SPIRITUAL CONVERSION, OR  SPIRITUAL PERVERSION?

Have you ever even once questioned your "spiritual" conversion, to determine if it is really of Christ, or of  man?    Is your growth of a good seed, or a tare?

        Have you been spiritually converted to a heart that is led by the Power of the Spirit of Christ, or have you been "spiritually" converted, to follow the perversion of Satan, and his power of his spirit in men? Are you in the understanding of Christ's parable in the sowing of seed, God's wheat, His good seed, or a product of  Satan's tares?  Are you sure you know the difference between these 2 ways of developing growth in confessed believers? Christ said in Mat. 13:30, "Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, gather you together first the tares, and bind them in bundles  (church groups  being led to be tied to each other by the arm of flesh, not God's Spirit) to burn them (God's refining fire): but gather the wheat  into my barn," (God's place for safe keeping).

       As God's good seed, is it your earnest desire to be completely converted in your heart and mind, to be  led by God's Spirit, 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. Study I John 3:9-10, in relation with Eph.5:27. Are these verses representative of your life, or is your life's growth representative of accepting the perverted, spiritual teaching of Satan and his servants, that you as a believer, will always have spots and blemishes? This is a perverted teaching  of Satan and  his servants, who teach that you, as a believer, will always have sin, and commit sin, and this is all because of  their mis-interpreting Scriptures such as Rom. 7:14-25 and I John 1:5-10. They teach that you, as a member of God's Church, will always be a sinner, who is awaiting the resurrection, when Christ at that time will change, or convert, your fleshly heart and mind to spirit, that will not sin, and only at that time will you not sin. This is not the way of fruit bearing,  produced from true spiritual conversion, but  the fleshly growth of a fruitless tare, that perverts the way and power of the God's Holy Spirit, and the Word of Jesus Christ.

Has your fellowship and associations with the "one and only, self-acclaimed, exclusive, confessed, and proclaimed to be 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 to be, by a diligent and thorough study, what exactly and correctly Christ  and His Word really does say and teach, about spiritual growth, as it pertains to Christ's vital doctrine of true, spiritual conversion, and perfection in the Spirit?

         Satan's tactics from the very beginning, has 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  his spiritual operation, to overthrow your faith, and trust in Jesus Christ! This is the sowing of a tare.

        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, regardless of the type of fellowship, because of Heb. 10:25, that is 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. It was not to be for a divided fellowship, without God's Spirit involved, without the Spirit motivating the fellowship, and  it was not to be a fellowship that accepts false and perverted doctrines among themselves, and  in most cases, people being ignorant and not knowing the difference, II Tim. 4: 2-4, I John 1:6.

I John 1:6--If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness (living and fellowshipping in the things of the flesh and sins of the flesh), we lie, and do not the truth.

        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. Church people have come to believe that fellowship means only assembling in large groups as social clubs, and that a very small group of 2 or 3 meeting on the Sabbath  in the Name of Christ in one's house, cannot be defined as fellowship, even though Jesus Christ says, "He is in their midst." Christ says in Mat. 18:20, "For where two or three are gathered together (for fellowship, Bible study service or decision making) in my Name, there am I in the midst of them." Most people do not believe that verse. People meeting in large groups for fellowship and service, can have a more deceiving  and leavening effect by the power of numbers, if it is not being led by the Spirit and love and leadership of Jesus Christ. People tend to follow and believe what the majority are doing and believing, even if they are not being led by the Spirit of Christ.

       Satan's diversion tactic has been to continue to keep the brethren bombarded with foodless tapes and foodless materials,  activities of all kinds,  spiritless fellowships to waste their time, and through this diversion tactic, keeps the brethren  from personal study of God's Word, fellowshipping in God's Word, and the  forming and internalizing of Christ in them, through His Spirit, to become spiritually converted. Satan and his ministers'  tactics is to keep you from the study of Christ's Word, and by this diversion, keep you ignorant of the Scriptures. By these tactics of theirs, they have you where they want you "in their power," submitting to them, instead of Christ. This diversion tactic of Satan,  can continue in church fellowship, with amusing and entertaining, foodless stories, boring sermons and joke-telling sermons. All of this diversion is to keep your mind away from your purpose to develop, to grow and to mature spiritually, in order to inherit God's Kingdom. Satan's ministers are tares, and they want you to grow up as a fruitless TARE.

        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, that is motivated and powered by God's Spirit. This is  accomplished by having God's law completely written in one's heart, by the power and indwelling of Christ's Spirit. By this,  one's heart is converted to the spirit, and 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, by their teaching and perverting many of Christ's doctrines.

        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 not only sexual relationships, but all 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, which is the  true focus of Christ's teaching  as Lord and Savior, and instead have raised up, exalted and proclaimed "another gospel," the "gospel of church government," that they say relates to the "coming government of God." Or, as it is in today's  Christianity, they have perverted the name of Christ, they have raised up "another christ," thereby perverting  all that the true Christ, and His message represents. This is not only examples of perversion, but  it is subversive, and divisive as well. It is the sowing and growth of tares. By diverting one's attention away from Jesus Christ, and to "their church governmental organization," one minimizes Christ's Name, His authority, His teachings and  the forming of Him in them, which produces true, spiritual conversion. All of this minimizes Christ's power of His Spirit, to help one work out his own salvation, in overcoming sin, and enduring to the end. God commands us to "be strong in Christ, and in the power of His might," Eph.6:10-18.

