Some people today take advantage of others by falsely claiming to represent some good cause or some worthy person. This can sometimes happen on our doorstep, but more often it happens in religion.
Some religious leaders even go so far as to claim they have been chosen to be "in the place of" Jesus Christ, God's Son, or even in the place of God Himself! For example, an Irish school textbook in explaining the title "Vicar of Christ" as it is used for a religious leader, says,
"'Vicar' means in place of"! ("The Christian Way 1" p.79.]
Jesus clearly warned us not to be deceived, because no man would take His place. (Matthew 24:4-5.) He promised us something much better; His Holy Spirit would take His place. (John 14:16-18. 16:7.)
Jesus proved Himself to be God the Son by His many unmistakable miraculous signs. (John 10:30-39.) Yet, most religious people were more willing to honour and fear their religious leaders than to take Jesus' message seriously! (John 12:37-41.) Some who did believe in Jesus "would not confess their faith ...for they loved praise from men more than praise from God"! (verses 42-43.)
Beware! The power that ordinary sinful men claim in the religions of the world today deceives many people. (Isaiah 2:22. Proverbs 29:25.) You must never think that it is more important to obey some man or religion than it is to obey the Word of God recorded for us in the Holy Bible! (Matthew 10:28. & Acts 5 :29.) There cannot be any alternative or substitute for GOD! (Exodus 20:3. & Isaiah 42:8.)
Listen to the amazing words of Jesus Christ: "When a man believes in Me, he does not believe in Me only, but in the One who sent Me. When he looks at Me, he sees the One who sent Me. I have come into the world as a Light, so that no-one who believes in Me should stay in darkness." (verses 44-46. John 3:19-21.)
Was the Man "Jesus" really God the Son sent from Heaven? Then why did He not act as a Judge and condemn and overthrow those who opposed Him? It was because His first coming to earth was for a very definite purpose. "I did not come to judge the world, but to save it," Jesus explained.
But it is to be very different on the day of judgment! Jesus went on to say, "There is a judge for the one who rejects Me and does not accept My words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day." (verses 47-48. John 3:36. & Hebrews 10:31.)
You see, God will judge, and will condemn all those who displace Jesus by allowing any other to be thought of as their Leader or Saviour. (Acts 5:29-32. John 3:16-18.) There is only ONE God appointed Spokesman and SAVIOUR, and that is JESUS CHRIST, and we will all be held answerable to what He taught. Please! Please don't just believe what I tell you, or what some impressive religious person tells you! - find out if God really said it by checking for yourself in God's Word, the Holy Bible. (Acts 17:11)
You can check about being judged by Jesus' words in John's Gospel chapter 12, verses 42-50.
John Nixon, Cork, Ireland. P31HD98. Contact: jnixonj@gmail.com
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