Who is the enemy of the cross?
When I awoke this morning the scripture about the enemy of the cross came into my mind and I desired to know what people Paul the Apostle was speaking of. This is the scripture I was thinking of; for many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, Philippians 3: 18 NASB
The Lord revealed to me through my meditation the true meaning of this scripture and it is backed up by Jesus himself and confirmed by Paul in the Book of Galatians, concerning those whose actions and works caused Paul to weep. The enemy of the cross is the Religion of man. It is the work of Satan’s deception through man.They take the truth of God’s word and use it to promote a Religion that looks like the real thing but is false! The method they use is the twisting of scripture and the Law given through the commandments of men. Their works produce a self-righteousness of the followers that results in their judgments and condemnation of others. Was it not the self-righteous Scribes and Pharisees who were always plotting against Jesus waiting to find a way to trip him up by setting up their traps, one being the woman caught in the very act of adultery? Who did our Lord condemn as blind leaders of the blind and children of their father the Devil? Who was Paul so infuriated at when he wrote to the Galatian Church, was it not the “Judaizes” who were Christians (Jews) who embraced both Jesus and the Law of Moses. So even to this day the real enemy of the cross is the false Religion of man but how many today even among believers recognize the true from the false? Because Satan transforms himself into an Angle of light using great deception so it can be difficult indeed. When Jesus began his ministry do you think the people looked at the Scribes and Pharisees the same way he did, no, they could not see the evil and darkness in them that our Lord clearly saw. So, even today many Christians do not see what has crept into many Churches which is the Law, legalism the commandments of men. The end results are the same as those that happened in the Galatian Church, believers were deceived, falling from grace into law and bondage. It has been perpetrated to greater results through the TV ministries today. They produce only feel good experiences and have no room for repentance towards God. They keep their captive audiences mesmerized through great swelling words, promises of health, wealth and happiness. It is not strange that they seem not to suffer much adversity but are like celebrities treated to interviews with the TV Anchors, could it be that Satan doesn’t have a problem with them? The Judaizes were sent by Satan to destroy the liberty the Galatians had in Christ and their only adversaries were Paul and the other believers who knew the truth. Paul wept because of these imposters and what they were doing to the believers by turning them from the grace of God to the bondage of Satan. Jesus said to follow him was to deny one’s self desires, take up the cross which means to bear his sufferings through persecutions, to put others before yourselfs. The enemies of the cross will have none of this; they feed their own lusts through the endless supply of money they extract from their followers, promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of sin. They hate grace, love the tithe, they think they are right with God through their own self-righteousness and* works as did the Pharisees whom Jesus rebuked for that saying that the Prostitutes would be in Heaven and they would not be. When you hear those windbags on TV promising all kinds of good things that seem great, remember that old saying; if it seems too good to be true, it usually isn’t!
*Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons, and in your name perform many miracles?’ Matthew 7:22 NASB.
Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who practice evil!'” Matthew 7:23 ISV.
Those scriptures should be a wakeup call to many as Jesus warned that MANY would come in his name and deceive many! If you notice that those deceivers say that they did all these works in his name but clearly they are false because the Lord rejects them and declares he NEVER knew them! It is opposite to what he says about those who belong to him; “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—John 10:14 NIV.
Keep your eyes on Jesus and the cross where our freedom was purchased and do not be entangled again through a self-righteousness which comes through the Law.
Author Ken
April 2014