The Stereotype Christian

And not only this, but there was Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac;
(ROM 9:10)

As we have noted, this is a reference to the previous case history of Ishmael and Isaac.

Now it came about, when Isaac was old, and his eyes were too dim to see, that he called his older son Esau and said to him, “My son.” And he said to him, “Here I am.” And Isaac said, “Behold now, I am old and I do not know the day of my death. Now then, please take your gear, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game for me; and prepare a delicious dish for me such as I love, and bring it to me that I may eat, so that my soul may bless you before I die.” And Rebekah was listening while Isaac spoke to his son Esau. So when Esau went to the field to hunt for game to bring home, Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “Behold, I heard your father speak to your brother Esau, saying, ‘Bring me some game and prepare a delicious dish for me, that I may eat, and bless you in the presence of the Lord before my death.’ Now therefore, my son, listen to me as I command you. Go now to the flock and bring me two choice kids from there, that I may prepare them as a delicious dish for your father, such as he loves. Then you shall bring it to your father, that he may eat, so that he may bless you before his death. And Jacob answered his mother Rebekah, “Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man and I am a smooth man. Perhaps my father will feel me, then I shall be as a deceiver in his sight and I shall bring upon myself a curse and not a blessing.” But his mother said to him, “Your curse be on me, my son; only obey my voice, and go, get them for me.” (GEN 27:1-13)

Here we see Rebekah doing the same thing that Sarah did, trying to achieve the divine promise by human viewpoint. In reality she will never see her favorite son again after this ordeal. He will leave for almost 20 years, and she will die. Once again we learn the lesson that human viewpoint never can assist divine plans but merely complicate matters even more.

So he went and got them, and brought them to his mother; and his mother made savory food such as his father loved. Then Rebekah took the best garments of Esau her elder son, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger son. And she put the skins of the young goats on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck. She also gave the savory food and the bread, which she had made, to her son Jacob. Then he came to his father and said, “My father.” And he said, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?” Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn; I have done as you told me. Get up, please, sit and eat of my game, that you may bless me.” Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have it so quickly, my son?” And he said, “Because the Lord your God caused it to happen to me.”

During this part of our study we took at the stereotype Christian believer. So let’s review some of those principles regarding this type of believer before we go back to our passage:

1. The stereotype Christian is someone who has personally believed in the Lord Jesus Christ (ACT 16:31). They have usually asked Jesus into their heart but then somewhere along the way they have believed in Him and then have truly become born again. Remember, no one is saved by asking Jesus into their heart. By the way, they usually try and use REV 3:20 to back their false doctrine up, which says  “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with Me.”

2. The stereotype Christian is someone who is totally ignorant of God’s plan as a member of the Royal family of God. They have no idea how to be filled with the Spirit, the PSD’s and how to execute the PPOG. Paul describes them in EPH 4:18 being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart.

3. The stereotype Christian is someone who has no understanding of God’s plan and therefore substitutes what he assumes or feels must be God’s plan for his life. They live by their assumptions and emotions. They love the doctrine of privacy and not judging or gossiping only when it’s convenient for them.

4. The stereotype Christian generally concludes that the goal of the Christian life and spirituality is living morally. Therefore they get involved with all kinds taboos. If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” (which all refer to things destined to perish) in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence. (COL 2:20-23)

5. The stereotype Christian assumes that the key to the Christian life is a sweet personality. Sweetness of personality and morality of life are his superficial concepts of what it means to be a Christian. All of this is because they are the average stereotype-believers who have no idea or concept about the plan of God.

6. The stereotype Christian believer usually reads the Bible and attends church at least once a week. They observe certain religious rituals. They have been evangelized by the so-called Christian fellow-shippers, but they are still the loser believers. They have approbation lust and always want recognition. They are not loyal or faithful, even though they make the false statement that they are.

7. The stereotype Christian classifies anyone who is relaxed and enjoys life, especially when being pressured, as being worldly or carnal. They are usual very legalistic and judgmental. Paul says in GAL 2:4 that these type of individuals will come into your local assembly and spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to bring us into bondage.

8. The stereotype Christian usually regards the mature believer as a fanatic because they have never heard certain doctrines, or because they have heard them before but don’t live in them. They say they believe in the daily intake of doctrine, but they really do not. They say they believe in the angelic conflict, or the problem solving devices, but they do not. When certain doctrines do not fit into their traditional vocabulary they become suspicious. Certain teachings do not follow the teachings of their favorite pastor, or radio, or television celebrity so they attack those teachings. They believe the role of a pastor is to run around visiting people, having tea and toast, or cookies and milk, and a pastor doing that is not doing his job. So the stereotype Christian refuses the teachings of the pastor who doesn’t spend time writing nice notes to people, or complimenting then, counseling etc.

9. The stereotype Christian respects the pastor who doesn’t have the time to study because he’s too busy hustling around the church. The results are pitiful sermons with all the traditional sayings such as “amen” “halleluiah, “Lord willing brother”, and all the rest. Many people admire pastors not because they teach doctrine, but because they give everyone a lot of attention. They make statements like, “He is so available, or he is so personal.” The sad result is the congregation never really studies and learns the plan of God for them as a member of the Royal family.

10. The stereotype Christian is always striving to be sweet, but behind that facade of sweetness lies his real face of hypocrisy. Sweetness is just a mask which covers up a superficial, or sometime artificial, relationship with the Lord.

