SPIRITUAL CONVERSION OR PERVERSION

Have you ever even once questioned your "spiritual" conversion, to determine if it is really of Christ, or of  man?

        Have you been spiritually converted to a heart that is led by the spirit of God, or have you been "spiritually" converted, to follow the perversion of Satan, and his spirit  in men? Are you sure you know the difference between these 2 ways of developing growth in you as a believer? Is your earnest desire to be completely converted in your heart and mind, and to present yourself to Christ without spot or blemish? As the church submits to Christ, His command is "that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish," Eph. 5:27. Also study I John 3:9-10. Are these verses  your life, or is it a teaching of accepting the perverted, spiritual teaching of men that you as a believer, will always have spots and blemishes? This is a perverted teaching that teaches you will always have sin, and commit sin, because of mis-interpreting Rom. 7:14-25 and I John 1:5-10. And as a member of God's Church, you will always be a sinner that is awaiting the resurrection, when Christ at that time will change your fleshly heart and mind to spirit, and only at that time will you not sin. This is not the way of spiritual conversion, but perverting the way of the  Holy Spirit, and the Word of Christ.

         Has your fellowship and associations with the "one and only, self-acclaimed, exclusive, confessed, and proclaimed to be the true church(s) of God," been based upon what they have been teaching traditionally as the "plain truth doctrines," concerning conversion? Or, has it been based on what you have from God's Word proven, by  a diligent and thorough study of what exactly and correctly Christ  and His Word really does say and teach, about the very vital doctrine of true, spiritual conversion?

         Satan's tactics from the very beginning have always been to subvert, divert and pervert the teachings of Christ, and he does this through his instruments, his ministers, who  are believed and accepted, as ministers of light and truth, II Cor. 11: 13-15. One of Satan's tactics, as he works through his ministers, is to gain your faith and confidence in them, as God's proclaimers of truth and  light, and at the same time, overthrow and ruin your faith in Jesus Christ and His spirit, as the real Proclaimer and Giver of truth and light. They do this by de-emphasizing Jesus Christ as the Gospel, and greatly emphasize government  by men as the gospel, as it pertains to the "coming government of God," which causes  church members to look to men, as teaching the way of God, rather than Jesus Christ, and His Word. They teach that you need to look to them as God's revealers and teachers of His truth, in order to gain life, that you cannot understand and know what Christ is saying, by your personal reading and studying  of His Word, and God's Spirit teaching you, I John 2:27. By their leading you into this way of subversion, they de-emphasize the power of Jesus Christ working in you through His Holy Spirit, to understand His teaching, and doctrine. This is Satan's subversive tactic of spiritual operation, to overthrow your faith, to trust in Jesus Christ!

        In conjunction with this subversive tactic of Satan, he through his ministers, also uses his diversion tactics to keep your life filled with so many church activities and opportunities of spiritless fellowship, a spiritless fellowship held in the context of people only sharing and discussing the things of the flesh, and not the spiritual things of God. Members  are urged to feel that  they must  assemble and fellowship at all cost, because of Heb. 10:25, constantly  being quoted to them, reminding them  not to forsake the assembling of themselves together in fellowship and services. This is said also, without giving the meaning of the context  of this statement that it was made. The assembling together in fellowship, was said in context of  verse 24,  to stir  one another to love ,and good works-to grow spiritually and in verse 25, encouraging one another to keep the faith as you see the day (of the Lord) approaching, and not a divided fellowship, without God's spirit involved, and that accepts false and perverted doctrines  among themselves, and  in many cases not knowing the difference, II Tim. 4: 2-4, I John 1:6. 

        This kind of fellowship is nothing less than  a diversion to keep you from true fellowship with Jesus Christ and God, the Father, through their Spirit. Their diversion tactic continues with keeping the brethren bombarded with foodless tapes and foodless materials,  to waste their time and through this diversion tactic, keeps the brethren  from personal study of God's Word, and the internalizing of Christ in themselves, through His Spirit, to become spiritually converted. This diversion tactic of Satan  can continue with amusing and entertaining foodless stories and joke-telling sermons. All of this diversion is  to keep your mind away from your purpose to develope, to grow and to mature spiritually, in order to inherit God's Kingdom.

