The Great Pretender

God’s Wrath on The Great Pretender! This is one of those unpopular, chasten messages if you will. But remember for whom the Lord loves He chastens.

Definition of Pretender: One who stimulates, pretends, or alleges falsely; a hypocrite. A person who pretends for a dishonest purpose. An impostor.

We are going to talk about fake Christians . A fake Christian is not a struggling Christian, because every Christian struggles. Every Christian has times of falling short and sinning and slipping up. But that is not a fake Christian. A fake Christian is a pretender, an actor and an imitator. A fake Christian is someone who is sitting in the church pew but is another person altogether in their day-to-day living.

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,

When a person departs from godliness & righteous they suppress the truth about God. {Suppress means; To suppress something means to prevent something from happening, operating, or becoming apparent, or restrain something and limit its effects, prohibit, or subdue. curb, inhibit, or even stop it}.

So they suppress the truth that God is their loving Creator and deserves their worship and praise. When I wake up in the morning, and even all throughout the day, I always say these words; God You have been too good to me for me not to stop and give You some praise and worship.

Although, Pretenders choose to suppress the Truth therefore they are without excuse. They know that God is their Creator and He deserves worship and praise, but they choose to suppress it and not give God the Glory and Praise and therefore God’s anger is being revealed from heaven against the Great Pretender.

God’s anger is being revealed against sin and the suppression of the Truth. Meaning, you know what the word of God says, but yet you refuse to honor or abide by His word.

19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. Folks know that God is real, EVERYBODY KNOW THERE IS A GOD. Look around you; man didn’t make the sun. Man can’t make it rain or snow from heaven. Who woke you up this morning? It wasn’t your alarm clock. Plenty folk alarm clocks went off this morning and they didn’t rise. It was God and everyone knows there is a God.

20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,.

Because nature itself, speaks eloquently of God’s AWESOME WORKS IN HIS CREATION, they are without excuse. Although, man like to think he is responsible and want to take credit, but God is in charge of EVERYTHING! The word of God says, you can clearly see this, so you are without excuse!!!

21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Matthew 7:21-23; 25:11, that MANY would be self-deceived. It doesn't say that a FEW will be deceived, but MANY. And these "many" people didn't just call Jesus Savior, they called Him "Lord." In fact, they went beyond calling Jesus just "Lord." They called Jesus, "Lord, Lord."

I’m hearing some pleading going on!!! And the "many" who were self-deceived, did many things "in Jesus name." They prophesied, cast out demons and performed many wonders. Oh The Great Pretender. I can imagine them saying; Lord, Lord I came to Church every Sunday and paid my tithes. Lord, Lord I song in the Choir. I came to Bible study. The Lord responds with, Yeah but every Saturday you were out fornicating, drinking and getting high. Robbing, stealing, lying and cheating too. Lord, Lord I had a good heart. Really? Don’t you know your righteousness is like filthy rags? I came and died for you, it is my blood that cleansed you, not yourself.

Lord, Lord, I didn’t know I was supposed to live a certain way. Really? Well MY people perish for their lack of knowledge. I told you to study to prove yourself worthy…did you even try to study my word?

You are a pretender. Pretending to be a Christian. My children obey my Commandments

These people who said, “Lord, Lord” did not belong to Jesus, even though they professed to. They are Great pretenders.

So what do you have to do to become a Christian? If we were to randomly interview people and ask them this question, we probably would receive answers like “Go to church,” “Read the Bible,” “Pray,” “Believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God,” “Keep the Ten Commandments,” and “Be baptized.”