Learning the new script
This work is copyrighted to Happy
Riches © 2014. All rights reserved.
Individual use is permitted.
Learning the new script is like
reading the lines about a play entitled “The Rest of Your Life”. As newborn
Christians, we begin a new life. We have a different perspective on the world
to the one we had previously. There is little likelihood, hopefully, that will
be starring in the film “This Is Your Life”, which was destined to be played
before all of Creation on the day of the Great White Throne Judgment—the
judgment of the wicked. For now this has been put aside, providing we persevere
and keep the faith by continuing in Jesus’ word—as some are fond of saying, “By
keeping on, keeping on.”
Learning the new script is about
reading our Bible. Reading the Bible is a critical key if we are to defeat our
enemy and be overcomers in what Jesus has won for us. While more people read
the Bible than spend time in prayer, less people read the Bible than we might
think. Prayer is essential if we are to overcome the devil and reading the
Bible is also just as critical, if we are to be victorious in overcoming the
ruler of this world.
There are many reading programs
available to encourage people to read the Bible. Some reading programs are
aimed at reading the Bible in a year, and others are aimed at reading various
books of the Bible in conjunction with each other in order to assist the reader
to better understand how the Old Testament and New Testament correlate. There
is even a book entitled “Reading The Bible For All Its Worth” which many have
found quite helpful.
Some people believe that by reading
the Bible they are breathing the Living Word of God. As we have discussed
earlier, we know this is not true, because the Bible bears witness to Jesus,
who is the Living Word of God and gives life to all who come to Him. One person
who practices bibliolatry has even advocated speed reading as the best means to
getting the Living Word of God into our hearts and minds. However, even though
the Bible is not the Living Word of God, it bears witness to the One Who is
the Living Word of God; it is for this reason there is much to gain from
reading the sacred script. There is another critical reason for us to read the
Bible and this is to help us be overcomers. For it is impossible for us to
overcome the ruler of this world and not understand the progressive truths of
God contained within the Bible from cover to cover. While the Bible might not
be the Living Word of God, it is still the written word of God and possesses
sufficient authority for us to slay the Devil, when quoting Scripture.
When Jesus was being tested in the
wilderness after having been baptized in water, and then in the Holy Spirit, He
used Scripture to defeat the attack of the Devil. In effect, the devil attacked
Jesus by quoting Scripture, but was defeated when Scripture was rightly applied
and quoted back to him. This is how the book of Matthew records some of the
action:
Then the devil
took him into the holy city. He set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said
to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, ‘He
will put his angels in charge of you.’ and, ‘On their hands they will bear you
up, so that you don’t dash your foot against a stone. Jesus said to him,
“Again, it is written, ‘You shall not test the Lord, your God.’” (Matthew
5:6-7)
What was occurring between Jesus
and the devil is known as a sword fight. In the book of Ephesians, chapter six,
the Apostle Paul writes that we are in a spiritual warfare against powers and
principalities of darkness. He then suggests that the Christian should think of
himself (or herself) as a warrior in battle with these forces that are led by
the devil and put on the appropriate armor. The Apostle Paul uses the
battledress and equipment of the Roman centurion as an analogy to describe what
resources we have at our disposal to equip us for the battle. Part of the Roman
centurion’s equipment is a sword. The Apostle Paul writes that this equates to
the word of God, which is the sword of the Spirit. Jesus then was using the
sword of the Spirit in his battle against the Devil, when being tempted in the
wilderness, as part of His test to prove that He was worthy to become the
atoning sacrifice for sin. Jesus was the Living Word of God made flesh, but He
took the written word of God and used it to defeat the Devil. We need to do
this also.
Noteworthy is the fact that the devil
also attempted to use the written word to attack Jesus. This the devil does,
even today, with many Christians. People with incorrect interpretations of the
Scriptures, believing that they are absolutely correct, attack other Christians
with their doctrinal views and try to confuse them. Rather than accept what the
Bible actually says they have to twist Scripture, just like the devil did with
Jesus. These unwitting agents of the devil twist Scripture in such a way that
sounds true, and sometimes may even be true under certain circumstances.
Unfortunately, though, they lead people into error. When the devil attacked
Jesus, he was telling the truth. The difference was the implication, because of
the situation Jesus was in, this would have required Him to break another
command of God. This is how the devil deceives people who are seeking to look
to Jesus. He gets them caught up in doctrines of men rather than the truth of
God.