    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 an experience that does not bear the fruit based on a true, Godly repentance, and real lifetime change, and development of the spirit of God in them. They,  both of these groups,  either teach that this important teaching of Christ's is not about spiritual conversion, and growing to spiritual maturity  and perfection in the heart and mind of a believer, but a bodily change to spirit, and perfection in the believer 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. If one is waiting on the resurrection to be born  of the Spirit it will be too late. Study John 3 and I John 3, because they 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 pertains to 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. Today the churches of God preach another gospel, and pervert the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

       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, as a good seed, by totally being led by Christ and His indwelling spirit, and the second way is of Satan's spirit, that leads members to be sown as tares, and 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, and their gospels 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 from His body, by being separated from His true way of Spiritual growth in His spirit, to become spiritually converted. I John 3:7-10 tells how the born again sons of God and the children of Satan, his tares, are manifested.

       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  His Gospel of 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  of God's Word 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, lacking the water of God's Spirit to grow, Ps. 1:3-4, John 4:14.

        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, personal pleasures, church activities, and etc., that  no room,  or place is left in one's life for Jesus Christ and the growth of His Spirit. In other words, Christ is crowded out from dwelling there, to convert and inspire their spiritual growth, Rev. 3:20.  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 that represents conversion, of Gal. 5:21, were dried up, and did not mature, and were not perfected.

        Christ continues with a like parable of sowing good seed in a field and its relating to the kingdom of God in Mat. 13:24. Once again, Satan is there sowing his tares among the good seed in  the field, that becomes the church of God's Kingdom. At first, there is not much difference in how they, both the good seed and the tare, look in appearance. Satan  and his ministers did their sowing while the church was asleep, in the sense of the church not being spiritually  and scripturally aware and awake of what was being said, and what was preached as the gospel for  true conversion. All of this confused people to what was real, spiritual growth, and its difference from the fruitless growth of a  tare. Christ told His servants to let them both grow together until the harvest. Why at harvest? Because at the harvest the fruit of their life, (appearance) and work will be manifested, determining which is the wheat, and which are the tares, I John 3:6-10.

       Christ will then command His reapers, His Angels, to gather the tares and bind them in bundles. These are church groups tied together, not by the Spirit of Christ, but by their loyalty to the arm of flesh of men, and their trust and faith in men, and not by faith in Jesus Christ. Christ said He will burn them in His fire, His refining fire, Mal. 3:2-3, I Cor. 3:13. At that time, Christ will gather  the good seed into His barn, His place for safe keeping, where they will be nourished for 3 and 1/2 years. Are we now at, and in the time of the harvest? Examine all the binding that  is taking place in the churches, and who  is at the head of all those church bindings. Is it of man or Christ? Christ says in Mat. 13: 41-42,  "The Son of man shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom (His church) all things (Christ professing ministers and members living and teaching spiritual perversion) that offend (causing members to sin by causing them to stumble at the law; to compromise His Sabbath by asking people to work for them on the Sabbath, ministers giving license to commit adultery, who follow the deception of idolatry, and covet the ways of the flesh; teachers who stumble at the gospel, perverting the gospel, and  perverting true spiritual conversion of being born again now), which do iniquity; verse 42, And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth."

      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 through His Spirit. Christ was not growing in them as good seed, and they were without 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  focus of the Gospel. The Word says, 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 will realize they really have 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. Why? They never once questioned their Spiritual conversion.

        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 sequence 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 and 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? Because Christ did not know them!

      These were the foolish virgins, the other group of the church, that were not growing in spiritual conversion, but the way of  a spiritual perversion, as a tare,  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 be perfected spiritually, to  be a new creature, to come to have a spiritual heart and mind, guided by Christ as their Head, before the resurrection.  The resurrection will not convert the heart and mind of a believer!  It must be converted to the Spirit now in this life, or there is no life. 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 were deceived! 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. Their growth in the Spirit was put on hold! This is the fruitless mindset of a tare! Read and study I John 2:27-29 with I John 3:1-10.

          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, money and the  church tithes, and the pursuit of the flesh and all its pleasures, or the pursuit of office, position or 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 being true spiritual 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 spirit), 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  of family and brethren rejection) that you may be rich (spiritually reborn); 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 embarrassed), 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,  to see and discern His Word). Study Ps. 51. Christ says, "He is standing at the door and knocking,"  Rev. 3:20. Are you listening?????

       Study  this Scripture, II Cor. 13:5, " Examine yourselves, whether you be in the faith (growing in spiritual conversion); prove your own selves (validate your conversion with the fruit of the spirit). Know you not your own selves (you should know by Scriptures), How that (if) Jesus Christ is (not) in you, you are a reprobate?" A reprobate is someone rejected and unapproved by Jesus Christ! Are you sure you are approved  and are spiritually converted by Jesus Christ or are you still following men and their fleshly perverted ways?