Who Shall Separate Us
Paul tells us in Romans 8:35 that nothing shall separate us from Christ and His love for us, God is for us [Rom 8:31] This doesn’t mean that these forces will not try to separate us from Christ. This is why Paul gives is a list so that we do not despair when these forces try to separate us from Christ.
Many Antichrist spirits among us today are trying to do just this. To separate us from Christ. To remove our salvation. To make us doubt our salvation. When men belittle you and tell you that you are not spiritual, that you need to come up higher (where they are), that you are not acting saved, and when you really displease them tell you that you’re not even saved or born again. These are Antichrist spirits that John warned would come [1Jn 2:18]. They are denying Christ is in flesh, your flesh [1Jn 4:3].
Two Roads Diverged
Think about this. Do these men build you up when they see you falling short or do they run down the road of your shortcomings and drive over you time and time again? Is their go-to reaction one that builds you up in your most holy faith, keeping you in the love of God [Jude 1:20-21], and strengthen those things that remain [Rev 3:2], to tell you what you are in Christ to strengthen you? Or do they tear you down and belittle you and your faith? Are their go-to scriptures ones that crush you under God’s heavy hand of Law or ones that lift you up and strengthen you in Christ? [2Pt 2:10-12] Are they pronouncing over you Old Testament scriptures that refer to an unsaved, unspiritual Nation rather than the new creation you are in Christ? This will tell you quickly who they work for – God or Satan. Finally, do they manage to exclude themselves from the judgment they pronounce on you? Showing that they are not identifying themselves with the Body of Christ. This is the spirit of Antichrist [1Jn 2:18; 2Pt 2:1].
Like the promises of sin (or Satan), these false leaders promise freedom while they themselves are slaves to sin [2Pt 2:19-21]. They cannot lead you to the Promised Land – they are not going there. No matter how much they tell you they are. Their fruit shows that they are serving another king and are heading for another kingdom. By their fruits you shall know [Mt 7:20].
So if I’m the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus [2Cor 5:21] and a ‘man of god’ cannot see righteousness in me, then he is either blind [Mt 15:14; Isa 42:19] or he is intentionally removing Christ from me – that is Antichrist.
