:7-8). He told them, “God is not mocked.” He sees your sins. You’re only fooling yourselves if you think otherwise.
Read Revelation, chapters 2 and 3 slowly and carefully. Jesus Himself is addressing Himself to seven congregations in the early church, and He sees and identifies their sins, commanding them to repent or suffer the consequences. Yet it was Jesus Himself who said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that hears my word, and believes on Him that sent me, has everlasting life, AND SHALL NOT COME INTO CONDEMNATION (of their PAST sins) but is passed from death unto life” (See John 5:24). But Jesus clearly shows from His own condemnation of five of the seven congregations mentioned in Revelation 2 and 3 that if we sin after being washed by the blood of Jesus Christ He does indeed see that sin. Over and over again He commands these congregations to repent of their continued sins. In fact, seven times in these two chapters you will find where Jesus tells them to repent.
So much error has crept into Christianity over the past two thousand years that many congregations haven’t the slightest idea how greatly God disapproves of their conduct. And a deceived ministry is to blame. May God have mercy on these blinded sheep who have gullibly swallowed Satan’s lies because Pastor So-and-so said so. God help you to understand.
Christ’s Faithful Servant (Galatians 1:10-12),
Donald Wiley