Saul of Tarsus became the Apostle
Paul after His encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. In the book of
Romans, he claims that the Scripture that promised life deceived him. Saul not
possessing the Holy Spirit, was a recipient of the word of God, but was blinded
by the god of this world, the Devil. Consequently, the very Scripture that
promised life was wrongly applied and, instead of seeking the Lord Jesus
Christ, he persecuted Him by seeking to destroy the Church, in order to honor
the fathers. Somehow, the devil had got Saul to believe that by breaking the
sixth commandment of the Decalogue was not a sin, since he was keeping the
fifth commandment by honoring the fathers.
One thing we must always be careful
not to commit is the sin of bibliolatry. Bibliolatry is the sin of putting the
written word, that is the Bible, before God. This is why searching the
Scriptures is something that is done once we have entered into a relationship
with Jesus Christ and have been baptized in the Holy Spirit. People who try to
search the Scriptures before having been baptized in the Holy Spirit will
always come up with false doctrines or be inclined to believe those who have
false teaching. Nevertheless, this is not to say that people who claim to have
the Holy Spirit do not have false teachings.
There are teachings promoted by
different groups that do not conform to the Bible that are not fundamental to
salvation. Often though, these errors are thought as peripheral teachings, and
many people like to take the view that as long as they find agreement on
essential teaching for salvation, non-essentials do not matter.
Since the aim of this writer is to
reveal what is needed to overcome the Devil, we need to realize that only by
practice can this be achieved and not by disputes over doctrine. Learning how
to meditate the Scriptures is the second of these five practices which are
really pillars of faith, if we are to be overcomers. Without at least two of
these pillars being a part of our daily lives, and a third one at the ready, we
cannot overcome the Devil. For unless we pray, meditate Scripture, and are
willing to acknowledge Jesus daily, we cannot walk in the victory that has been
won for us. The teaching that is incorporated herein is for instruction to this
end. This book is about putting into practice the truths of God in our lives
and not having disputes over theology. Overcomers are warriors in action, not
the empty shells of eggheads lying on the ground cracked from trying to defend
the faith with propositional truths. In which case, we meditate God’s law
(Psalm 1), because we obey His voice, keep His charge, His commandments and
statutes (Genesis 26:5), just as Abraham did. We do this because we believe
what Jesus said we should do if we are Abraham’s children and are saved by
faith. To quote the Voice translation:
If you are truly
Abraham’s children, then act like Abraham! (John 8:39)
As we have already noted above,
Abraham obeyed God’s voice, kept His charge, commandments, statutes and laws.
Many hate this truth because it contradicts their doctrine that we do not have
to keep any laws, commandments or statutes. While the ceremonial laws that were
given to Moses and the covenant that was made with the people of Israel have
been done away with, that which Abraham kept, we, too, must keep if we are to
overcome the Devil.
We can only learn about these
things if we wait on the Lord in prayer and meditate the law of God as it says
in the first Psalm. We who do this will be like trees planted by streams of
water that bear fruit in season and our leaves will not whither; for in all
that we do, we shall prosper.
Jesus said that when we receive the
Holy Spirit, He would lead us into all truth. From this, we can safely assume
that people not possessing the Holy Spirit cannot know the truth. When we
consider what happened at Ephesus in the book of Acts, regarding Apollos, we
get an insight into how people can possess truth, yet still be in the dark.
This is what Luke recorded in the book of Acts:
Now a Jew named
Apol′los, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, well
versed in the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and
being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning
Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the
synagogue; but when Priscilla and Aq′uila heard him, they took him and
expounded to him the way of God more accurately. And when he wished to cross to
Acha′ia, the brethren encouraged him, and wrote to the disciples to receive
him. When he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed,
for he powerfully confuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that
the Christ was Jesus.
While
Apol′los was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to
Ephesus. There he found some disciples. And he said to them, “Did you receive
the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have never even
heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” And he said, “Into what then were you
baptized?” They said, “Into John’s baptism.” And Paul said, “John baptized with
the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to
come after him, that is, Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized in the name
of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit
came on them; and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. There were about
twelve of them in all.
And
he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, arguing and
pleading about the kingdom of God; but when some were stubborn and disbelieved,
speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them, taking
the disciples with him, and argued daily in the hall of Tyrannus. (Acts
18:24:19-9)
We see that Apollos had a very good
understanding of the Old Testament and could demonstrate from those books how
the Scriptures bore witness to Jesus. There are many Scriptures that testify of
His death and resurrection, and even in the book of Proverbs there is testimony
that God has a Son—He possesses equality with our Heavenly Father. Apollos was
able to do this without having received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, for we
learn He knew only the baptism of John, which was a baptism of repentance.
