Sadly there are many false believers who will be expecting to go to Heaven and will be denied entrance. The best way to avoid being one is to make sure you have truly put your trust in Christ alone for salvation.
When you have repented and put your faith in Christ that will lead to a change of life. Follow God and educate yourself with his Word.
Many people follow false teachings from the Bible given by false preachers or they just refuse to obey instructions from God and follow their own minds.
There are many people who throw on the Christian name tag and think by just going to church they will be granted Heaven, which is false. You know there are people like that in your church and especially in the youth today.
You know there are people still having sex outside of marriage, still going to clubs, they still have a continuous willful potty mouth. Hell will be worse for these people than atheists. They are just Sunday Christians and they don’t care about Christ. Am I saying that a Christian is perfect? No. Can a Christian backslide? Yes, but there will be growth and maturity in a true believers life because it is God working in them. They won’t just remain in darkness if they are the Lord’s sheep because God will discipline them and also His sheep hear His voice.
Beware there are many. 1. Matthew 15:8 These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 2. Isaiah 29:13 And so the Lord says, “These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. And their worship of me is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote. 3. James 1:26 If a person thinks that he is religious but can’t control his tongue, he is fooling himself. That person’s religion is worthless. 4 1 John 2:9 Those who say that they are in the light but hate other believers are still in the dark. 5. Titus 1:16 They claim to know God, but they deny him by what they do. They are detestable, disobedient, and unfit to do anything good.
Table on Scriptures and Their Meanings Scripture Meaning Matthew 15:8 People may claim to honor God with their words, but their actions and thoughts may not truly reflect their heart. Isaiah 29:13 God sees through outward shows of worship and knows when people’s hearts are not truly devoted to Him. James 1:26 True religion involves more than just words; it requires self-control and actions that align with one’s beliefs. 1 John 2:9 Claiming to be in the light (following God) while harboring hate towards others indicates a lack of true spiritual understanding. Titus 1:16 Professing to know God but living in a way that contradicts His teachings makes one unworthy of claiming a relationship with Him.
What Does The Bible Say About Pretenders
In the Bible, there are numerous verses that warn us about the dangers of pretending or being hypocritical in our actions and words. Pretending to be something we are not goes against the teachings of God and can have serious consequences. Here are 12 Bible verses that address the issue of pretenders:
1. Matthew 23:27-28
“27 Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.”
2. Luke 12:1
“Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, saying: “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.”
3. Romans 12:9
“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.”
4. Galatians 6:7
“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.”
5. Proverbs 11:3
“The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.”
6. 1 Peter 2:1
“Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.”
7. Philippians 2:3
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.”
8. Matthew 6:16
“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.”
9. James 1:22
“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”
10. Colossians 3:9-10
“9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.”
By following these verses and living a life of authenticity and sincerity, we can avoid the pitfalls of pretending and hypocrisy. Let us strive to be genuine in our words and actions, reflecting the love and truth of God in all that we do.
Quotes
- Laurence J Peter – “Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than going to the garage makes you a car.”
- “Don’t let your lips and your lives preach two different messages.”
- “Your most powerful testimony is how you treat others after the church service is over.”
- “What a heartbreak it would be to live an “almost” Christian life, then “almost” get into heaven.”
Fake Christians sin on purpose saying, “I’ll just repent later” and disobey God’s teachings. Even though we are all sinners Christians don’t sin willfully and deliberately.
6. 1 John 2:4 Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person.
7. 1 John 3:6 Those who live in Christ don’t go on sinning. Those who go on sinning haven’t seen or known Christ.
8. 1 John 3:8-10 The person who practices sin belongs to the evil one, because the Devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason that the Son of God was revealed was to destroy what the Devil has been doing. No one who has been born from God practices sin, because God’s seed abides in him. Indeed, he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born from God. This is how God’s children and the Devil’s children are distinguished. No person who fails to practice righteousness and to love his brother is from God.
9. 3 John 1:11 Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.
10. Luke 6:46 Why do you call me Lord but don’t do what I tell you?
These people think there is another way to get into Heaven.
11. John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.“
True Christians have new affections and love Jesus.
12. John 14:23-24 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.”
13. 1 John 2:3 We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands.
14. 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
They are hypocrites. Even though the Bible says we are to lovingly, kindly, and gently go to our brothers and sisters alone to correct them of their sins, how can you do that, but you’re doing the same thing as them just as much or even more than them? People who do things for show such as give to the poor and other acts of kindness to be seen by others are also hypocrites.
15. Matthew 7:3-5 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
16. Matthew 6:1-2 Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.
17. Matthew 12:34 You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.
They will not enter into Heaven. False converts will be denied.
18. Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
19. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
20. Revelation 22:15 Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
Fake Christians are false preachers and false prophets just like the cast of Preachers of LA.
21. 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.
22. Jude 1:4 For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
23. 2 Peter 2:1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
24. Romans 16:18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.
Reminder
25. 2 Timothy 4:3-4 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.
Bible Verse About Pretending To Be Good
The Dangers of Pretending to be Good in the Bible
In the Bible, there are several verses that warn against pretending to be good. The act of pretending to be good can often lead to hypocrisy, deceit, and ultimately separation from God. Here are 10 Bible verses that highlight the dangers of pretending to be good:
1. Matthew 23:27-28 (NIV)
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.”
2. Proverbs 26:24-26 (NIV)
“Enemies disguise themselves with their lips, but in their hearts they harbor deceit. Though their speech is charming, do not believe them, for seven abominations fill their hearts.”
3. Romans 12:9 (NIV)
“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.”
4. Galatians 6:3-4 (NIV)
“If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else.”
5. Proverbs 28:13 (NIV)
“Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.”
6. 2 Timothy 3:5 (NIV)
“Having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.”
7. Matthew 6:1-2 (NIV)
“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others.”
8. Luke 12:1 (NIV)
“Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.”
9. James 2:14-17 (NIV)
“What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?”
10. Proverbs 12:22 (NIV)
“The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy.”
11. Luke 18:9-14 (NIV)
“To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: ‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'”
Conclusion
In conclusion, pretending to be good is a dangerous practice that can lead to hypocrisy and deceit. It is important to be sincere in our actions and to avoid the trap of trying to appear righteous on the outside while harboring wickedness on the inside. Let us strive to live a life of authenticity and integrity, seeking to please God rather than man.