The Mask Of Spirituality – A Monster In Disguise
2 Cor. 11:14 (KJV)
And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
Credentials of genuineness… Do you have them, dear lady? Men, women, and children work to disguise themselves as having pure hearts and motives in all their purposes, and in this activity believers follow suit to Satan. But no matter how successful you might be at impressing mankind with your supposed saintliness, you can’t fool God! He sees the sinful monster within us… The Lord, through His Word, exposes any mask of holiness we might be sporting and insists that we clean our insides first before we try to classify ourselves as righteous. If you don’t, or you haven’t, then God says you are a hypocrite. This year Halloween falls on a Sunday – will you be attending church all dressed up as a virtuous woman?
Luke 11:39 (KJV)
And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside
of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and
wickedness.
Matthew 23:26 (KJV)
Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter,
that the outside of them may be clean also.
Ladies, if you want to display yourself as a true saint, then you better have truly saintly desires! Your Christianity need not be a masquerade and the church ought to be more than a place that simply hosts a masquerade ball for Pharisees. It is interesting to me that on Halloween the world takes pleasure in dressing up in scary costumes, yet Satan takes pleasure in dressing up in holy disquises. Keeping that fact in mind, we should endeavor to make our Christian credentials genuine and of a truth! Incidentally, what really lays behind your mask, dear lady? Are you trying to impersonate an angel of light, with a heart full of wickedness? Is your attitude predatory in nature? What type of Christian image have you selected for yourself to cover up your true condition? Does your spirit bear the image of a trick or a treat? How would God answer these questions?
Matthew 23:5 (KJV)
But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their
phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,
Ezekiel 33:31 (KJV)
And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee
as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for
with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their
covetousness.
There is no doubt about it; Halloween would be the favorite holiday of Pharisees because they love wearing religious costumes, yet they seek only outward purity! The problem is, pious impersonators imagine they are righteous all year long, not just one day… Their angelic disguise is extensive in nature and quite impressive to the unsuspecting. It even comes complete with an air of superiority. However, Pharisees are professors of the faith, but not true practicers. They pretend friendship when mischief lies in their hearts… They’ll congratulate you, but grieve at your good welfare. They’ll give you compliments they don’t believe and backbite you in another setting. They make promises they never intend to perform. They make a boast of God with their lips, but there is no real heart for the Lord beneath their mask of virtue… What hypocrites don’t realize is that the people they’ve tricked the most are themselves!
2 Tim. 3:5 (KJV)
Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn
away.
When Christians are truly growing in the Word, they are peacemakers, not troublemakers. They promote unity in the church and don’t terrorize the brethren. If you detect two-faced persons in your assembly, scripture teaches that we should turn away from those who sport a form of godliness but own no power of God. They are monsters in disguise; their spirit is damaging to the body of Christ and the Lord says their company is to be abandoned!
Titus 1:16 (KJV)
They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable,
and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
Are you familiar with anyone who carries a disposition of darkness? Have you been exposed to persons whose works prove their faith is destitute of any real credibility? How about YOU, dear lady? We are quick to give titles to other people, but let’s look long and hard at our own testimony first! Are you giving full proof of your alleged relationship with the Lord? Do you faithfully submit to authority or fall short of every command? Do you do what God requires with the obedience of faith? Do your manners betray the Lord or portray Him? Would you pass the test of professing and practicing?
1 Peter 1:25 –1 Peter 2:2 (KJV)
But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which
by the gospel is preached unto you. Wherefore laying aside all malice,
and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As
newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
Ladies, there is no Christian growth where there is hypocrisy. Fake virtue must be laid aside in order for true spirituality to develop! Why not take off your religious facade and wear real holiness!! If you don’t get rid of your concealing outfit, the Word of God is blocked in your life and you will not profit spiritually - and that’s how the devil plays a trick on YOU! Your best costume is not good enough for God; He is not pleased unless we are wearing the image and likeness of Jesus Christ.
Luke 12:2 (KJV)
For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid,
that shall not be known.
Let this truth be a caution today against hypocrisy. If you are faking your close association with the Lord, sooner or later your real status will be known. One day God will bring every secret thing out into the open, and every work into judgment. The day is coming when hypocrites will be stripped of their fig leaves and the truth will come out. BUT, sincere believers, who are not deceptive in nature, should have nothing to hide and nothing to fear. For those who bear true holiness, that day will be a treat, and the rest will see they were tricked into wearing a costume designed by the devil. There should be no secrets to our Christianity, dear lady. God’s children should make the Lord known to the world; to keep the lost from being terrorized by hell and all it’s forces. Ladies, we can’t do that unless we bear the image of Jesus Christ; are you sure that’s whom you’ve been emulating? Or are you a monster in disguise? Better check to see that you are wearing the right witness!
1 Peter 2:15-16 (KJV)
For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence
the ignorance of foolish men: [16] As free, and not using your liberty
for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.
God Bless,
Pam
Isaiah 60:1&2
Copyright 2004 Pamela A. Iannello
