Chapter 106

End Time Religion:

Fake Love

Back home from college for a family visit, I told my high school best friend about my great interest in Margie Brown. Then he asked, “But how do you know you love her?”

I hadn’t thought about that. It seemed like a Hollywood test question, like from a movie. How do I know that I love her?

After some consideration I concluded –

I could spend my life with Margie, or without her. Those were the only two options.

Spending my life without her?

Well, I couldn’t stand that idea. I spent all the spare time with her that I could, and when I was not with her I was thinking about her. So what I most wanted to do was to spend my whole life with her. That was the only good option.

I reckoned I loved her.

The following decades have proven that to be mutual true love. Hollywood love as portrayed in movies is feel-good fake love, more for show than go. The world today is full of fake love.

The Corinth assembly was the epitome of fake love. They were tolerant, inclusive – and hard hearted. Christian congregations can learn much from them, about what real love is.

1Cor 5
1) It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles, that one has his father’s wife.
2) You are puffed up, and didn’t rather mourn, that he who had done this deed might be removed from among you.
3) For I most certainly, as being absent in body but present in spirit, have already, as though I were present, judged him who has done this thing.
4) In the name of our Lord Yeshua Christ, you being gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Yeshua Christ,
5) are to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Yeshua.
6) Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole lump?

In Corinth, a man was adulterizing with his father’s wife. His step-mother.

As you might expect, God forbids lying with your stepmother.

Lev 18
8) “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife: it is your father’s nakedness.

Deut 22
30) A man shall not take his father’s wife, and shall not uncover his father’s skirt.

This sin was so perverse that even the Gentiles considered it –

Perverse.

“The ancient Roman writer and statesman Cicero said this type of incest was an incredible crime and practically unheard of…” Guzik’s Commentary, 1 Cor 5:1.

Step-mother adultery was a sin that even Gentiles wouldn’t tolerate. So if God doesn’t tolerate that sin, and if the Gentiles wouldn’t tolerate it, then who would tolerate it?

The Corinthian Christians.

To corinthianize is, from Collins English Dictionary, “to live a promiscuous life.” In other words, to corinthianize is to live like somebody from Corinth.

[I]ts reputation for moral corruption made the “Corinthian life” synonymous with luxury and licentiousness, its pretensions to philosophy and literary culture made the phrase “Corinthian words” a token of polished and cultivated speech;
https://zondervanacademic.com/blog/what-was-the-city-and-church-of-corinth-like-an-excerpt-from-ralph-martins-2-corinthians-wbc

“Corinthian words” meant sophisticated speaking and “Corinthian life” meant back alley morals. So while the Corinthian congregation allowed penultimate perversity, they made it sound real good.

Much as mainline churches do today – sophisticated sinning. They approve sin with eloquent words of “wokeness”.

Amazingly, it seems there was nobody in the Corinth congregation who condemned the sin. Apparently, they all approved what was going on. Not only did they approve the sin, they boasted about approving it.

How could they boast about that? What was their thinking?

Surely they bragged about how accepting and loving they were!

Just like liberals do today. Will wonders never cease?

You see, even though that was nearly two thousand years ago in Greece, human nature is still the same; and God’s Commandments are still the same. So all through time, when people disobey those Commandments, they try to make themselves feel good about it.

As Corinth did – “you are inflated with pride…Your boasting is not good,” Lexham English Bible, 1 Cor 5:2, 6.

How about today’s churches? How about Joe and Nancy?

Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi regularly take communion in their Roman Catholic Churches. Yet every day of their lives they stand for abortion, for sexual perversity and against marriage. They totally contradict their church. So why are they allowed to take part in what is considered the most holy part of the RCC service?

Because of the old Corinthian Christian attitude.

How about that? The Church of Rome is actually from Corinth.

No matter how evil Joe and Nancy are, the Roman church allows them to be a central part of their church. Why do they do that? Because they “love” Joe and Nancy. Just as the Corinth Christians loved the guy that Paul said to send to Satan.

Don’t most Protestant churches today do the same thing? Don’t almost all churches have people in their congregations who believe that to love someone you must approve their sins? That God is approachable, not reproaching; inclusive, not excluding anyone; and all loving, but never correcting.

The tolerance, diversity and inclusive movement in the western world today is just a natural extension of the modern Christian approach to God. That approach says God is love, and to refuse to accept a sinning sinner is to hate him. If you don’t approve a sinner’s sins, you’re a hater. Haven’t you talked with Christians who argue that people who live perverse lives were “just born that way?”

