Posers

Jesus said, "Not everyone who say, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those that do the  will of my Father who is in heaven" (Matt 7:21).  His statement clearly reveals that there are those in the Christian Community who are not of the Company of Christians.  They may be fans, but they are not followers.  They may know of Jesus, but do not know him.  Not everyone attending your church is filled with God's Spirit, not everyone claiming the Spirit of Christ, walk in the shadow of the cross.  They are not disciples but rather posers, perhaps even deceiving themselves.

Luke tells of the seven sons of a priest named Sceva, who tried to cast out a demon using the power they had witnessed in the apostle Paul, as if they were empowered by the same Spirit.  The confronted a man possessed with an evil spirit, which resulted in one of the most comical but telling narratives in Scripture: "… the evil spirit answered them, 'Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?' Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding" (Acts 19:15-16).

They knew the words, they knew the characters, but they did not know the living Christ nor the power, which comes from that fellowship with him, which "can do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine..." (Eph 3:20).  It isn't enough to be a fan of Jesus, we must be a follower.  Or, in the wordsI grew up hearing, "Tt isn't enough to want a Savior, we must accept a Lord."  The Lord Jesus is not a divine bell-hop that pops up like a genie out of a bottle we rub with words or prayer to do our bidding.  He is the sovereign Lord of the Univerrse, to whom we must yield.

Posers can throw around the words of faith, but they do not operate in the power of faith.  A follower of Christ will be changed, not in word but in deed.  It is not the one who says "Lord, Lord," but the one who serves The Lord.  The difference is plain to see.  Othes will recognize the Spirit of Christ within you, if he resides there.  Posers lack the transforming power of the cross, which becomes evident to all.  And, most importantly, evident to God above.  Jus' Say'n.