the Third Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
Grace for Today
John 2:23-24
False faith
Read Matthew 7:13-27
A false faith can do many things and produce many things, which make it hard to detect. A false faith can experience deep conviction for sin like Judas. It can tremble at the Word of God like Felix. It can repent like Esau. It can obtain high office in the church like Judas, Diotrephes and Demas. A false faith can speak well of Christ: ‘Never a man spake like this man.’ It can experience deep religious emotions like the stony-ground hearers. It can diligently perform religious works like the Pharisees. A false faith can even preach the gospel, perform miracles, cast out demons and persevere to the end (Matthew 7:22-23). But, as I read the Word of God, I see that there are three things that a false faith can never do.
1. A false faith can never produce a heart broken over sin (Psalms 51). It can offer sacrifices to try to appease God for sin. It can do good works to try to make up for sin. It can even confess sin. But, ‘The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.’ Such brokenness and humility, because of inbred sin, a false faith cannot produce.
2. A false faith cannot rest in Christ alone as the way, the truth and the life (1 Corinthians 1:30-31). True faith relies upon Christ alone for salvation. When I say that Christ alone is my Savior, I mean that he is all my redemption and cleansing, all my justification and sanctification, all my righteousness and holiness, all my pardon and forgiveness, all my glory and desire, all my hope and reward. But a false faith must mix in human merit with the merits of Christ, free will with free grace and man’s works with the work of Christ.
3. A false faith cannot and will not submit to the lordship of Christ (Matthew 6:24). We cannot perfectly submit to Christ because of our sin. We would if we could, but our sinful nature prohibits us. But all who have a true faith in the Son of God submit to Christ totally. We bow to his sovereign lordship whole-heartedly. Christ alone is our rightful Lord. He has a rightful claim upon all that we are and all that we possess. Where there is no submission in the heart, there is no faith in the heart.