Nevertheless, as John the Baptist was able to turn the hearts of the people
towards Jesus, so, too, Apollos, after having received the Holy Spirit, would
have been able to lay some good ground work in Ephesus for Paul to build upon.
Whereas Paul, at the time was at Corinth, sowing seed (the word of God) before
Apollos arrived there. Thus, when reading the book of Corinthians, we read that
Paul planted and Apollos watered (1 Cor. 3:6). As we can see from the above
Scriptures, the Apostle Paul recognized that there was also a need to be
baptized into the name of Jesus Christ and to receive the Holy Spirit, as well
as the need for repentance. For repentance is the Way to the Truth, which is
revealed by the Holy Spirit, so that we can have Life in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Like the Old Testament, one of the
features of the New Testament is it does not lay out all the truth in a
systematic fashion. This is a feature of the Bible, and truth is hidden so
those who think they are wise and knowledgeable in this world are not able to
grasp it, regardless of how much study they do,
or whether they are able to read
ancient Hebrew and ancient Greek. The truths of the Kingdom are only revealed
to babes who are willing to grow spiritually under the tutelage of the Holy
Spirit. Furthermore, truth is caught and not taught. It is only once that a
truth has been caught that it is able to be taught. This is because truth comes
by revelation and this revelation has to be experiential to be understood.
Merely knowing the Scriptures, or, as is the case with most people, thinking we
know the Scriptures without experiencing the reality of the truth of God’s word
in our own lives, is insufficient to understand the Scriptures. Consequently,
only those who are humble enough to say, I do not know, teach me your truths,
dear Lord, are the ones able to hear what the Spirit is saying and understand
the reality of present truth.
There is a good reason why truth is
caught and not taught. When people study something, they apply their mind to
acquire knowledge about what they studying through the means of investigation,
observation, research, and reading other people’s conclusions. Then they
analyze their own conclusions to arrive at what is known as expert opinion,
which is often a fallacy based on insufficient data to be conclusive.
Revelation from God is first caught and then those who have understood the
revelation are able to be taught the implications of the what they now know to
be true.
Unfortunately, many people believe
the Bible teaches that we need to study to show ourselves approved of God.
However, what they fail to realize is the Bible does not teach this at all. In
fact, study for approval, sounds very much like working for salvation. Studying
theology is supposed to make people more learned and knowledgeable in the
truths of God. However, theology comes in many forms and is more about the
philosophy of men than the truths of God. If we are seeking to do the will of
God and walk in accordance to what the Bible says, then we do not need to study
theology. We need to learn what the Bible states. As for the Scripture that
says “study to show thyself approved of God”, what this really should say is
“be diligent to present yourself to God for approval;”for this is what those
words meant when they were first written. There a massive difference between
doing a course of study to gain approval and presenting yourself before the
throne of God to be approved. The first speaks of works, the second of
humility. The first speaks of the self-righteous Pharisee who thanked God he
was not like the sinner. The second speaks of the sinner who was grateful for
his forgiveness.
The way we gain knowledge is
through conceptualization. Conceptualization of truth forms over time. Once we
have grasped the outline of an idea and are able to differentiate it from other
ideas, or the outline of a thing and are able to differentiate it from other
things, then we are able to understand the actual concept formed. First we need
to identify the concept. Then we grow in the understanding of the concept: what
it meant in the past, what it means now, what it will mean in the future; its
implications and consequences; and how it can be applied to our lives for the
benefit of ourselves and others. When it comes to the truths of God, these are
understood only by those who possess the Spirit of God.