        Along with these subversive and diversion tactics, Satan also uses his perversion tactic. This  is the worst of all  of Satan's deceptions and spiritual warfare, whereas, his ministers pervert and corrupt one's desire to be spiritually converted,  by incorrectly teaching and incorrectly interpreting vital Scriptures and teachings of Christ, that stops, cuts short or greatly hinders  your desired spiritual development, to become a born again son of God, the Father, and Jesus Christ. This born again development, and growth in a member of God's church is the changing of a member's fleshly heart, to a spiritual heart and mind. This is having God's law completely written in one's heart, by the power and indwelling of Christ's Spirit. This heart that is converted to the spirit, will bear the fruit of "Love, Joy, Peace, Longsuffering, Gentleness, Goodness, Faith, Meekness, Temperance: against such there is no law," Gal. 5:22-23. This fruit bearing is what has been perverted by Satan's ministers, corrupting Christ's teaching, and His Word.

        Church members usually think of perversion only being associated with people perverting the God-ordained, and lawful sex act in marriage. However, the worst kind of perversion is taught by Satan's ministers, who pervert the teachings of Christ's Word. For example, Satan's ministers have perverted the very foundation of God's Word, the true Gospel of Jesus Christ, as Lord and Savior, and instead have raised up, exalted and proclaimed "another gospel," the "gospel of church government," as it relates to the "coming government of God," or as it is in today's Christianity, they have raised up "another christ," thereby perverting the true Christ, and His message.This is not only an example of perversion, but  it is subversive, and divisive as well. By diverting one's attention away from Jesus Christ, and to "their church governmental organization," one minimizes Christ's Name, His authority and His teachings of true, spiritual conversion,  by minimizing Christ's power of His Spirit, to help one work out his own salvation, by overcoming sin, and enduring to the end.

    These false ministers  have perverted Christ's teaching on being born again. How? By making all that Christ, Paul and all the apostles taught and said about how one must be born again, to inherit His Kingdom, to only mean the bodily change from a fleshly body, to a spiritual body, at the resurrection. Others of the professed Christian religion,  pervert this doctrine by teaching this is  a born again experience,  but that it is not based on a true Godly repentance, and real lifetime change, and development of the spirit of God in them. They  both either teach that this important teaching of Christ's is not about spiritual conversion, and growing to maturity in the Spirit, but a bodily change to spirit at the resurrection, or  that it is  in simple words, a shallow, religious experience! This is another example of their deception, that leads members away from a faith in true, spiritual conversion, but to a spiritual perversion, perverting the ways of God, to become a true, born again child, and son of the Father, before the resurrection. John 3 and I John 3 are in total harmony on this teaching and doctrine of Christ.

       In Acts 13:7-11, Paul here levels down on a perverter of the truth, who was seeking to turn away a potential member from the faith. Paul set his eye on him, V. 10, and said, "O full of all subtility and all mischief, you child of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? V. 11, "And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a season!"

       Another example of spiritual perversion was Paul's warning and correction to the church of God, found in Galations 1:6-10. Paul said, "He was amazed to find the church members so removed from the grace of Christ, (grace of Christ is Christ's Gospel, about God's favor of mercy and salvation) unto another gospel," and in verse 7,  "and would pervert the Gospel of Christ." Then Paul in verses 8-10 stated the punishment and curse for following "another gospel," or for adding to the Gospel of Christ, to pervert it.

       Jesus Christ makes a definite distinction between the two ways of development and growth in the church. Christ gives His Church a number of examples that identify these ways, and should cause church members to examine which of these two ways they are truly following. One  way is, the true spiritual way of growth of a child of God, where they are maturing spiritually, by totally being led by Christ and His indwelling spirit, and the second way is of Satan's spirit, that leads members into spiritual perversion, that deceives one into thinking he is growing by God's Spirit, but in reality, is being led by the deceptive spirit of Satan, that is joined with the fleshy mind of men. This second way of Satan and his ministers, perverts the true way of Christ, and leads believers to be divided from Christ, to be divided in His body, by being separated from His true way of Spiritual growth in His spirit, to become spiritually converted.

       In Matthew 13:3-23, Christ gives His church the parable of the sower and the seed, which is about the sowing of  seed, and this  seed is the Word of His Kingdom. This word is the message about Christ and salvation, as it relates to spiritual conversion. V. 15. As that seed falls, or as it is sown in the hearts of people, Satan, the wicked one, takes it away by his tactics of perversion. He perverts Christ's Word and the Gospel, by introducing the believers to "another gospel," which either adds to the Gospel of Christ, or takes away from His Gospel. Some that receive the seed are so shallow-minded, due to a lack of disciplined study of God's Word and way of life, that the  seed, the Word, and Gospel of Christ, cannot really take root in their heart, and thereby dries up.