Congregations and individuals who oppose opposing sin consider themselves to be paragons of love. And in a way they are paragons of love –

Self-love.

As in Corinth, they puff themselves up by their love-without-limit posturing. Plus by not opposing sin, and this is a big point, they do not put their social standing at risk.

Amos 5
10) They hate him who reproves in the gate, and they abhor him who speaks blamelessly.

Lot was abhorred when he told the people of Sodom not “to act so wickedly”.

Gen 19
9) They said, “Stand back!” Then they said, “This one fellow [Lot] came in to live as a foreigner, and he appoints himself a judge. Now will we deal worse with you, than with them!” They pressed hard on the man Lot, and drew near to break the door.

To the liberals, in Sodom, Lot was judgmental. Almost everybody unfriended him on Facebook.

The same will happen to any Christian who tells a sinner to repent and be renewed. And any congregation that follows Paul’s example with the step-mother lover will be vilified as unloving, judgmental and unchristian. Those who tolerate sin, as Corinth did, are considered the real Christians. Those who call for repentance are called haters.

Tolerating sin causes sin, whether in a congregation, in a person, or in yourself. As Paul wrote to Corinth, “a little leaven leavens the whole lump”. If they allow sin in their midst, their midst will begin sinning. Any sin they approve in others, they will approve in themselves.

That’s the reason Yahweh forbid Israel from mixing with the Canaanites.

Judg 2
1) The angel of Yahweh came up from Gilgal to Bochim. He said, “I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you to the land which I swore to your fathers; and I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you:
2) and you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall break down their altars.’ But you have not listened to my voice: why have you done this?
3) Therefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you.”

That was the angel of Yahweh who said that, the one who became the Messiah. He said the Canaanites Israel left in their midst would be a snare to them.

Indeed, Israel was snared by the evil in their midst.

Judg 2
11) The children of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and served the Baals;
12) and they forsook Yahweh, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed themselves down to them: and they provoked Yahweh to anger.
13) They forsook Yahweh, and served Baal and the Ashtaroth.

Wise Solomon was snared by tolerating evil in the wives he chose to marry.

1Kgs 11
1) Now king Solomon loved many foreign women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites;
2) of the nations concerning which Yahweh said to the children of Israel, “You shall not go among them, neither shall they come among you; for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods.” Solomon joined to these in love.
3) He had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart.
4) For it happened, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods; and his heart was not perfect with Yahweh his God, as was the heart of David his father.
5) For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.
6) Solomon did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and didn’t go fully after Yahweh, as did David his father.
7) Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, on the mountain that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the children of Ammon.
8) So he did for all his foreign wives, who burnt incense and sacrificed to their gods.

Apparently it took a while for Solomon to be snared, because it didn’t happen until he was old. But after so many years of tolerating evil in his heart, his heart became evil. Tolerating sin caused sin, not just in the tolerated – his pagan wives – but also in the tolerator – Solomon himself.

A Christian is not to marry an unbeliever.

2Cor 6
14) Don’t be unequally yoked with unbelievers, for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?
15) What agreement has Christ with Belial? Or what portion has a believer with an unbeliever?
16) What agreement has a temple of God with idols? For you are a temple of the living God. Even as God said, “I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”
17) Therefore, “‘Come out from among them, and be separate,’ says the Lord. ‘Touch no unclean thing. I will receive you.

A Christian is not to marry an unbeliever, to be snared in the unbeliever’s sin. Again, when you approve sin in others, you will accept it in yourself.

Right after Paul told Corinth to “Put away the wicked man from among yourselves,” in 1 Cor. 5:13, he strongly warned the whole congregation against sexual sins.

1Cor 6:15-18 (ISV)
15) You know that your bodies belong to the Messiah, don’t you? Should I take what belongs to the Messiah and unite them with a prostitute? Certainly not!
16) You know that the person who unites himself with a prostitute becomes one body with her, don’t you? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.”
17) But the person who unites himself with the Lord becomes one spirit with him.
18) Keep on running away from sexual immorality. Any other sin that a person commits is outside his body, but the person who sins sexually sins against his own body.

Paul told the Corinthian Christians themselves to flee sexual immorality. He wasn’t talking to the step-mother lover, because that guy was not going to be part of the group. Paul told the whole assembly not to get involved with prostitutes.

Why?