Processing the information we
access requires us to realize that there are differences between facts,
principles and laws; being able to identify an issue and having insight and
developing foresight; not to mention the distinctions between knowledge,
understanding and wisdom. When we begin to consider these nine different
aspects regarding information and how to utilize data, we might think that we
need to do a course of study. Only, God does not work exactly the way those who
prepare courses of study might like to think. This is because truths are caught
and not taught. Nevertheless, once a truth is known, those who are taught about
that truth may grow in the knowledge and understanding of it and even gain the
wisdom of how to apply it in their own lives. As the Apostle Paul said
regarding wisdom and the truths of God:
And we impart
this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting
spiritual truths to those who possess the Spirit. (1 Corinthians 2:13 RSV[i])
Today we live in a world that is
known for information overload. When it comes to learning about the truths of
God, there has always been an information overload that has come in many
different forms of deception. The number of different philosophies that people
have encountered in eons past have always been a distraction for those seeking
the truth. The Apostle Paul noted this when He went to Athens. Nothing has
changed really. There is still only one way, one truth and one life that brings
salvation, and this is the way of Jesus of Nazareth who died on the Cross of
Calvary and gave His life that we might inherit his righteousness. When we have discovered the truth of the
resurrection, and when we possess the assurance of our inheritance in Jesus
Christ in our hearts, having received the guarantee of the Holy Spirit, then we
know we have the truth. Now all we need to do is grow in the grace and
knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We know the Bible bears witness to
Jesus Christ because it states this. When we have received the assurance of our
salvation with the guarantee of the Holy Spirit, we know that what the Bible
says is true, because we have confirmed this in the now. We are not talking
about some theory or propositional truth that we claim is true, but actual
experience, which confirms truth. Experiential
truth is the only valid truth. People might say that this is being too
subjective, but either we are in subjection to the will of God because Jesus
Christ is our Lord and King—or we are not. For us who are submitting our lives
to our Heavenly Father through our Lord Jesus Christ for approval, we know what
is true and what is false, because the Spirit of God will bear witness to our
lives and we will bear the fruit of salvation.
One of the fruits of
salvation is desire for the knowledge of God. Desire forms the essence of love.
God desires every person to be saved because He loves us all. God does not even desire the death of the
wicked. But because He is a righteous God, the wicked have to be held to
account. This does not mean God does not love them. What this means is they
grieve the heart of God. Even though our Heavenly Father desires that the
wicked repent and change their ways, because He is righteous, all will receive
recompense according to their deeds. Fortunately, the Lord God overlooks the
deeds of all who repent. This is New Testament teaching that is taken from the
Old Testament. In as much as God desires us to fellowship with Him, we need to
desire the truth and walk in His ways.
It just so happens, God
provided three means by which we can obtain a revelation of Himself. There is
the revelation of God that comes from Creation; there is the revelation of God
that comes through the Bible; there is the revelation of God that comes from
within our spirit, otherwise known as our inner recognition of right and wrong.
However, when we are born from above, we develop a thirst to learn more about
God. This is often expressed as having a love for God, because we desire to
know more about Him. Consequently, understanding the Bible becomes of utmost
importance to us. The danger is that we can fall into error for different
reasons. One of the reasons is unconfessed sin. Another reason is the devil is
like a lion on the prowl seeking to attack in times of weakness and temptation
(1 Peter 5:8).
When the Lord spoke to me
and told me to read the Bible for two hours each day, I obeyed. One of the
problems I encountered in reading the Bible was I forgot what I had read. If I
had not forgotten what I had read, I would forget where it was in the Bible.
Being a practical person, I reasoned that there had to be a better way of
recalling what was in the Bible. Initially, I decided to memorize various
Scriptures by chapter and verse from different books. For some reason, I found
trying to memorize using this method rather difficult, so I decided to memorize
within context. I started with the first five verses of the books of Genesis,
Romans, Hebrews, Revelation, the Gospel of John and the First Letter of John.
Then I decided to memorize chapter by chapter and I began with the Gospel of
John. As it turned out, I was often encountering discussion that involved other
portions of Scripture, so I decided to memorize various chapters throughout the
New Testament that had verses which were frequently discussed. This I did, and
over a six month period I had memorized most of the epistles and much of the
Gospel of John. I actually found this much more fruitful than merely reading
Scripture and highlighting verses or trying to recall chapter and verse (e.g. 2
Timothy 2:15; Proverbs 3:6), even though I did memorize the chapter number and
verse number, as I proceeded down each chapter, and, because I could quote
context, I discovered that this was more effective and beneficial.
The method I used to
memorize Scripture is based on the idea that we learn by repetition. Because I
believed the Lord had requested that I read the Bible for two hours each day, I
was not going to read commentaries to understand what I was reading.
Nevertheless, at the time, I did have a problem recalling what the subject
matter in detail. It occurred to me that it would be more profitable to
concentrate on memorization by creating pathways in my brain. I did not know we
created pathways in our brains in the process of recalling information. It just
occurred to me that by creating pathways in my brain, each piece of information
would be a trigger for the next piece of information to be recalled, and this
would make recollection much easier.
