We follow men, more than the Living God. We go to His word to prove what we believe. When we should be going to His word to see if what we believe stands up to it. You cannot use the Bible to prove what you believe. You must use it to see what you should believe, and to see if what you believe is truth. When studying the Bible you must pray that God would remove all bias from you heart, that you might fully understand His word His way. Many people today go to the Word to prove themselves right, and because of this heresy abounds. If you find a good preacher, even if he quotes scripture a lot it does not mean he is right about his conclusions. Got to scripture yourself, read it, ask God to take any bias out of your heart, and to show you what the truth is.
To summarize, don't make scripture support what you believe, make what you believe conform to scripture. Don't go to the Bible to find something you already believe, go to it to confirm if what you believe is true. If a man says the Bible says something, don't take his word for it, look at it yourself, to see if those things be so. Don't use one or two verses to form a belief on, read the whole Bible, see what the whole counsel of God is. Last of all, don't follow any man, ever, follow God.
4 comments:
Amen, Brother! The only man we should follow, is the man Christ Jesus :) Thank you for this post! I hope that your readers/followers take your words to heart!
You made some excellent observations here:
1. “you must use it (the Bible) to see what you should believe, and to see if what you believe is truth….”-- In addition to this, we can not rely upon how we feel (emotions or otherwise) about a certain subject. We must search out and see how God feels about it and then align ourselves with Him on the issue.
2. “Many people today go to the Word to prove themselves right, and because of this heresy abounds.” -- This is one reason for the many and varied denominations that we see today. Each time there is some disagreement on what the scriptures teach an new denomination pops up with a new “doctrine” to explain the difference. God never intended for His body to be so divided.
3. “If you find a good preacher, even if he quotes scripture a lot it does not mean he is right about his conclusions.”—This is also very true and we see a lot of it today in the modern church. This is one reason it is so important to know the scriptures and to KNOW the One who wrote the scriptures. The Holy Spirit will lead us all into all Truth.
I really liked your summary as well:
1. “…don't make scripture support what you believe, make what you believe conform to scripture.” – This is the continual walk of a Christian. A continual conforming to the truth of the revealed character and ways of the Living God. By this, we are changed and transformed from glory to glory.
2. “Don't go to the Bible to find something you already believe, go to it to confirm if what you believe is true.”—In addition to this, if your belief is not supported by scripture, then it must be cast aside and the truth embraced in its place. God holds us responsible for the truth that we encounter.
3. “If a man says the Bible says something, don't take his word for it, look at it yourself, to see if those things be so.” –I can not count the many times I have been sitting in a congregation listening to the preacher and he says something that I know is not scripturally accurate and/or I can tell that He has not encountered God for himself. That is why its so important to have a strong and passionate relationship with God, independent of what any man says.
4. “Don't use one or two verses to form a belief on, read the whole Bible, take see what the whole counsel of God is.” –Here in is one cause for the many splinters in Christianity, which of course, leads to all the different denominations we see today. Many doctrines are based on just one or two scriptures that do not embody the whole counsel and character of God, as revealed by a proper and careful study of the entire word of God.
5. “Last of all, don't follow any man, ever, follow God”—No more need be said here. This is makes the perfect ending.
Thank you for posting your observations. I found them to be refreshing and thought provoking. May we all walk with God in humility and with one another in peace, preferring others above ourselves, as we are admonished in the scriptures.
God Bless you!
"We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction." 2 Peter 1:19-2:1
Praise God for His more sure Word that we can really on, instead of a voice that men "hear from heaven"!
Well stated. There are too many people/pastors today, who come up with a "theory", pull scripture of out context to support their "theory" and then share/preach it as the truth. We need to start & end with Gods inspired word and forget most interpretations. There is really a lot of trouble when people start defending their own theories and not defending the word of God.
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