Many profess the Christian religion, who are not really Christians!
They are strangers to the new birth.
They have never passed from death unto life.
Their opinions perhaps are changed, but their hearts remain just as they were.
Their lives may be moral, but their hearts are not spiritual.
They are enemies to God, though they profess to be His friends!
They are rebels against the government of Jesus, while they profess to be His loyal subjects.
Commending the Savior with their lips, they withhold their heart from Him.
In professing Christ, they cry, "Hosanna to the Son of David!"
But by living in sin, they cry, "Crucify Him, crucify Him!"
They are not struggling with sin but sternly attached to sin!
It is not weakness which causes their conduct, but inveterate wickedness!
They are hypocrites, that is, they wear a mask! They pretend to be what they well know they are not. With their mouths they show much love to Christ, but their hearts go after their lusts!
Reader, it is a dreadful thing to be a hypocrite;
to be found among the Lord's people, while not really of them;
to profess Christ, and not to possess Christ!
You may deceive men, but you cannot deceive God!
You may be bold and fearless now, but when God shall unmask you and expose the nakedness of your soul, then you will be afraid; fearfulness and trembling will seize upon you suddenly!
If you are indulging in any known sin, under a profession of religion then you are a 'sinner in Zion', and your state is most dangerous!
[James Smith]
Isaiah 33:14 ... The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? ❤
