Jesus Christ is my God!
Issued 22.06.2011
Woe to hypocrites!
Jesus proclaimed seven woes to His religious opponents in the 23rd chapter of the gospel of Matthew. The reasons for His shouts of woe are current also today.
Woe to preventers of the salvation
Woe to them, the theologians and the Christian leaders who pretend to be believers! They shut up the kingdom of heaven against men. Because they have not allowed themselves to be saved, they would not allow also others to come to the faith.
They love the Christian culture but not Jesus. They want to use the word of God as the instrument of their power. They want to be spiritual fathers who are honored by people because of their position. They are speaking with priestly tone so that they could fulfill the need of their listeners to receive religious comfort.
Woe to them, the theologians and the Christian leaders who pretend to be believers! They shut up the kingdom of heaven against men. Because they have not allowed themselves to be saved, they would not allow also others to come to the faith.
They love the Christian culture but not Jesus. They want to use the word of God as the instrument of their power. They want to be spiritual fathers who are honored by people because of their position. They are speaking with priestly tone so that they could fulfill the need of their listeners to receive religious comfort.
Woe to those who convert to their religion
Woe to them, the theologians and the Christian leaders who dominate over others with their hypocrisy! They travel land and sea to win one convert. When one is won they make him twice as much a son of hell as them.
The missionaries of the Christian culture have exported Christianity to other cultures but not given them the gospel about Jesus Christ. Therefore the disciples of the Christian culture are more evil than their teachers.
Woe to them, the theologians and the Christian leaders who dominate over others with their hypocrisy! They travel land and sea to win one convert. When one is won they make him twice as much a son of hell as them.
The missionaries of the Christian culture have exported Christianity to other cultures but not given them the gospel about Jesus Christ. Therefore the disciples of the Christian culture are more evil than their teachers.
Woe to the blind teachers of God's word
Woe to spiritually blind Bible teachers! With fine ways they reject the teachings of Jesus with their interpretations of the Bible in order to follow their own traditions. They don't see the glory of Jesus Christ. Therefore they say that the Bible is the Word of God, although the Bible says that Jesus Christ is the Word of God.
They teach: 'If someone is in the faith but is not a member of a denomination, he is not a member of the Church of God.' How fools and blind they are! For which is greater a Christian organization or a believer who with his presence sanctifies the organization? Whereas Jesus sanctifies a believer with His presence in him. Thus a believer is greater than any congregational organization or a temple building.
Because they are spiritually blind they don't see that the believers are the Church of God. Therefore they consider their church organization the Church.
Woe to spiritually blind Bible teachers! With fine ways they reject the teachings of Jesus with their interpretations of the Bible in order to follow their own traditions. They don't see the glory of Jesus Christ. Therefore they say that the Bible is the Word of God, although the Bible says that Jesus Christ is the Word of God.
They teach: 'If someone is in the faith but is not a member of a denomination, he is not a member of the Church of God.' How fools and blind they are! For which is greater a Christian organization or a believer who with his presence sanctifies the organization? Whereas Jesus sanctifies a believer with His presence in him. Thus a believer is greater than any congregational organization or a temple building.
Because they are spiritually blind they don't see that the believers are the Church of God. Therefore they consider their church organization the Church.
Woe to the superficial Christianity
Woe to them, the theologians and the Christian leaders who pretend to be holy! They baptize and administer Communion but they have neglected the weightier matters of the gospel: receiving God's love, mind change and self-denying. In their blindness they stick to the outward matters because they don't see inward ones.
They expect from believers only things what are benefits for the congregational organization, like giving a tenth part of their incomes and serving in the meeting arrangements. They bind believers to the actions of their organization, but neglect binding them to God's love in His sacrifice. They invite people coming to meetings but not turning to Jesus.
Woe to them, the theologians and the Christian leaders who pretend to be holy! They baptize and administer Communion but they have neglected the weightier matters of the gospel: receiving God's love, mind change and self-denying. In their blindness they stick to the outward matters because they don't see inward ones.