Tolerance of sin causes sin. From what Paul wrote, those inclusive tolerators in Corinth may have been involved in a little hanky-panky themselves.

That makes sense. If they were so tolerant of the step-mother lover, wouldn’t they be tolerant with themselves?

Tolerance of evil is the opposite of hating evil. The Bible tells us to hate evil.

Ps 97
10) You who love Yahweh, hate evil. He preserves the souls of his saints. He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.

Prov 8
13) The fear of Yahweh is to hate evil. I hate pride, arrogance, the evil way, and the perverse mouth.

Amos 5
15) Hate evil, love good, and establish justice in the courts…

God commands us to hate evil. King Jehoshaphat of Judah tolerated the evil that Ahab did.

Ahab was a Baal worshiper.

1Kgs 16
30) Ahab the son of Omri did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh above all that were before him.
31) It happened, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshiped him.
32) He reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria.
33) Ahab made the Asherah; and Ahab did yet more to provoke Yahweh, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him.

That was bad because Israel did not have any good kings before Ahab.

Jehoshaphat was the opposite of Ahab, a Yahweh fearing king who taught Judah to obey God. The good kings of Judah all had shortcomings. David fell short when he stole Bathsheba and killed Uriah. Uzziah wanted to take over the priesthood. Hezekiah lifted himself up before the Babylonians. What was Jehoshaphat’s big fault?

He was tolerant and inclusive.

The Bible simply says –

2Chr 18
1) Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance; and he joined affinity with Ahab.

Jehoshaphat was good buddies with Ahab. A God lover was good buddies with a God hater.

Jehoshaphat helped Ahab in a battle. Ahab, loving pagan that he was, set Jehoshaphat up to be killed, but he himself was killed. After that the Bible says –

2Chr 19
1) Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned to his house in peace to Jerusalem.
2) Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to king Jehoshaphat, “Should you help the wicked, and love those who hate Yahweh? Because of this, wrath is on you from before Yahweh.

Should you help the wicked?

Helping the wicked sin brings God’s wrath on you. Approving a sinner’s sin is helping him sin, but is hurting him.

Ahab was not rebuked by Jehoshaphat, and Ahab died. The Corinthian step-mother lover was rebuked and he repented, as Paul wrote later. Now which of those, Jehoshaphat or Paul, was showing love to the sinner?

The great problem with tolerating sin is that the unrepentant sinner pays the ultimate price.

1Cor 6
9) Or don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexuals,
10) nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor extortioners, will inherit the Kingdom of God.

That list of people who will not be allowed into the Kingdom of God is a list of “Progressive” causes! Sexually immoral? Adulterers? With sexual freedom, there is no such thing. Homosexuals? That word itself is a modern creation to equate them with heterosexuals. Thieves? Progressives believe that crime is caused by the police. Drunkards? Alcohol addiction is a disease, not a sin.

“Progressives” tolerate all those people, but all those people will not be tolerated in the Kingdom of God. Those who don’t repent of sin will have to pay for it.

The Corinth group had the same attitude as today’s diversity and inclusion movement – that to love someone is to approve what he does, whatever it is. This attitude now infects most churches, to a more or less degree. To kick Joe and Nancy out of the congregation is not loving them, they think. How can the church love them if they’re not in their congregation?

In sum, to love a sinner, you must approve his sin. That is lawless love. It does not show love to God and it does not show love to the sinner.

Actually, that’s not love at all. That is hate.

Notice these details that Yahweh gave Israel about how to love a brother.

Lev 19
9) “‘When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field, neither shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest.
10) You shall not glean your vineyard, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and for the foreigner. I am Yahweh your God.
11) “‘You shall not steal. “‘You shall not lie. “‘You shall not deceive one another.
12) “‘You shall not swear by my name falsely, and profane the name of your God. I am Yahweh.
13) “‘You shall not oppress your neighbor, nor rob him. “‘The wages of a hired servant shall not remain with you all night until the morning.
14) “‘You shall not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind; but you shall fear your God. I am Yahweh.
15) “‘You shall do no injustice in judgment: you shall not be partial to the poor, nor show favoritism to the great; but you shall judge your neighbor in righteousness.
16) “‘You shall not go up and down as a slanderer among your people. “‘You shall not endanger the life of your neighbor. I am Yahweh.

All those are detailed commands of kindness. Leave some of your harvest in your field, for people like Ruth. Don’t rob your neighbor, even if you can. Don’t curse the deaf and for goodness sake, don’t trip the blind.