The method I used was to
picture the words in my mind as I progressively memorized each word. You can
get a much better idea yourself by seeing whether you are able to recall the
following verse by reading and picturing the words as you methodically create a
pathway in the neural network of your own brain. Each line needs to memorized and not just
read to gain maximum benefit from this practice.
John 1:1 In
John 1:1 In the
John 1:1 In the
beginning
John 1:1 In the
beginning was
John 1:1 In the
beginning was the
John
1:1 In the beginning was the Word
John
1:1 In the beginning was the Word and
John
1:1 In the beginning was the Word and the
John
1:1 In the beginning was the Word and the Word
John
1:1 In the beginning was the Word and the Word was
John
1:1 In the beginning was the Word and the
was with
John
1:1 In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God;
John
1:1 In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God; and
John
1:1 In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God; and the
John
1:1 In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God; and the Word
John
1:1 In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God; and the Word was
John
1:1 In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God; and the Word was
God.
John
1:1 In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God; and the Word was
God. John 1:2 He
John
1:1 In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God; and the Word was
God. John 1:2 He was
…..And so on.
Using this method, at
first, does seem slow. When it comes to going through a whole book, chapter
after chapter, verse by verse, word by word, repeating chapter, verse and word,
it does take a long time. The benefits are worth the exercise and more than one
would expect. Not only is there no need for a concordance, for Scriptures are
always at the ready, but the ability to concentrate increases, overall
recollection of information becomes easier, time is saved, and we start to
develop the mind of Christ. Indeed we are instructed to have the mind that is
ours in Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5).
Recalling Scripture is one
thing, but we also need to understand the words that we are reading and
recalling. This requires doing dictionary meditation. When we are meditating
words in a dictionary, we explore what the words mean in their generic form.
This means finding out the root meaning of the word and exploring how it is
used in other words. As far as English was concerned, this would mean I would
sometimes have to look up the root meaning of five words before I could begin
to conceptualize the meaning of the word I was seeking to understand. This is
often called word study, but I would see it as meditation and reflection. I am
not sure that this is what the Lord wanted me to do when He told me to study
“etymology”,[ii] but
this is what I did. Within six months, my vocabulary exploded and my ability to
understand many subjects increased greatly.
After this, I thought that
I needed to broaden my knowledge further and began reading encyclopedias, as
well as books on religion, philosophy, psychology and related matters. There is
some value in gaining broader knowledge but when it comes to knowing the truth,
much of the information that is available is unnecessary to know—general knowledge
is not the same as specialized knowledge. Nevertheless, once we understand how
principles work then this helps a lot. There is a proverb that says, “Knowledge
comes easy to a person of understanding” (Prov. 14:6). Understanding principles
actually helps in arriving at the truth of a situation very quickly. This is
especially the case when we understand the principles of human behavior. While
the Bible is primarily about God’s purpose in providing salvation for
humankind, it does provide some insight into human nature. Many psychologists
might disagree with this, but sin is at the heart of the human condition. The
Bible not only tells about our spiritual condition but also how we are
constituted; according to the New Testament we possess a spirit, a soul and a
body.
Among theologians, amazing as it
may seem, there are disputes over whether we have a spirit, a soul and a body,
or whether we have a soul and body, or whether we have a body only. When we see
all this disagreement going on, we need to understand who is the author of
confusion and who is his agent. One thing we know is that the Lord is not the
author of confusion. If anyone disagrees with what the Bible says, which bears
witness to Jesus Christ, we know that any person not bearing witness to Jesus
Christ is an agent of the Devil. If the Bible says that we have a soul, a
spirit and a body, then this is what we have. Jesus, even went further, and
said that we have a heart, a soul, and a mind. If we were to take the facts and
put them together, we would conclude that we possess a spirit, a heart, a soul,
a mind and a body. Jesus’ reference to a heart is not a reference to our
physical heart. And although Jesus did not mention a body in this context; He
did mention that we ought to love God with all our strength. Of course, all
this is found in the Old Testament as well as in the New Testament.
