22/01/2023 - PHONY CONVERSION

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And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah has not turned to Me with her whole heart, but in pretense,” says the LORD.    Jeremiah 3.10

Not all those who come to Christ are saved, delivered, or healed. Even if they speak as if they are repentant, using good words, they are not sincere. You cannot deceive the Lord, for He sees the intentions of the heart. It is a fact that there are those who feel remorse for the evil they have done, they cry, and try to tell it to the Most High in prayer, but He knows what is behind that false repentance (Matthew 7.21-23).

There is no doubt that these people know what will happen at the Judgment, but they will never confess their mistakes. When Judah saw what happened to the Northern kingdom with the invasion of the Assyrians and the exile of their people to other nations, they took courage and decided to get right with the Lord. However, all this was theater, for they did not act out of faith, but out of fear of losing their way, as it had happened to Samaria. And so it happened!

Those who do God’s work have heard many people confess that they would sincerely seek to serve the Lord, but after a few days they no longer sought Him. In fact, they did not make amends with the Father and tried to deceive Him with their tears. The Word says: Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap (Galatians 6.7). Take care while there is still time!

It is unbelievable how many people try to hide from the Lord, confessing half-confessed sins, pretending that they did not want to practice them. Now everything we do is naked and evident in the eyes of the Father (Hebrews 4.13). It is best to tear their hearts open and tell of their transgression, for by the time they think of circumventing Him, His attention has already wandered away from them. Those who repent of their wrongdoings show it in their hearts (Proverbs 28.13).

The Lord tells those who delude themselves, trying to improve their actions before Him, that Jesus, His Word, sees and knows everything: For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart (Hebrews 4.12). It is impossible to deceive the Most High!

To despise the Father is the worst attitude one can have: Therefore the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I said indeed that your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever.’ But now the Lord says: ‘Far be it from Me; for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed (1 Samuel 2.30). Why become vile if you can be true?

Judah’s mistake was not to return to God with a sincere heart, but rather falsely, and their end was pitiful and deserved: the disdain of the Almighty. They could have overcome Nebuchadnezzar and the evil Babylonian kingdom, but were taken there to be slaves. What a sad end the wicked have!

In Christ, with love,

R. R. Soares