11. The average stereotype loser Christian is a critic, and whatever they don’t like or agree with, they consider to be wrong. I might pause right now for our devotional and ask, “Are you a stereo type loser Christian?”

12. The stereotype Christian is not usually interested in the sermon except for its length, he wants it to be short. What he likes is sharing, hearing the sound of his own voice, or giving a bragamony. Telling people what a great believer he or she is.

13. Stereotype Christians like a convenient pastor, one who councils when they need attention and one who doesn’t offer the challenge of truth. For example, Have I therefore become your enemy by telling you the truth? (GAL 4:16). The stereotype Christian likes the pastor who marries and buries, but doesn’t challenge. Such type of demands from the stereotype Christian have produced pastors who slide into the role of a grandpa rather than teacher because you can build a big empire by doing so.

14. Stereotype Christians can be easily conned. That’s why they spend more time involved with programs to whitewash the devil’s world than taking in doctrine.

15. The stereotype Christian therefore, being ignorant of God’s plan, is proud, legalistic, self-righteous, and uses spiritual words and phrases. He is also a doer of the traditional rituals and works and an advocate of the “do’s and don’ts” of pseudo Christianity. He makes such statements like “you’re a Christian, you shouldn’t do that.”

16. The result of the stereotype Christian is a total failure in time and at the Bema seat judgment he is going to shrink away in embarrassment.

“And now my children, keep abiding in Him, that if He should appear, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame in His presence [judgment seat of Christ]. If you know that He is righteous, then know also that everyone who practices righteousness [living in the righteousness of God under the filling of the Spirit] has been born from Him.” (1JO 2:28-29)

The stereotype Christian is not what he really believes that he is, spiritual. He couldn’t be bothered with technical things or discipline, He would much rather spend his time judging. He loves having no challenges, like denying self and picking up his cross. It is all about just a nice love message. He doesn’t like to study as 2TI 2:15 teaches, rather he likes to be entertained. Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth. (2TI 2:15)

17. The stereotype Christian develops mental blocks toward doctrinal teaching, and the results are an arrogant subjective believer. But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, (1TI 4:1). He thinks the most important thing in the Christian life is sincerity. So resistance of doctrinal teaching, laziness of mentality sets in and produces spiritual slothfulness. The stereotype Christian just lives like a nice sweet moral unbeliever. If you don’t understand doctrinal information you are going to get into blind arrogance. 1CO 10:12 refers to the majority of Church-age believers who are doing works for their Christian life; keeping the Law, tithing, scoring points in their church program, singing in the choir. 1CO 10:12 warns these ignorant, arrogant, cosmic believers Therefore, let him who thinks he stands [arrogant legalist, assuming morality is the Christian way of life] take heed lest he fall [perpetuation of suffering for adversity under law of volitional responsibility]. Blind pride is about the worse thing that could ever happen to a believer.

18. The stereotype Christian can counterfeit an outward righteousness through change of behavior pattern, but he cannot counterfeit an inner change of character and integrity. The only way to manufacture integrity is through the ministry of God the Holy Spirit controlling the soul of the believer filled with doctrine.

19. The stereotype Christian loves to use cliché’s or stereo type holy language, calling the Lord Thee or Thou, calling people brother, and always saying “praise the Lord”! The Lord must get a laugh out of that because we are not in the 17th century. But you see people think it’s spiritual to have a certain kind of language so people start to copy people.

20. The stereotype Christian uses facial expressions which stand for sincerity, such as the intense or serious look. So all of this adds up to the fact that believers must learn to distinguish between personality and spirituality.

By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even regarding things to come.

(HEB 11:20)

Now, here’s the point, on the surface what Isaac is said to have done doesn’t seem to be a qualification for making God’s hall of fame in Heb 11. For example, in HEB 11:4, it was By means of doctrine [resident in the soul] Abel offered to God a greater sacrifice than Cain, through which [offering] he received confirmation that he kept on being righteous God testifying about his gifts, and through it [the doctrine resident in his soul], though he is dead, he still speaks.

We can understand why he made God’s hall of fame. After all, there was the accuracy of Abel’s doctrine. The fact that he was the first member of the human race who was ever killed because of his relationship with God. The fact that he kept on being righteous concerning his worship toward God.

By means of doctrine [resident in the soul] Enoch was transferred so that he should not even see death; and he was not found because God had transferred him up; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God. (HEB 11:5)

That verse speaks for itself! Here is a man that pleased God so much that he never even died, God took him before death.

By means of doctrine resident in the soul, Noah, having been warned about things not yet seen, in reverence constructed a ship for the deliverance of his family, through which he condemned the world or the cosmos, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to doctrine. (HEB 11:7)

We can understand how Noah made God’s hall of fame! In fact, none of us would be here today if it were not for Noah.

By means of doctrine resident in the soul, Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. (HEB 11:8)

By means of doctrine resident in the soul Abraham, when he was being tested, offered up Isaac; and he who had received the promises went right on offering up his uniquely born son; (HEB 11:17)

We now understand perfectly how Abraham made God’s hall of fame, after all he obtained that fantastic unique title in the Old Testament, a friend of God. Then there was that fantastic magnificent beautiful woman Sarah, a woman who was the victim of a lot of unfaithfulness but she found someone who faithful to her and she was faithful to him. All of these individuals overcame many obstacles to make God’s hall of fame, however what about our main verse this evening,

By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even regarding things to come.

(HEB 11:20)