Many people think all they have to
do is take a concordance and trace a word and its scriptural references and, by
reading these Scriptures, they understand the subject. Other people think they
are uncovering deep truths when they discover a number of points and come up
with things like the “seven steps to glory” for a sermon. The truth is there is
more to understand than being aware of outlines, for this is what meditation of
the Word is all about. We need to understand how the truths that the Holy
Spirit is teaching us branch out into all aspects of life and how to apply them
in our own lives. This way we are able to gain insight into what we see in the
Scriptures. Insight when understood, enables us to see beyond the superficial
and the spurious, and discover the truth of situations, so we can make a better
decision about any course of action we intend to take.
In the book of First Samuel
(15:23), rebellion is equated with the sin of divination or witchcraft, and
stubbornness with iniquity and idolatry. Basically this means that to rebel is
to reject the wisdom of God; while to be stubborn is to accept the God exists;
but, rather than walk by faith, vain idols and representations within the
natural world are sought. At the root of these two actions is unbelief and
doubt.
While most Christians will accept
unbelief to be sin, they like to think doubt is not a sin. Instead, doubt is
seen as a tool for discovering the truth, and therefore, not a sin. The idea
that because we doubt, we know we exist, resonates through the halls of
philosophical and theological institutions. One Baptist Pastor I heard
preaching, took comfort that he could quote a theologian who claimed that if we
doubt, we do not commit sin. In the New Testament there is much made about God
not hearing the requests made of sinners. Yet according to Jesus, doubt is what
prevents us from receiving requests made of God. This is evident when comparing
the accounts of Jesus cursing the fig tree and Peter walking on water. The fig
tree account is very clear about what is required to perform works such as
Jesus did, for we read:
As they passed
by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away from the roots. Peter,
remembering, said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which you cursed has
withered away.”
Jesus
answered them, “Have faith in God. For most certainly I tell you, whoever may
tell this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and doesn’t doubt in
his heart, but believes that what he says is happening; he shall have whatever
he says. (Mark 11:20-23)
Peter saw Jesus walking on water
and called out to him with a conditional request that if the one who was
walking on water was really Jesus, then all He would have to do is say the word
and Peter would be able to walk on water too. For we read:
In the fourth
watch of the night,[a] Jesus came to them, walking on the sea. When the
disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It’s a
ghost!” and they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them,
saying “Cheer up! It is I! Don’t be afraid.”
Peter
answered him and said, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the
waters.”
He said, “Come!”
Peter
stepped down from the boat, and walked on the waters to come to Jesus. But when
he saw that the wind was strong, he was afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried
out, saying, “Lord, save me!”
Immediately
Jesus stretched out his hand, took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little
faith, why did you doubt?” When they got up into the boat, the wind ceased.
(Matthew 14:25-32)
We see Peter being told that if he
does not doubt he can have whatever his heart desires. However, when Peter
begins to walk by faith towards Jesus, all is well, but when he begins to walk
by sight, he is no longer walking by faith and is doubting the word of God. The
Apostle Paul wrote that whatever is not of faith is sin (Romans 14:23).
People rebel against the truth
because they do not believe, and those who say they believe, but want to see
proof before they make commitments, are doubters. The Apostle Thomas was not
prepared to believe that Jesus had risen from the dead until he had seen him in
person.
Corrie ten Boom is famous for
hiding Jews that were escaping from the Germans during World War 2. Before this, as a teenager, Corrie had heard
of Sadhu Sundar Singh. When Sadhu Sundar Singh visited Europe, she made every
effort to ensure she attended the conference where he was speaking; even though
she only had a blanket and was prepared to sleep on the ground in a field.
Corrie was able to talk to Sundar Singh and told him that she was disturbed by
the fact that she had not seen a vision of Jesus or experienced any of the
miraculous events that he had. She asked Sundar if he knew the reason for this.
Sundar Singh replied to her that she was the real miracle, because he believed
in Jesus only after having seen Him. On the other hand, she believed in Jesus
when she had only heard of Him. Reading the Bible we learn that we are to walk
by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).
While it is true that those who
believe in Jesus by the hearing of the ear are blessed; this does not mean we
do not have to seek Him. If we read the Bible but do not respond to the call of
the Spirit to seek Jesus, then we can easily become guilty of walking by sight;
because we put what we read in the Bible before Him. In doing this we are
committing the sin of bibliolatry, the sin of idolatry. However, reading the
Bible is not walking by sight; especially if we are memorizing Scripture and
putting the truths the Holy Spirit reveals to us into action. One of those
truths is the Bible bears witness to Jesus and instructs how we can be saved by
faith in Him. Once we acknowledge this, we have to act in faith and seek Jesus
out. To say otherwise, and claim that reading the Bible is sufficient of itself
is to commit sin. This is not what an overcomer would do. As the Bible says:
For whatever is
born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that overcomes the
world, our faith. Who is it that
overcomes the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? (1 John
5:4-5)
There was a day when I became fed
up with all the different views on eschatology (the study of the last things)
and sought the Lord to show me the truth about the book of Revelation and what
was going to happen just before (and when) our Lord Jesus returns. Earnestly I
prayed to the Lord God in the name of Jesus. A voice spoke to me and said, “The
first truth is this: get the log out of your own eye.”
