Something I've discovered recently is the mere psychotic suggestion of an idea immediately roots in fertile ground when you're not on your guard. Something as simple as a person you trust or love saying that God punishes you if you don't tithe. "He get's his money somehow!" The charlatan asserts, with his eyes on the god of money which he serves. I've heard preachers and teachers say that or some derivative of it. At the root of their theology, every single time is some measure of performance and prosperity doctrine.
When we haven't been classically trained or rooted in walking with God we have no defense for these mere suggestions by the evil one; who works and is at work in the false teachers everywhere! We casually let the stranger into our house, as though we were doing the right thing, (do unto others) and then, the stranger now has power over you, at least in some small way. I can say this, because the very next time something disastrous occurs to you, you may have or probably will wonder if that person you trusted was right! For the weak, they are right, and there is only one response! Blind obedience to a false scripture, to a false teacher and to false doctrine. Indebted to the idea that God must some how be so weak and inept as to "need" something from you, in order to bless you or make you his own. But even they don't know that!
So, you see, words are very powerful, sometimes even the uttering of words gives them power, if only in the mind of the listener. That is why I believe we need to be on Guard! Ready to give an account, able to provide a defense of the things which we believe and to have on the spiritual armor that Paul talks about in order to stave the fiery darts of the fallen one.
What does this lead me to? Well, in truth, we cannot even defend that which we are not obedient to, much more understand. God calls us to strict obedience, and how are we able to build obedience? By the faith that he gives us. In so doing we should desire to walk with him in the cool of the garden. For me, that's in his word, asking him to gently rebuke me and to teach me his ways. HE WANTS TO! That is so thrilling for me. Faith comes by hearing of the words of CHRIST! You can listen and read and comprehend that which the Father wants to you understand, but comprehension is just the smallest part of the equation. Obedience is the larger portion, because obedience needs to exist before comprehension, if ever, will occur. Don't you understand that if you say you don't like to read the Bible because it's boring, that you're really saying that "I don't believe God can/will illumine my mind, and further it's probably not up to him anyway!" In so doing you demonstrate a lack of faith, and further elevate yourself to the high office of KING! For you are NOT ONE.
It is when we listen, when we read, when we meditate, when in patience, fear and humility we bring things before God that we do not understand, hoping if but peradventure he might open our eyes; this is when we see God. This is when he opens us up and enlarges our heart. This is when he teaches us to be his adopted children!
If you haven't understood so far, your holiness is not your own. It's merely the expression of God's sovereign will for your life, the demonstration of his victory of evil and ultimately an expression of his love for you! It brings me the greatest joy to know my Father in Heaven, who was and is and is to come, has before the foundation of all things known and unknown, decided the preamble, body and conclusion of his servants life! For what are we to know but that which he tells us? And what can we understand but that which he gives us understanding? And what can we do but that which he has allowed? Has he left us to writhe and to toil, hoping by if some possibility our performance can merit his holiness?! HOW CAN THAT BE? For by GRACE ARE YE SAVED! If saved, then set apart and if set apart, made holy. God does not save that which he does not intend to make holy. For how else could we know him, approach him or even worship him? Will God accept the praise of the wicked? He doesn't even hear their prayers!
What then? I believe that if we ask God to teach us his laws and show us to meditate on his ordinances, for those who are his, he will. Each to his own measure and by the fullness of the times that we might know the summing of all things Christ. In so doing he has created a child who walks in holiness with him.
Get in your Bibles, for God is certainly real!
1 comment:
Great post, I am almost 100% in agreement with you
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