Frontin’
Image from the music video for Pharrell - Frontin’
“Test yourselves and find out if you really are true to your faith. If you pass the test, you will discover that Christ is living in you. But if Christ isn't living in you, you have failed.”
-2 Corinthians 13:5 CEV
Many people say that they are Christians, Children of God; followers of Christ, but many people are deceived. Jesus said:
“Not everyone who calls me their Lord will get into the kingdom of heaven. Only the ones who obey my Father in heaven will get in. On the day of judgment many will call me their Lord. They will say, “We preached in your name, and in your name we forced out demons and worked many miracles.” But I will tell them, “I will have nothing to do with you! Get out of my sight, you evil people!”
- Matthew 7:21-23 CEV
I remember going to church one Sunday as a teen and the Pastor said, “Do you know without a doubt that you would go to Heaven if you died today? “ I immediately said to myself “yes, I am pretty sure I would go” then he said “you must be absolutely certain. If you are not absolutely certain, if there is even an inkling of doubt, than you need to do what you have to do to become absolutely certain. You do not want to be wrong, there is too much at stake!” I instantly became dissatisfied with my level of certainty and I said to my self “hmmm what is stopping me from being 100% certain? What is going on in me or my life that that makes me mostly certain but not completely sure” To this day I have no idea why I wasn’t completely sure but several things have happened since that have allowed me to become completely sure.
One of the first things I did after that sermon was think back over my life and examined my perspective about God, Church, religion. I said, “ God there are many religions in the world and everyone who follows a religion or a god or gods believe that their way is right otherwise why would they do it? God how do I know that I am not just someone living in error following a religion and serving and believing in some god(s) thinking that I am doing the right thing but in actuality I am not doing the right thing and have been led astray? God show me that you are real, show me that I am on the right path, show me that you are the one true God. Because I do not want to live my entire life believing in you just because I was raised to believe in you as so many people do —- they believe what they believe because that is the way they grew up…it is part of their culture…it is what their parents raised them to believe, God I don’t want to blindly follow you, I want to follow you because I know you are real and true. So God please prove yourself to me.”
Immediately God started doing things in my life that proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was real and true. I have no doubt in my mind now that God is real. Because of God’s willingness to prove himself to me I know when I pray that I am not praying to the air. I know when I receive a blessing that it was not a coincidence. I know when I am convicted or am given a revelation that it is not a fluke… There is a blessing in being sure.
The first thing I encourage everyone to do is to have a conversation with God (aka pray) and ask Him to prove himself to you, personally, you need to be sure that God is real! The next thing you need to do is to determine if God is your God and if Jesus Christ is actually your Lord and savior. If you have never taken the time to do these things then, if you are a Christian, you have been operating as a superficial Christian — 🎶 “ you was just Frontin’ “ 🎶. You have been praying, going to church service, reading the Bible, and attending Bible Study because it became a part of your routine, it was a tradition, because it seemed like something you should do, perhaps you would be disowned by your family if you didn’t, it made you feel good, or because it seemed socially acceptable, or a way to meet people and make friends — whatever your reason for “participating in religion” it was shallow (you neglected to take the time to: figure out if you actually believed and/or to test what you believed in, to see if the your belief was legitimate and proper )
Scripture says, do not test the Lord your God but it also goes on to say prove me in this says the Lord. Is that a contridiction? No way, God is not a man that he should lie! When scripture said not to test the Lord your God it was saying don’t do stuff to force God’s hand … don’t try to make him show up for you by putting yourself in different predicaments to force him into action. When Jesus made this statement he was speaking to the Devil. The Devil was trying to tempt Jesus into committing suicide, he told him to jump off of a high place and told him that he would not be harmed because God would make sure the angels would keep him from being harmed. To this temptation Jesus said do not put the Lord your God to the test. Yet in the scripture where we are being encouraged to “prove” God, God is telling us to see if He will do what he already said he would do - try Him out to see if he will keep His word— in this way we are not forcing his hand we are merely following his directions and giving him an opportunity to give us evidence of his existence, power, might, honesty, etc.