They expect from believers only things what are benefits for the congregational organization, like giving a tenth part of their incomes and serving in the meeting arrangements. They bind believers to the actions of their organization, but neglect binding them to God's love in His sacrifice. They invite people coming to meetings but not turning to Jesus.
Woe to the well-behaved evil thinkers
Woe to them, the theologians and the Christian leaders who are hypocritical! They cleanse their behavior but their thoughts are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Bible teacher, first cleanse your thoughts and then your behavior also will be clean.
It is enough for them when a sinner says that forgive me. They don't expect changed mind or repentance. They don't care about the quality of the heart from which words are coming out. They only demand that speaking is nice and well sounded.
Woe to them, the theologians and the Christian leaders who are hypocritical! They cleanse their behavior but their thoughts are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Bible teacher, first cleanse your thoughts and then your behavior also will be clean.
It is enough for them when a sinner says that forgive me. They don't expect changed mind or repentance. They don't care about the quality of the heart from which words are coming out. They only demand that speaking is nice and well sounded.
Woe to the religious pretenders
Woe to them, the theologians and the Christian leaders who are pretenders! They are like whitewashed tombs. They indeed appear beautiful on the outside, but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean.
In the eyes of people they are righteous believers, because they are able to behave so well. However in the eyes of God they are unclean pretenders, because their thoughts are full of self-deception and lawlessness.
Woe to them, the theologians and the Christian leaders who are pretenders! They are like whitewashed tombs. They indeed appear beautiful on the outside, but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean.
In the eyes of people they are righteous believers, because they are able to behave so well. However in the eyes of God they are unclean pretenders, because their thoughts are full of self-deception and lawlessness.
Woe to the murderers of God's messengers
Woe to them, the theologians and the Christian leaders who are hypocritical! They build monuments on the tomb of Jesus and decorate the graves of the witnesses of Jesus. They honor late heroes of faith who were persecuted by Christian churches.
They say: 'If we had lived in those days, we would not have taken part in the persecution.' So they testify against themselves that they are descendants of those who murdered Jesus and have persecuted His messengers. They cherish traditions and honor the heroes of faith only for the support of their own authority. Actually they despise the message of their heroes.
Upon them will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth. They will fill up the measure of the sin of their forefathers!
Woe to them, the theologians and the Christian leaders who are hypocritical! They build monuments on the tomb of Jesus and decorate the graves of the witnesses of Jesus. They honor late heroes of faith who were persecuted by Christian churches.
They say: 'If we had lived in those days, we would not have taken part in the persecution.' So they testify against themselves that they are descendants of those who murdered Jesus and have persecuted His messengers. They cherish traditions and honor the heroes of faith only for the support of their own authority. Actually they despise the message of their heroes.
Upon them will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth. They will fill up the measure of the sin of their forefathers!
Stop pretending
If you were hit by some of the previous shouts of woe, you should know Jesus wants that pretenders will receive the broken heart and to be saved. He doesn't wish hell on anyone but He saves no one by force.
Pretending is the way where the heart is hardened. If you feel your heart to be hard against Jesus, ask Him to rebuke yourself. You as the pretender must die so that you could become alive. Depart from the family of pretenders before your heart becomes too hard. When you are in agony because of His reprimand, ask God the Father to show you Jesus Christ as crucified due to your sins. That vision gives you a new heart.
Jesus can change a hypocrite into a true believer. Turn to Him. He is waiting for you.
If you were hit by some of the previous shouts of woe, you should know Jesus wants that pretenders will receive the broken heart and to be saved. He doesn't wish hell on anyone but He saves no one by force.
Pretending is the way where the heart is hardened. If you feel your heart to be hard against Jesus, ask Him to rebuke yourself. You as the pretender must die so that you could become alive. Depart from the family of pretenders before your heart becomes too hard. When you are in agony because of His reprimand, ask God the Father to show you Jesus Christ as crucified due to your sins. That vision gives you a new heart.
Jesus can change a hypocrite into a true believer. Turn to Him. He is waiting for you.