Touching on
Faith Part 2:
Faith and
the Word of God:
In
continuing about faith we have to address how we look at, and explain scripture.
This is the most important application of faith that we can have. How do we
treat the Word of God realizing that there is a couple of warnings in Scripture
with very heavy consequences. James says: “My brethren, be not many masters
(teachers), knowing that we shall receive the grater condemnation”. Also in
Revelations 22: 18-19, "For I testify unto very man that heareth the words of
the prophecy of this book: and if any man shall add unto these things God shall
add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: and if any man shall take
away from the words of this book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part
out of the book of life, and out of the Holy City, and from the things that are
written in this book”. Anyone want to be a teacher?
So then how do
we teach? By following Scripture, being filled with the Holy Spirit, and by not
interjecting the thoughts of man into the Word of God. What the Scriptures say
is exactly what they mean with all the bases covered by the Wisdom of God, “men
writing guided by the Holy Spirit”. His Word is Spirit. You can only know God’s
word in truth by the Holy Spirit. No amount of studying, teaching, or preaching
will ever be accurate without the Holy Spirit. Look back to the 1300-1500’s
when man interpreting the Scriptures cost the world millions of lives in the
Great Inquisition. Again after that onslaught was stopped the next slaughter
started over baby baptism wherein many more were put to death because of the “interpretation”
of the time. The proof of error in interpreting the Word of God can be shown in
this verse: “The Truth shall set you free”. If the interpretation does not
expose evil and draw us neigh to God working humbly in our hearts than it will
not be “the Truth that sets us free”. (I have capitalized the word Truth and
all words that are used as the name of Christ.) The Truth also exposes God for
who He is not who we want Him to be.
God is omniscient,
omnipresent, and omnipotent, all knowing, all present, and all powerful. He is
not a “story teller” who makes things up to teach us, He is not promoting a
white lie to help us understand, He is God who is incapable of any lie, exaggeration
or “sin for our benefit” and as said in Scripture “let God be true and every
man a liar”. Here is where faith is exercised
when reading the Holy Scriptures. When a man of faith reads the Word of God he
believes/asks that the Holy Spirit will instruct him according to the will of
God “convenient” for that day. This is a very important application for the
Scriptures say “today if you hear my voice”. Yesterday is past and cannot be
changed, tomorrow never comes (when it does it is today), so the only
instruction necessary is for today just like “grace” convenient for the day.
God wants us to receive from Him what is due today so that we have the tools to
sow the seed with and the power to glorify Him, today! Look at it this way, if
we have all the grace and Revelation by faith convenient for today; than we
will not be ineffective in our calling and election, and in the use of the
spiritual gifts that are also given by the Holy Spirit for that day. This will have
an effect our outlook of how we apply Scripture by giving the due wisdom and
power of God to the application. Example: most preach that the parables are
stories to teach us a life lesson. Did you ever wonder where the parable came
from? Did God just make them up to instruct us. If God made them up than it is
clear that He has lied which He can’t do, but faith gives God His glory by
saying that somewhere in time God has seen these actions taking place and
verbalized them for the lesson at hand. Yes there was a sower, yes there was a
prodigal son, yes there was a Master of the vineyard and to all of the
parables, yes, yes, yes. Now here is the amazing part: yes there was and yes
there is! God’s Word is eternal and there is “nothing new under the sun” so
that which was written then has been written for today. Time changes, God doesn’t,
and sad to say neither does man. There seems to always be a twist to the interpretation
of Scripture not based on the unchanging God (“God cannot change”) but based on
the changing “desires of man’s lusts. Sorry to say that many church’s vacillate
to the times and bow to the demands of sinful man changing the pure Word of God
to fit the times making the Word of God of “none effect”.
What about “dispensation”?
To dispensate something is another way of rendering mute the subject by time or
changing events. Many denominations eliminate the need for the Gifts of the
Holy Spirit and the calling and elections that God has set in place. Of course
they say that there are pastors, teachers, and evangelist, but what about
apostles, and prophets? Concerning gifts what about all of them? Remember that
when you add or detract from the Word of God there are consequences, also
because God cannot change if we believe that Scripture has changed then how do
we know that salvation hasn’t been dispensated? We have faith in an unchanging
God “in whom we put our trust”. How can you trust a god (small g in god on
purpose because our God is an Awesome God) that changes with time? If that was
true then how can we have hope? No, “let God be true and all men liars”. He
cannot change, and Scripture cannot change! Why? Because Jesus Christ cannot
(nor has) changed just by His continued presence. Here is what I mean. All
Scripture is “God breathed” which means that God cannot violate Himself or go
against the things He has said, “in any wise”. The Word of God supports itself
and is its own witness to Truth because “He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life”.
Now here is a seldom looked at Truth in Scripture that supports this but is
never referenced that I know of till now. (Could be wrong, not being prideful).
“The Word (written Word, Scripture!), became flesh and dwelt among us”. God has
sealed unchangeable Truth by making the Word become flesh, letting the Word dwell
among us for proof, die on a cross for our salvation, buried 3 days, rose from
the dead, and now dwells at the Right hand of God making intersession and waiting
for His return, when all things are put under Him. So I ask, if we eliminate any
Scripture, any, what part of the “written Word becoming flesh and dwelling
among us”, Jesus Christ, will be missing? If we take away prophesy does Jesus
loose His ears (so we/He can’t hear God’s voice), what about the Word of
Wisdom, does He loose the Mind of Christ, what about word of faith, does He
loose His vision? You see what I mean. If every word penned through man by the guidance
of the Holy Spirit became the complete Christ then what will be eliminated if
some are dispensated? These dispensations Do Not Glorify God! The impossibility
of God’s Word to comprehend is to make us trust Him for Truth because “nothing
is impossible for God”. That is why so many instructions/teachings in Scripture
seem so impossible that we might find ourselves “seeking Him with all our heart”
that we might have the proper understanding of His Word, (Christ), and thereby
the “full” application by
faith.
By faith
each of us receive our measure of revelation that is needed to function in the
position that we have “in the Body of Christ”. No part of the body is unto
itself but needs all the members to do their part, (adding their revelation of
Christ), so that the body will be complete, lacking nothing.
One more
thing for this posting about faith:
The literal interpretation
of Scripture: How does this fit in?
Well quite
honestly this is the only interpretation there is. Why? Because God is
glorified in the impossibilities that Prophesy in Scripture speaks of. If we
with our carnal minds, outside of Faith in God, look at Scripture than we have
to explain it based on our limited knowledge that is apparent in everyone’s
brains. But if we look at the literal interpretation of God’s Word; than the
writing becomes impossible to envision or understand there by necessitating faith,
and opening the door for God to do the impossible in accomplishing it. So a literal interpretation makes our faith
grow/increase and humbly brings us to worship God and trust in all His
(impossible) promises helping us to rely on Him. God’s Word was designed by Him
to be carnally impossible to understand because it is spiritually discerned, that is why we
seek the infilling of the Holy Spirit for “Truth that sets us free”. More
later.
Keep this in
mind:
No
revelation of Christ will violate Scripture in any wise.
No one man
has the complete Revelation of Jesus Christ.
God’s Word
is always true, every word, and example.
A literal interpretation
brings Glory to God as His Spirit instructs us daily.
Truth can
only be found when “we seek Him with all our hearts” by faith.
“Without
faith it is impossible to please God”.
In time,
faith will expose all revelation and guidance of God in His Word.
God bless
and keep.
Love in
Christ
J&E in
Tn
