In the previous posting we learned that the vast majority of Christ’s original 70 disciples were DINOs (Disciples In Name Only).  They said all the right words and went through all the right motions, but in their hearts they did not “walk with Jesus”  (“walk as He walked”–1 Jn. 2:6).  The common title given to such people today is Sinners Saved By Grace (SSBG) also known as CINO (Christians In Name Only).  The Almighty sums up THE PROBLEM with DINO and CINO in one word: SIN–which He defines as “the transgression of the Law” (1 Jn. 3:4)–the same Law that was supposedly “nailed to the cross.”

Ninety-nine percent of professing Christendom has embraced the god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4) and rejected Jesus Christ.  We learn why in Isaiah 59:2 and 28:9-13.  In 59:2 Isaiah is telling God’s chosen people: “Your iniquities (sins–Lawlessness) have separated you from YOUR God.”  Separation refers to God taking His Spirit from a sinning church person, which prevents keeps church sinners from hearing God’s “voice” (His Holy Spirit).  The Spirit always leads us to God’s Word.  Only those who are “led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God” (Rom. 8:14).  In 28:9-12 we learn how the Spirit leads us in our study of God’s Word.  Note how thorough and meticulous are God’s study instructions.  Note that Isaiah was writing to all of God’s chosen people.  We are individually responsible for our own study habits, what we learn and what we obey.  The biggest problem I face with church people is that they reject God’s printed Word and believe what their preachers tell them, which ALWAYS contradicts God’s Word, either wholly or in part.  PEOPLE DO NOT BELIEVE AND OBEY THE BOOK THEY CALL “HOLY.”  This is because they are told not to by their false prophets who use that same Book in their sermons. Only Satan could orchestrate such confusion.

Without obedience to Isaiah 28:9-12 and 59:2 a church person becomes low hanging fruit for the devil.  His totally filled fruit basket is eno0rmous, numbering in the billions world-wide while God’s church numbers only a few thousand.  Recall that of the tens of thousands who followed Him and were ministered to by Him during His short time on earth, only about 120 were true disciples.  The “great multitudes” He ministered to were false disciples.  I learned early on not to expect church people to believe God’s Word.  However, like the 59 DINO who followed Jesus and ministered in His name, the billions of SSBG (DINO) appear to be pillars in the church, many of them ministers.  Jesus used PARABLES when speaking to and about such people.  Let us examine some of those parables which reveal that the deception taking place today is simply a repeat of what happened in the early church.

In Matthew 25 we find Jesus discussing the “kingdom of heaven” (the church that He would soon establish).  He compared her to ten “virgins.”  Five of them were wise (obedient) and five were foolish (disobedient).  All ten virgins had lamps, wicks, oil, etc.–they all appeared to be true virgins (church members).  Just as the apostles did not know that Judas was a traitor/devil, the wise virgins (disciples) DID NOT KNOW that the other five virgins were VINO (Virgins In Name Only) until the end when it became known that they were not what they appeared to be.  In Matthew 13:25 Jesus emphasized that the wheat and the poisonous tares (WINO–Wheat In Name Only) were together in the field (church) until the time of the harvest.  Like the VINO, they were not what they appeared to be.  In the parable of the good and bad fish, all were together (in the church).  Note that both g00d and bad fish were together until their “judgment day” when the separation came.  At that time the good virgins, wheat and good fish were taken and the bad virgins, tares and fish were rejected.  Until then they seemed to be exactly like their counterparts.  As the Scriptures tell us, good fruit trees and bad fruit trees appear to be alike.  It is only when one tastes the fruit that the difference comes to light.

Such is the case with orange trees.  If an orange tree freezes to the core during the winter, the fruit it produces in the spring looks exactly like the fruit of other orange trees.  It is not until one tastes the fruit that the difference is noticed.  The frozen (symbolically sinful) tree produces bad fruit that, from all outward appearances, is good for food.  Recall that when Eve first saw the forbidden fruit she saw that it was “pleasing to the eyes, good for food and would make one wise.”  As soon as she and Adam partook of the fruit they realized that all was not as it appeared to be.  Not everyone who goes to church three times a week, reads the Bible, preaches, etc. is “walking with Jesus.”  He said that many would appear to do so but that few actually would (Mat. 7:13,14).  False Christians will be publicly identified upon Christ’s return and rejected.  Truly, all that glitters is not gold.  I glittered greatly in the past.  But I was not gold.

The Apostle Peter speaks to this type of situation in the church of his day.  In his first epistle (4:17,18) he states that judgement has begun in the church, and only the righteous within her will be saved.  So, he asks, where does that leave all the other church members? Jesus said that few would choose to follow Him through His strait (difficult) gate and along His narrow (one way only) path leading to salvation.  He noted that though many would be called to be His true disciples, few would be chosen for having answered the call.  These are they who will rise in the first resurrection.

In Matthew 7:23 we find Jesus speaking to “great multitudes” of people who had followed Him out of Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and from the other side of the Jordan River (6:25).  Many years ago while I was in my “all-glitter–no gold” condition I led a service for people being baptized in the Jordan River.  In 7:15-20 Jesus warns the people (and us) that a “tree” (disciple) is known by its “fruit” (ones obedience or disobedience to the Law).  In verses 21-23 He makes the definitive statement concerning DINO, VINO and CINO: “Not everyone who calls me their Lord will enter into the (true) kingdom of heaven.”  The righteous within the church are in the true kingdom of heaven.  Peter said that only they would be saved (1 Peter 4:17,18.)  These are the sheep who make up the Lord’s true church today.  Billions of salvation seekers are in the Institutional (Catholic/Protestant) church.  As Jesus said, only a minutely few are true disciples.  Jesus continues: “Only he who does the will of My Father will enter in.”  These are His brethren and friends He talks about in Matthew 12:46-50 and John 15:13,14.  “MANY will say to me on that (judgment) day, ‘Lord, Lord, we have prophesied (preached) in Your name and in Your name have cast out devils and in Your name have done MANY WONDERFUL WORKS.’  And I will say to them, ‘I NEVER KNEW YOU, depart from Me, you who practice INIQUITY (Lawlessness).”  They will have produced fruit (appeared to be true disciples), but their fruit will have been bad.”

Let us make sure that our fruit is good–that we have believed and obeyed God’s Word.  As Peter said to Jesus: “ONLY YOU HAVE THE WORDS OF ETERNAL LIFE.”  Note it: ONLY OBEDIENCE TO HIS WORDS WILL RESULT IN SALVATION.  We cannot serve God (in holiness) and Satan (in sin).  As the Apostle John tells us, church sinners (DINO, VINO AND CINO–SSBG) are of the devil (1 Jn. 3:8).  Jesus addresses the modern Catholic/Protestant (Laodicean) Church System in Revelation 3:14-20.  We are living in the Laodicean (final) Age of this world.  L.J.