When the "Man of God" is Not Really a Man of God

Anybody can go ahead and label themselves as "a man of God" but the evidence suggests otherwise that aside from doctrine, the lifestyle also follows.  One can always teach salvation by works then live a very loose lifestyle.  From works salvation pastors who have extramarital affairs, profiteering their pulpit or dying as a result of habitual sin there are also Antinomian pastors who really dare to teach that salvation is a license to sin.  Both kinds of pastors are not men of God as they claim to be but they are men of the Devil.  What is more painful to think about is that these pastors do not even realize Satan has been manipulating them without their knowledge.

If these self-proclaimed men of God are oriented to money, prestige, recognition, popularity, power, sexual looseness and selfishness then I have no reason to believe such a man is a man of God.  Some may go ahead and say they are only preaching the truth when they are not.  They can claim to have revelations and long hours reading the Bible but their doctrine is really not at all sound.  A pastor can preach against sins but also commit the same sins he is preaching against.  If anything, one can use Romans 2:21-23 against them which says, "Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?  Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?  Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?"

These pastors also claim to know God but they deny Him in action.  Titus 1:16 says, "They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate."  It is not enough to preach about good works as they must be put in practice and not just put in practice, except a work is done solely for the glory of God, it is not a good work in the sight of God.  A lot of works salvation preachers end up exposing themselves as false preachers not only by their doctrine but by their action.  Many of them end up living like they have a license to sin as much as those preachers who teach the heresy of Antinomianism.  Likewise, it is not enough to teach the biblical doctrine of salvation by faith alone as a faith that does not result to good works is not authentic faith at all.  Both groups cannot be considered categories of men of God.

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