        Then there are others that receive the word, who have so much going on in their lives with the cares of the family, worries over their paycheck, retirement, and etc., that little or no room is left for Jesus Christ and His Spirit. In other words, Christ is crowded out from dwelling there, to convert and inspire their spiritual growth, Rev. 3:20. Also Luke 8:14 says, because of their overly concern, for the "cares, riches and pleasures of life, they bring no fruit to perfection." All of these, pleasures, riches and cares of life, are more important than having Christ living in them, through His Spirit, and the exercising of the Spirit, to bring spiritual fruit to perfection. All of the fruits of the Spirit of conversion, of Gal. 5:21 were dried up, and did not mature.

      What is the end result of brethren following these two different ways of life? Christ answers it very simply in His parable of the 10 virgins. He says the church consists of wise and foolish virgins, who are awaiting His return. Virgins meaning, a maiden, or  one that has not come to be joined to other false religions, but confessing to be of Christ. However, a part of these confessing to be His church, the foolish virgins, are rejected, by the door being shut to them, of entering in with Him for the marriage preparations. Christ said the reason for this was because, "I KNOW YOU NOT!" He did not know them! It is a serious matter for Christ not to know you! In other words, Christ was not living in them, they were no doubt following "another gospel," that they put first in their  understanding, even though they acknowledged and had the testimony of Christ as Savior, Christ and His Gospel was not what they preached as the Gospel. Christ still rejects them, Mat. 25:11-12! This will no doubt bring on a weeping and gnashing of teeth, as an expression of how foolish they realize they really had been. They will at this time, recognize they have not been spiritually converted by Christ and His Spirit, but have been spiritually perverted by Satan and his ministers.

        Christ gives another example of this same situation, and the same, resulting rejection of church brethren, and it is found in Rev. 12:13-17. This happens without question, at the same time of the foolish virgins of Matthew 25:1-13. This is the time when Christ comes, or sends His angels to lead out His church for protection from the great trial and devastation, coming upon all the earth, Rev. 3:10. This woman, the church of Christ, consists of wise virgins that are led into the wilderness, where she is nourished and protected for 3 1/2 years. Satan tried to destroy them with a flood, but God protects the woman, and because of this, Satan is so provoked, he went to make war with the remainder of the church, who confess that they keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ, but were somehow not chosen by Christ, to be protected. Why not?

      These were the foolish virgins, the other group of the church that were not growing in spiritual conversion, but the way of perversion,  who were following not Christ and His Gospel, but "another gospel." They did not have Christ living in them, and so Christ did not know them, because they did not really understand true, spiritual conversion. The reason they did not understand was because they did not know they were to be born of the spirit now in this life, to come to have a spiritual heart and mind,  guided by Christ as their Head, before the resurrection. They had all their church life  been following not only "another gospel," of church government, but also a perverted teaching about Christ's teaching of being born again of the spirit, expecting not full spiritual conversion and spiritual development at this time in their life, but at the resurrection. They had been led to believe that complete spiritual conversion and maturity would come at the resurrection of the saints, when their fleshly body was changed to spirit. Read and study I John 2:29 with I John 3:9-10.

          These foolish members really had not been working on becoming without spot and blemish, becoming perfect in this life.  All through their life, they had been taught that full spiritual change in  their heart and mind would come at the resurrection. They had not been taking seriously their spiritual conversion. They thought they were converted,  even though their life revolved mainly around the flesh, the cares of the flesh, and the pursuit of the flesh, or the pursuit of office or position, of power in the church.  They really felt that had no need of any other spiritual knowledge and understanding, that they had all that was needed, and really did not believe Christ would reject them at His coming. They really believed they lived a pretty good life, and were contented with their "spiritual" life, and needed nothing else. They never saw a need to question their spiritual conversion, to determine whether it was of Christ, or of man, and his perverted ways of the flesh. They were completely satisfied, and contented with what they thought they had as conversion.

       Jesus Christ says in  Rev. 3:17, "Because you say, I am rich and increased with goods, (you have all the things needed that provide for your needs and pleasures of life in the flesh) and have need of nothing; (you see no need of the things of the spirit--true spiritual conversion), and you don't know that you are wretched, and miserable, and poor (great need of the riches of the spiritual), and blind (to your sins), and naked," (needing the white clothing of the true righteousness of Jesus Christ). Verse 18, "Jesus Christ counsels (warns and greatly desires) you to buy of me (do all that you can to truly  be spiritually converted to His Spirit, and His way of true righteousness) gold tried in the fire (growing in faith through the trials of persecution and brethren rejection) that you may be rich (spiritually); and white raiment, that  you may be clothed (that you may become without spot and blemishes) and that the shame of your nakedness does not appear (rejected by Christ at His coming and shamefully embrassed), and anoint your eyes with eye-salve, that that you may see." (Beseech God in earnest study and prayer to renew you with His Holy Spirit). Study Ps. 51. Christ says, "He is standing at the door and knocking,"  Rev. 3:20.