MAKE-BELIEVER

Matthew 7:21-23 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

A. Characteristics of the make-believer

Luke 18:9-14 “And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”
You see it in the Pious Prayers of the Pharisee pictured in this parable of our Lord Jesus. He thought since that he did all of these rituals that he was right with God. He had the outside cleaned up but his pious prayer portrayed that there was an inward problem and that was he was a make-believer.
He was full of pride. It would take an entire message to deal with the sin of pride. God hates pride in any form. Proverbs 8:13
“The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.”

B. Conduct exhibited by the make-believer

He is religious. He has a form of godliness but no power to overcome sin in his own life. Many times he will ridicule of the real thing. He thinks that a man needs to reform his ways and will do any thing to help him reform. Reformation is like a family bringing a pig into their house. They give him a bath in lavender. They spoon-feed him. They give him a comfortable bed in which to sleep. But let it rain and a big mud puddle forms outside and the door is left open, that pig will make a mad dash for the mud puddle. Why? It is his nature to do so. This is a good illustration of waste of time reformation is. You have to see a change from the inside to the out before real change is possible.

C. Command to the make-believer is the same to the unbeliever because he or she is in reality an unbeliever. The command is to REPENT OR PERISH.

Luke 13:3,5 “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”
Revelation 21:8 “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
Let me give a couple Bible example of a Make-Believer in the New Testament. In the book of Acts chapter eight we find a man by the name of Simon. Simon believed with his head but it never changed his life. He wanted to be able to bewitch folks as he did before he made his profession of faith and was baptized. Peter plainly told him that he needed to repent, a change of mind and direction. Many people in churches today are Make-believers. They know it and God knows it. It is hard to swallow their pride and repent of their sin and truly trust Christ into their hearts.
One more classic example of a make-believer was Judas Iscariot. He walked with the Lord Jesus for three years. He saw all the miracles. He heard all the words of our Lord Jesus yet he never repented and had a heart change.