"Some
individuals make a lot of noise about their religion, but secretly have their
hearts set on earthly goals. They pretend to be heaven-bound, but their hearts
are full of hypocrisy. Such deceivers are like the eagle who, when he soars highest,
has his eye fixed on some carnal prey on the ground.
Hypocrites
have always been and ever will be a part of the crowd thronging into the church
and mingling with the true saints of God, Their speech is pure, their service
admirable; but their hearts are lined with deceit; worst of all, they fool even
themselves. The world may mistakenly call them saints, but Christ knows they
are devils. What did He say about the master hypocrite, Judas? "Have I not
chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?" (John 6:70).
Truly, of
all devils, none is as bad as the professing devil, the preaching, praying
devil. God has repeatedly shown His severe displeasure when His so-called
people have prostituted sacred things to worldly ends. Of all men, God strikes
with the greatest speed the one who gilds over worldly and wicked business with
holy pretensions. God has made a solemn promise: "I will set my face
against that man, and will make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him
off from the midst of my people, and ye shall know that I am the Lord."
(Ezekiel 14:8).
Among
thieves, there is often a scout who searches out where the booty is to be had.
He is the brains behind every illicit operation, but he never risks his own
neck by actually committing a crime. The devil uses this same tactic by
watching how a Christian walks, where he goes, whose company he enjoys. The he
decides the best way to rob him of his grace. When the plan is set, he sends
someone else to carry it out. Thus he sent Job's wife to tempt him; he sent
Potiphar's wife to entice Joseph."
-From The
Christian in Complete Armor Daily Readings in Spiritual Warfare Published
by Moody Press Chicago 1994 First Published in 1655.
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