Asking God to show us that He is real is not forcing His hand its is showing Him that you are serious about Him — this is something that is pleasing to Him not something that will result in His wrath. You may say “ but wait what about when Jesus said” :
“… You want a sign because you are evil and won't believe! But the only sign you will get is the sign of the prophet Jonah. “ (Matthew 12:39)
Jesus did not say this because wanting proof or a sign is wrong or bad Jesus said this because He knew the Pharisees’ heart… they didn’t want a sign because proof would result in a change of heart towards God, they already made up in their minds how they felt about the situation ( their heart was hardened) — they wanted a sign to be difficult … to make Jesus jump through hoops. Asking God to prove himself to you because you genuinely want to know if he is real is not an issue, he has no problem giving you proof. But remember God desires a relationship with you he doesn’t want to be the one doing all the work there are things for you to do in the relationship as well. Therefore you need to be just as willing as God to provide proof. Scripture encourages you to prove to yourself and to God that your belief is real — that the relationship is not a sham.
God being omnipotent, is all-knowing, and hence cannot be fooled, so really your only fooling yourself, and perhaps others, when your “Christianity” is you simply going through the motions. You are not doing God or anyone else any favors by being a phony or shallow Christian (your cover has already been blown — God knew about you, before you knew about you …superficial christians are the rocky and thorn covered ground mentioned in the parable of the sower Matthew 13:5-7, 20-22). Yet, God is patient with us, when he told us to test ourselves in 2 Corinthians 13:5 He is telling us this for our own sake. How unpleasant would it be for you, if you came to the end of this life, and found out that God was real and he didn’t want to have anything to do with you and not only that but that the Devil and Hell are real too and that was where you were headed? Many people have to learn lessons the hard way and it isn’t until they find themselves facing the music that they have regrets and wish they made different choices. And to those people many shake their heads and say well they did that to themselves 🤦🏾♀️ or thats what they get they were hard headed they should’ve done this or they should’ve done that 🫵🏾 …. but many of the same people who have so much to say when someone else falls short is actively in the process of falling short themselves. So give yourself some advice before it is too late, advise yourself to get your act together and get yourself and your relationship right with God.
How to test your self to see if you really are true to your faith
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1 Dear friends, don't believe everyone who claims to have the Spirit of God. Test them all to find out if they really do come from God. Many false prophets have already gone out into the world, 2 and you can know which ones come from God. His Spirit says that Jesus Christ had a truly human body. 3 But when someone doesn't say this about Jesus, you know this person has a spirit that doesn't come from God and is the enemy of Christ. You knew this enemy was coming into the world and now is already here. (1 John 4:1-3)
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Note: guilt and shame are symptoms of (spiritual attack and/or unbelief in the power of Jesus Christ)
9 So you will be saved, if you honestly say, “Jesus is Lord,” and if you believe with all your heart that God raised him from death. 10 God will accept you and save you, if you truly believe this and tell it to others.
Romans 10:9-10
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Who are you acting like? God or the Devil? We all fall short (a lot) but your answer is a good indicator of who you actually belong to (your lord/master). If you take a good look at your habits and character (not the exceptional moments in your life) you will know if you are fakin’ your Christianity (frontin’)
Such people claim to know God, but their actions prove they really don't. They are disgusting. They won't obey God, and they are too worthless to do anything good. (Titus 1:16)
39 The people said to Jesus, “Abraham is our father!”
Jesus replied, “If you were Abraham's children, you would do what Abraham did. 40 Instead, you want to kill me for telling you the truth that God gave me. Abraham never did anything like that. 41 But you are doing exactly what your father does.”
“Don't accuse us of having someone else as our father!” they said. “We just have one father, and he is God.”
42 Jesus answered:
If God were your Father, you would love me, because I came from God and now I am here. He sent me. I did not come on my own. 43 Why can't you understand what I am talking about? Can't you stand to hear what I am saying? 44 Your father is the devil, and you do exactly what he wants. He has always been a murderer and a liar. There is nothing truthful about him. He speaks on his own, and everything he says is a lie. Not only is he a liar himself, but he is also the father of all lies. (John 8:39-44)
1 Do as God does. After all, you are his dear children. 2 Let love be your guide. Christ loved us and offered his life for us as a sacrifice that pleases God.
3 You are God's people, so don't let it be said that any of you are immoral or indecent or greedy. 4 Don't use dirty or foolish or filthy words. Instead, say how thankful you are. 5Being greedy, indecent, or immoral is just another way of worshiping idols. You can be sure people who behave in this way will never be part of the kingdom that belongs to Christ and to God. (Ephesians 5:1-5)
23 Jesus replied:
If anyone loves me, they will obey me. Then my Father will love them, and we will come to them and live in them. 24 But anyone who doesn't love me, won't obey me. What they have heard me say doesn't really come from me, but from the Father who sent me. (John 14:23-24)
