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Mustard Seed May/June 2004
Study To Show Yourself Approved
Study To Show Yourself Approved
Mustard Seed - May/June 2004
Have you ever wondered why there is so much misunderstanding and confusion concerning the doctrines being taught within the Churches of God today? Why do different people have different explanations of issues pertaining to doctrines that may well affect our eternal life? Some even claim that their explanation is the only explanation that is inspired of God and if you don't accept it, you could be in serious trouble. Why so much confusion over doctrine? Is there a way that we can know the absolute truth? After all, aren't we God's people and shouldn't we be able to understand His truth? Then why don't we understand some of these things that have become so complicated?
Please be assured that there IS a way that we can clear up all this confusion and misunderstanding and know for sure that we know the truth AND, it is very simple to do. We know for certain that God is not the author of confusion (1 Cor. 14:33). I think we know who is: (Jas. 3:13-17) "who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? Let him show out of a good conversation (behavior) his works with meekness of wisdom." (verse 14) "but if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not and lie not against the truth." (verse 15) "this wisdom descends not from above, but is earthy, sensual, devilish." (verse 16) "for where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work." (verse 17) "but the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy."
God's truth or true doctrines IS that wisdom from above. First we need to understand that the Bible is God's word in written form and Jesus Christ is the word of God in living form. God's word is simple when it comes to doctrine. It only becomes complicated when men, who don't understand it, begin to twist and shuffle and shape it to fit this own personal agenda. When read as Christ presented it, it is very simple.
Even in the first century Church, men had already begun to twist and change God's truth. "For there are certain men crept in unawares who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of God into lasciviousness and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. (Jude 4) "and many shall follow their pernicious ways by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of." (2 Pet. 2:2) This confusion of doctrine has been created by men who are influenced by demons or satan himself. The sad part is, as peter said, "many shall follow their pernicious ways." So many of God's people have been confused by all the twisting and shuffling of God's truth that they are unable to sort it all out.
As I said at the beginning, there is a way that we can know for sure which teaching is from God and which teaching is not. It all goes back to 2 Cor. 11:3--- "but I fear lest by any means as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted FROM, (or away from) the SIMPLICITY that is in Christ."
When a doctrine becomes so complicated that a spirit begotten brother or sister cannot understand it, it is NOT from Christ. "For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all Churches of the Saints" (I Cor. 14:33). From this scripture and many others we can know that confusion comes from satan the devil.
There are thing in the Bible that we don't understand. Most things that we don't understand are in the area of prophecy. some prophecies we do understand, but many we don't. Probably because it's not time to understand them. However, anything that can be considered doctrinal or salvation issues, we can understand.
God gives us the tools and materials along with the instructions on how to use them so that we CAN understand correct doctrine. ~2 Tim. 2:15 "study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." This could be a bigger job than it might appear to be on the surface. So many of God's people are stuck here because some find it very difficult to "rightly divide the word of truth." This could have a great impact on our understanding.
In 2 Tim. 3:15 it states: "and that from a child you have known the holy scriptures, which are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus." Here Paul told Timothy in essence, that the scriptures contain everything that we need to obtain salvation. We have already seen that the Bible is God's written word so when we study the bible, it is like God is speaking to us. If we listen closely to what He says and follow the instructions, we cannot fail. It only become confusing when men (usually ministers) begin to add their own private interpretations to scripture and twist and pervert the true meaning.
There are ravenous wolves out there just waiting for the opportunity to devour a "little one" or a "weak one." That is why it is so VERY important that we use the tools that God has given us so that we can defend ourselves from these wolves. There are so many false doctrines out there already and they continue to come, that we have a full time job just trying to sort out the truth from error. ~2 Tim. 2:16 "But shun profane and vain babblings, for they will increase unto more ungodliness" (verse 17) "and their word will eat as does a canker----."
The two books of Timothy would be a great place to start our study. In our next issue we will start here and go on to other scriptures and hopefully we can learn how to "RIGHTLY DIVIDE THE WORD OF TRUTH."
~Neil Wroten
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