At
the time, I was not pleased with the answer. Since then I have come to realize
that God only reveals His truths to us when we are ready to receive them. This
reason we need to start getting the log out of our own eye first is not only so
we can see clearly to take the speck out of someone else’s eye, but, also, to
see what God wants to teach us next. We need to concentrate on getting the log
out of own eye and not bother about what God is doing in someone else’s life.
There is no need to make a crusade out of warning the world about false
teaching; instead, if we are of God, we should be able to demonstrate that we
are lights in a world that is perverted and lost in sin. God is at work in us,
but we have to work out[iii]
our own salvation.
One
day I was reading the Scriptures and God spoke to me about a Scripture in Matthew. It was as if I instantly
understood what the Holy Spirit was saying. Yet what I understood is not how
this Scripture is generally
interpreted. But then the Lord has shown me many things in the Scriptures which
are not found in the many commentaries I have read. For instance, the Spirit of
God revealed to me that prayer, reading the Bible, fellowship, financial giving
and testimony are essential if we are to overcome the Devil. When the Lord
showed me this, I was a young Christian seeking to know the truth as earnestly
as I could. Sometime later, the following Scripture was illuminated to me:
And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe
who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings
out of his treasure what is new and what is old.” (Matthew 13:52)
Immediately,
I understood this Scripture was
referring to our old self and our new self—as in our old nature and our new
nature. Then that very day I went to a library and found a book entitled Your Inner Child Of The Past. From this,
I learnt some valuable truths about how the old nature is formed and various
issues that block people’s development as Christians. In fact, two people in a
congregation of which I was later a Pastor, had personalities that fitted two
of those described by the author exactly. People who read the descriptions of
the eight personalities described in that book, who knew these two individuals,
identified them as fitting the particular profile that described their respective
personality. When we encounter in a book examples of profiles that match
individuals and vividly describe their personalities without the author having
met them or heard of them, we have to admit there has to be validity to the
claims made regarding the reasons for people possessing these characteristics.
The insights gained from this book helped expand on the truths that were
revealed to me by the Holy Spirit regarding this Scripture, even though
commentators might interpret the text in question differently. Others might disregard the elucidation of the
subject matter as inadmissible because it came from a secular source. While it
is true this knowledge came from a non-biblical source, it has proven to be a
reliable source of further enlightenment—which just goes to show that we should
be careful not to throw out the baby with the bath water.
The Lord can illuminate certain truths from
the Scriptures and sometimes we can find additional information outside of the
Bible that benefits us by being instructive in practical outcomes. However, the
more we keep to the Scriptures, the least likely we will be led astray.
Some
psychologists refer to people’s belief systems as script. If we are to be
overcomers, we need a new script to help us to be transformed by the renewal of
our minds. The best way to do this is to renew our thinking by memorizing and
meditating Scripture. In order to do
this we also need to understand the meaning of the words we are memorizing and
meditating.
The
question of biblical scholarship was raised by one person reading this
manuscript. While it is acknowledged that there has been a need for people to
translate the Scriptures into various languages, so those who do not understand
the original Greek and Hebrew can have access to the Scriptures, biblical
scholarship that extends beyond this is not necessary for a person to overcome
the devil. The most critical element in overcoming the devil is to possess a
transformed mind. As the Apostle Paul wrote:
Therefore I urge you, brothers, by the
mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to
God, which is your spiritual service. Don’t be conformed to this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the
good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:1-2)
Noteworthy
are the words “that you may prove…the will of God”. This is the great adventure
on which we embark when we become a Christian, to prove the will of God in our
own lives, and develop the mind of Christ. Tragically, too many people claiming
to be Christians do not believe this is possible and are always quoting
Scriptures about being wicked or ungodly. This is because they are living in
the flesh and trying to do things on their own strength. However, when we read
the book of First Corinthians, we learn this:
But we received, not the spirit of the
world, but the Spirit which is from God, that we might know the things that
were freely given to us by God. Which things also we speak, not in words which
man’s wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual
things with spiritual things. Now the natural man doesn’t receive the things of
God’s Spirit, for they are foolishness to him, and he can’t know them, because
they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual discerns all things,
and he himself is judged by no one. “For
who has known the mind of the Lord, that he should instruct him?” But we have Christ’s mind. (1 Cor. 2:12-16)
When
we becomes Christians by being born from above, we are like babes that have to
learn things of which we had no knowledge. Too many think they can transfer
their worldly understanding across to the realm of the Kingdom of God and this
will suffice. Consequently, we find people disagreeing with what the Bible
states: that we can possess the mind of Christ. Those who do, have learnt how
to overcome the devil.