And then, in the next verse, what else is included in these commands of kindness?

17) “‘You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him.

Tolerance of sin is “loving” your brother to death. Rebuking sin is loving your neighbor as yourself, as the next verse concludes.

18) “‘You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people; but you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am Yahweh.

Repeat – Rebuking a sinner is loving your neighbor as yourself. Accepting and approving someone’s sin, whoever it is, is hating your brother.

Rebuking is a strong word. What does it mean? It simply means to tell the sinner to stop sinning. Christ spent three and a half years doing that, giving examples of how to do it. Paul showed us how a congregation should do it, in his letter to Corinth when he commanded them that they –

1Cor 5
5) are to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Yeshua.

And if there were any other adulterers in the Corinth group, or any who still followed pagan worship practices, or any alcoholics, or any extortioners (probably usury) –

They weren’t even to eat with such a person.

1Cor 5
11) But as it is, I wrote to you not to associate with anyone who is called a brother who is a sexual sinner, or covetous, or an idolater, or a slanderer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner. Don’t even eat with such a person.

One of the great Christian responsibilities for assemblies and individual Christians is to warn the wicked. Point out sin. Tell the sinner to stop sinning.

An elder is to reprove and rebuke.

2Tim 4
2) preach the word; be urgent in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with all patience and teaching.

Any congregation that does not do that, any congregation whose elders do not do that, either is not or will not be the flock of Christ.

Ezekiel was twice warned about warning the wicked, in Ezekiel 3 and 33.

Ezek 33
8) When I tell the wicked, O wicked man, you shall surely die, and you don’t speak to warn the wicked from his way; that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at your hand.
9) Nevertheless, if you warn the wicked of his way to turn from it, and he doesn’t turn from his way; he shall die in his iniquity, but you have delivered your soul.
10) You, son of man, tell the house of Israel: Thus you speak, saying, Our transgressions and our sins are on us, and we pine away in them; how then can we live?
11) Tell them, As I live, says the Lord Yahweh, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn, turn from your evil ways; for why will you die, house of Israel?

Why warn the wicked? To get the wicked to “turn from his way and live.”

Fake love is approving a brother’s sin. That’s what Satan wants. That is the way of death.

God’s love is rebuking a brother’s sin, to point him to repentance. That is God’s way. That is the way of life.

Tolerant people, those who make such a show of showing love, don’t really care if a person repents or not. That is the bottom line. For all they care, the sinner can go to Gehinner.

Sin tolerators are far more concerned with their social standing that with the sinner’s ultimate fate.

In the chapter on Ananias and Sapphira, we asked how many churches think that God did the right thing with those two sinners?

In the same way, how many of today’s churches would do what Paul did with the Corinthians? Will they turn flagrant sinners over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh and saving of the spirit? Or will they just tell them to take a seat right next to Joe and Nancy?

The common refrain today, when faced with ungodly sin in arrogant, unrepentant, progressive sinners is –

We’re all sinners. So since we’re all sinners anyway, what they’re doing is acceptable. If you haven’t heard that, you will.

Repeat – any congregation that does not rebuke sin – which is breaking the Ten Commandments – either is not or will not be the flock of Christ.

The tolerance, diversity and inclusive movement is straight from the mind of Satan, it is sweeping the modern world, and the result as shown in modern America is unfettered sin. America’s churches are filling up with Joes and Nancys.

End time religion prides itself on love – fake love, self-love, lawless love. To ignore an unrepentant sinner sinning himself to death is not love. Even at cost to yourself, as when Lot was abhorred, love must rebuke.

Think of it this way. When someone is in a house fire, should you tell him what a good guy he is, or should you tell him to run out of the house?

Rom 12
9) Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor that which is evil. Cling to that which is good.

That’s very clear. Love that does not abhor evil is hypocrisy. It’s actually hating your brother in your heart.

The Corinth assembly was the epitome of fake love. They were tolerant and inclusive – and hard hearted. Christian congregations can learn much from them, about what real love is. One of the major campaigns of the elitists today is “tolerance and diversity”. This is just Satan’s end time campaign to get the world to accept, approve and practice the breaking of God’s Commandments. Expect it all around you, and reject it.

Worldly love does not hate evil.

The love of the world is to love evil.

Worldly love is Commandment breaking.

To love God is to hate evil.

The love of God is obeying His Commandments.

The love of God seeks repentance and life.