THE DISSEMBLERS OF MODERN CHRISTIANITY

"Judge me, O LORD; for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in the LORD; therefore I shall not slide. Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart. For thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes: and I have walked in thy truth.

I have not sat with vain persons, neither will I go in with dissembers. I have hated the congregation of evil doers; and will not sit with the wicked." Ps 26:1-5

Throughout the scriptures, the Spirit of Christ shows that God's Law and God's Grace are in perfect agreement. People of true faith walk in integrity as they obey the Commandments of God. Indeed, the scriptures teach that only when we walk in ALL the Commandments of God, do we walk in "thy truth" ...

"Thou art near, O LORD; and ALL THY COMMANDMENTS ARE TRUTH." Psalms 119:51

Jesus, the prophets, and the apostles agree that people EITHER obey all the commandments of God -- OR, they are wicked-evil-doers. So who is a dissembler?

DISSEMBLER: to hide under a false appearance. 2. to pretend: to disguise oneself to conceal ones motives. Deceive.

The Ten Commandments are truth. So, a dissembler will deceive by changing those words of God. For example: the hypocritical Pharisees ADDED the traditions of men to the Commandments of God; and Antinomian Churchmen DIMINISH the Commandments of God by saying: "under the gospel dispensation, the moral law is of no use or obligation, faith alone being necessary to salvation."

In both cases, the dissembler is a hypocrite who deceives by tampering with the truth of God's Law. He professes to love God; but refuses to obey Him.

Under the pretext of extolling God's grace, the dissemblers of modern Christianity will often use the words "legalism", "legalist" or "legalistic" as an ad hominem argument against the faithful teachers who are showing God's people their sins and calling them to repentance.

It is no wonder that immature Christians are prone to believe a stigma is attached to legalism. The dissemblers of Christianity sound so authoritative and pedagogic when they make their assertions that legalism" lacks mercy and is void of love; when they allege that it comes from impure motives; and, when they compare "legalists" with the hypocritical Pharisees who added the heavy burdens of tradition to the Commandments of God --but you will soon see the treachery of the dissemblers when you come to realize that JESUS CHRIST WAS A LEGALIST!

It was Jesus who said: "... if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments." Matt 19:17 (KJV)

It was Jesus who said: "And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell." Matt 5:30 (NIV)

It was the resurrected Jesus who commissioned His disciples with these words:

"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: ..." Matt 28:19-20

Jesus Christ:

"Depart from me, you who practice LAWLESSNESS " * Matt 7:23.

When you read Matthew 7:21-29, you will see those are the words that Jesus will say to the people who called Him "Lord" but refused to obey Him. Those many people (who will be rejected on judgment day) will have this one thing in common: they were NOT LEGALISTS!

Harold and Donna Kupp

* (The KJV translates lawlessness as "iniquity". It is the Greek word "anomia" which means without law.)