WHEN one studies the Bible, you will find that Jesus had a far better relationship with sinners and tax collectors who were extremely unpopular during those days than with religious leaders and teachers of law.
Jesus condemned the scribes and Pharisees for their hypocrisy, describing them as "whitewashed tombs" that look righteous on the outside but are inwardly full of sin. Whenever He encountered these Pharisees and Scribes, there was always confrontation because they thought they were more righteous than everyone else and wanted to be seen as holy and perfect people.
This is why I hate religion. Religion is what man thinks can do to please God, while true Christianity is shown by one acknowledging what God did for man to redeem him from the jaws of the devil through His grace.
Often atheists say, “Religion is an evil force. It is the main source of hatred and war in the world.” And if we carefully examine the regional conflicts in the world today, we would have to admit there is a certain degree of truth to that accusation. A large number of the wars that have been fought through the centuries were connected to differing religions, as is much of the hate that exists in the world today.
However, the majority of what is done in the name of religion has nothing to do with God. First John 4:8 declares that “…God is love.” As the Source of love, God would never initiate the wars, the hatred, the bloodshed, or the conflicts that are so often performed in the name of religion. These various conflicts may be done in the name of religion, but they have nothing to do with God, for God is a Restorer, Redeemer, Savior, and Deliverer, and there is no darkness in Him at all.
From the very beginning of time, religion without God has proved to be disastrous. That’s why I say that to a certain degree, atheists are correct when they assert that religion is the source of mankind’s problems. It was even the religious leaders of Jesus’ day who failed to recognize that He was God’s Son and demanded that He be crucified on a Cross. By studying the Gospels, you will see that the religious leaders of Jesus’ time were very mean, callous, cruel, malicious, spiteful, and malevolent.
The biggest enemies to the Gospel during the past two thousand years have been religious leaders. Acting in a spirit of fear, they attempt to stamp out any move of God that is not under their control. This has always been and is still the case. Religion will always be the biggest opponent to the declaration of the Gospel.
Certainly during Paul’s ministry this was true. The greatest opponents to his ministry were the religious Jews who followed him, harassed him, stirred up trouble for him, and even tried to kill him. This is why Paul tells us that he was “…in perils by mine own countrymen…” (2 Corinthians 11:26).
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Paul tells us that what he faced from his own natural kinsmen was extremely dangerous. They persecuted and hunted him down everywhere he went. They were the primary tools Satan used to pester Paul. Angry, unbelieving Jews were the thorn in Paul’s flesh that he later wrote about in Second Corinthians 12:7.
If you are being harassed by religious people who don’t understand your stance of faith, don’t get too upset with them. They are operating in the same spirit of religion that has operated since the beginning of time. The devil wants to use them to upset you, steal your joy, make you angry, and get you into the flesh. However, you don’t have to let the enemy get the best of you. Just make the decision to walk in love and to respond to them in the spirit of Jesus.
Have you ever encountered false brethren? I am not only referring to unbelievers who pretend to be believers, but also to real brothers who are “false” in the way they have projected themselves. They portrayed one image when, in fact, they had ulterior motives behind the mask they wore so professionally.
Paul wrote in Second Corinthians 11:26 about “false brethren.” The Greek word for “false brethren” is pseudadelphos. The first part of the word is pseudes and carries the idea of something that is untrue. It could be translated pretend, phony, fake, or bogus. The second part of the word, adelphos, is simply the word for a brother. Compound these two words together, and they describe phony, fake, bogus, pretend brethren.
Paul remarks about these bogus believers in Galatians 2:4,5: “And this occurred because of false brethren secretly brought in to whom we did not yield submission even for an hour that the truth of the Gospel might continue with you”.
These “false brethren” in Jerusalem were in fact genuine brothers who had deceptive motives in their dealings with Paul. They projected one impression, but in reality, their intentions were very different from what they projected. They were “false” because they pretended to be in agreement with Paul’s doctrine. In actuality, they wanted to take Paul’s converts and revert them back to legalism. Paul’s emphasis is not that they were unsaved, but that they were “false” with him.
It is heart-breaking to discover that someone you have trusted has been presenting a false image before you in order to gain some advantage over you. If this has happened to you, take heart, for it happened to Jesus too. Judas Iscariot claimed to be a disciple, but in reality, he had a secret agenda. Those who operate with secret agendas and undeclared motives are “false” in the sense that they are feigning to be something they are not. This would qualify them in a certain sense as “false brethren.”
The deceptive motives of these false brethren are held so secretly that they are able to sneak right into the midst of the Church undetected. By keeping their hidden agenda close to themselves, they are able to worm their way right into the Church leadership. Once they gain position inside a particular group, they start their destructive work from deep within the Church itself. This is what normally causes church splits and so beware. Not everyone has good intentions when they come to church.
We know that Paul was constantly accosted by Judaizers, who came to spy out his light in Jesus Christ. It is also known that both the government and the religious leaders of the day would specially train and disguise agents to invade the Church.
One can imagine how this situation could have driven Paul into a pattern of fear and suspicion. Paul knew that pretenders were out there, constantly trying to secretly hurt him and those he loved. But instead of becoming suspicious of everyone he met, Paul relied on the Holy Spirit to give him clear discernment so he could recognize who was real and who was not.
Living in these types of stressful circumstances, Paul had a choice. He could either back up into insecurity, or he could take hold of the Holy Spirit’s help and press forward toward his goal.
Likewise, you have to determine that regardless of whether people please you or disappoint you, they are not going to stop you from staying on track with the assignment God has given you. You are not going to allow Satan to knock you out of the race through the disappointments you experience with other people.
If they prove to be false or you find that their motives were not what they portrayed them to be, you must learn to forgive them, let go of the offense, and turn your eyes to the future. If you will listen to the Holy Spirit, He will help you develop a better sense of discernment about the people who are trying to get close to you.
After all, there is nothing the Holy Spirit doesn’t know. So if you’ll allow Him to lead you in your relationships, you’ll find that your discernment about people will become more and more accurate as you grow in your walk with God.
