Are Christians hypocrites? - 1 John 3:11-24

The truth is that Christians can be hypocrites but thankfully most are not! Having said that we are all flawed and make mistakes; the word of God says 'For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God'.  It is the teaching of scripture that Christians should love one another and love their neighbour as themselves - today's passage from the bible states this clearly. It's a hard standard to live up to but God gives help to those who are prepared to trust him.

When people claim that Christians are hypocrites I always ask them to have a good look at the life of Christ. He was no hypocrite! He was, and is, holy, pure and undefiled by sin. That is what qualifies him to be my Saviour!

Christ died for our sins and if you repent (turn from your sin) and trust him he will clear your guilt and give you the strength to live for God's glory and pleasure.

1 John 3:11-24

11 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

12 Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.

13 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.

14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.

15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?

18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.

20 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.

21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.

22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.

24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

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this site will give you access to Bible Teaching Audio's and Video's as well.

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Lest we forget - Sister City - Poppies in the Moat

"Lest we forget". The amazing sight of poppies filling the moat at the Tower of London is a vivid reminder that there are something's in life that we dare not forget. The sacrifice of the men in WW1 was costly but effective. I suppose The issue for our generation, as our forces leave Helmand and Afghanistan is whether our forces have achieved their goal there and in Iraq - I guess only time will tell! As a Christian these great sacrifices remind me of the price that Jesus paid to provide redemption. The price was great - His death - but the outcome is assured - salvation for those who turn to God and believe. The New Testament teaches that "Christ died for our sins" the result of which means that if we "confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Men and women gave their lives for our freedom and we salute them. Let's make sure we don't make a mockery of the freedom that was bought both at Calvary and in WW1.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2810085/The-field-remembrance-grows-Tower-London-moat-nearly-ceramic-poppies-commemorating-World-War-s-victims.html?ito=social-facebook





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Loneliness - it's a major problem in our society!

One of the most undesirable experiences that a person can encounter is that of loneliness. Some look back to childhood days when they were surrounded by family members; there was laughter, companionship, helpfulness, mutual care and love. However the enemy, death, gate-crashed the family and one after another, loved ones were taken and loneliness followed.

Perhaps others feel the emptiness of loneliness because a spouse died after many years of happy marriage. How often we have heard the following sentiment expressed, "It’s not too bad during the day when I can get out and about, but it is when darkness falls and I am alone in the house. A house that formerly was alive with chatter and friendly banter is now silent."

If loneliness on earth for a period of time is so sad and painful, what an awful thing it must be to experience this for eternity. For every soul that dies without Jesus Christ as Saviour the only outlook is the "blackness of darkness forever" Jude v.13. Some foolhardy and spiritually ignorant people have the mistaken idea that when they arrive in hell they will meet their friends and enjoy an eternal party! Since the judgment of God will be absolutely righteous, no two people will have the same sentence allocated to them and so each will be alone for eternity. What a horrendous thought, lonely and in the dark, under the judgment of God for all eternity.

However, there is One Who can save us from such an eternity of woe. In wondrous love God sent His Son to die for sinners. He bore the judgment so that we, so undeserving, could be rescued from hell. God’s Son, Jesus Christ, experienced loneliness in His life. He was, "despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief" Isaiah 53.3. We read that He was homeless, John 7.53-8.1 "And every man went unto his own house. Jesus went unto the mount of Olives". He had no comfortable shelter, "Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay His head" Matthew 8.20. However, when we want to see the depth of the loneliness He suffered for us, we must come to His death. As He anticipated His sufferings He said, "Reproach hath broken My heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none" Psalm 69.20. But it was when He hung in the agony of dark Calvary’s cross He cried, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" Matthew 27.46. God left Him alone when "His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree" 1Peter 2.24. 

H. K. Burlingham wrote these words:

"Alone upon His cross, God’s judgment Jesus bore,

He paid in full the cost of glory evermore:

His precious blood was freely shed,

And Jesus crushed the serpent’s head!"

"The blood of Jesus Christ His [God’s] Son cleanseth us from all sin" 1 John 1.7.

 By trusting Him as your Saviour you will never experience eternal loneliness, but will enjoy the bliss of His companionship both now and for evermore.

For access to more articles, audio messages and 

video bible teaching visit www.seekthetruth.org.uk.

Written for FTMP by a Guest Blogger (copyright Assembly Testimony)

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