Devotional - May 13, 2004

The preacher said it, I heard it but I couldn't believe he said it. He said, "Those who are pretenders are saved as much as those who are not (pretending). If you're pretending, you're going to heaven!" The most amazing thing was that a few days earlier, this same preacher had agreed to the exact opposite preposition: anyone who pretends may be trying to deceive others, but they can't deceive God. There are no and will be no deceivers in heaven according to Scripture (See: Ps 5:4-5; 101:7; 2Tim 3:12-13)

Well, what to do? After my initial shock, I came to realize our difference must be a matter of semantics (the misuse of words). A pretender is someone who knows they're a fake and tries to deceive others, as in "impostor." They're hardly someone you'd expect to find walking down the main street of heaven.

On the other hand a backslider is saved but ignores God. They don't care what anyone else thinks about them, including God. Unless they go too far in their stubborn rebelliousness, they'll be in heaven. This is so, not because of their profession, but by virtue of their possession (as in, the Holy Spirit). The only thing a pretender and an backslider have in common is the need to repent.

Jesus had a way of shocking backsliders and pretenders right out of their comfort zone. And when he encountered the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, he had a big target. Those who heard what he said usually heard only what they wanted to hear. Seldom did they have discernment, but most often went away either scratching their head in disillusionment or beating their head against the wall in anger.

The Pharisees were pretenders. Why? Because they never received Jesus, the gift of God's atonement for their sin but acted religious (pretended) and even set a standard for how others should act. Jesus may have been a "friend of sinners" but he had very little good to say about the Pharisees. They were both deceivers and deceived.

So, which are you? Saved or Lost - backslider or pretender? You can be one or two, but no more. Here's what I mean: If you're saved, you can backslide to the point you don't appear saved. And if you're lost, you can pretend to be saved, but you'll never be saved by what you say, what you do or what others say about you.

1 Developed from Read the Bible Thru ( 1Sa. 14:1-52 Jn. 7:31-53 Ps. 109:1-31 Pr. 15:5-7 )
2. Scripture comes from the Holy Bible, New International Version; (c)1978 by New York International Bible Society