The LIVING WORD OF GOD
He
is clothed in a garment sprinkled with blood. His name is called “The Word of
God” (Revelation 19:13). For the Word of
God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing
even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and is able
to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart. There is no creature that
is hidden from HIS sight, but all
things are naked and laid open before the eyes
of Him to whom we must give an account (Hebrews 4:12-13).
Pearl of Great Price
[A
Merchant] who having found one pearl of great price, he went and sold all that
he had, and bought it (Matthew 13:46). Now the parable is this: The seed is the
word of God (Luke 8:11). I
have written to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I
have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God
remains in you, and you have overcome the evil one (John 2:14), having been born again, not of
corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of God, which lives
and remains forever (1 Peter 1:23). Of
his own will he gave birth to us by the word of truth, that we should be a kind
of first fruits of his creatures. Therefore, putting away all filthiness and
overflowing of wickedness, receive with humility the implanted word, which is
able to save your souls. James 1:18, 21)
Written Word of God
He
who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” He said,
“Write, for these words of God are faithful and true.” He said to me, “These words are faithful and
true. The Lord God of the spirits of the prophets sent his angel to show to his
bondservants the things which must happen soon”(Revelation 22:5-6). I am a
fellow bondservant with you and with your brothers, the prophets, and with
those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.” I testify to everyone who
hears the words of the prophecy of this book, if anyone adds to them, may God
add to him the plagues which are written in this book. If anyone takes away
from the words of the book of this prophecy, may God take away his part from
the tree of life, and out of the holy city, which are written in this book.
(Revelation 22:9, 18-19).
Spoken Word of God
And
that most of the brothers in the Lord, being confident through my bonds, are
more abundantly bold to speak the word of God without fear (Philippians 1:14).
Remember your leaders, men who spoke to you the word of God, and considering
the results of their conduct, imitate their faith (Hebrews 13:7). For it is sanctified
through the word of God and prayer. (1 Timothy 4:5)
The Message
He
called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and thecan’t be broken)(John
10:35). But as many as received him, to
them he gave the right to become God’s children, to those who believe in his
name: who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will
of man, but of God (John 1:12-13). But he answered them, “My mother and my
brothers are these who hear the word of God, and do it” (Luke 8:21). When they
were at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. They
had also John as their attendant (Acts 13:5). He lived there a year and six
months, teaching the word of God among them (Acts 18:11). For we are not as so
many, peddling the word of God. But as of sincerity, but as of God, in the
sight of God, we speak in Christ (2
Corinthians 2:17). For this cause we also thank God without ceasing, that, when
you received from us the word of the message of God, you accepted it not as the
word of men, but, as it is in truth, the word of God, which also works in you
who believe (1 Thessalonians 2:13). When he opened the fifth seal, I saw
underneath the altar the souls of those who had been killed for the Word of
God, and for the testimony of the Lamb which they had (Revelation 6:9).
Without
prayer, nothing is possible. But with God all things are possible. All things
are possible to those who believe.
[i] Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
[ii] At the time, I did not know what “etymology” meant. Fortunately when the Lord was speaking to me, the word “etymology” appeared in writing within my head, otherwise I would not have known how to spell the word. “Etymology” is “the study of the origin and history of words.”
[iii] Work out our own salvation is not the same as work for our salvation.
Other works by the Author:
The Only Words Written By The Finger Of God
Lucifer’s Arch Rival: The Lord of the Sabbath
How To Have An Effective Bible Study
You Will Know Them By Their Fruits
How To Shine Like A Star
The Milk Of The Word
Jacob’s
Trouble
The Prodigal Son
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