OK so I think my blog might be changing directions for a few posts. I've got some things to say based on some things that have come to my attention lately regarding things that can be subtly accepted into a believer's life that lead down a path of serious error. The enemy is so subtle.
A good quote Elizabeth Prata taken from my friend Glenn's blog: “You shouldn't accumulate knowledge just for the sake of knowledge. Once you know something is true or false, you have a responsibility to do something about it. You have a responsibility to praise the Savior if you find a true teaching, but if you find a false teaching you have to say something about it, as well.”
So here is the tip of the iceberg of what I need to say:
1) Experience does NOT triumph over objective and Biblical truth
Turning to our feelings and experiences and believing them rather than to the Word of God in a way is like turning from sound Biblical teaching. Our experiences MUST be rooted in God's truth and experience is something that must be evaluated with much caution and certainly not immediately trusted in. Experience must never contradict scripture. Unfortunately and wrongly so, your experiences may get given a higher priority by you than by what the Word of God says. Just because something looks and feels good doesn't mean it is good, Biblically sound, or even right..
Instead of looking toward experience, Turn deeper into studying the Word.
2) The Bible is NOT going to suddenly start meaning what it has never meant--people can make the Bible mean whatever they want it to, especially if they take verses out of context and/or throw "allegorical meaning and interpretation" to it--and yes this is rampant in certain circles today that claim to be evangelical.
SO PLEASE use correct hermeneutics and Bible study methods--and if you don't know what that means, take an opportunity to learn how to study the Bible correctly. Yes context, history, word definitions from the Greek/Hebrew, among many other factors really DO matter in how Scripture is interpreted.
3) There is NO such thing as an "elite group of believers" that is more "special" or that receives "more special revelation" than the rest of us
No where in Scripture is there a mention of an elite group of believers--this kind of thinking is very cult-like God does not show partiality. Furthermore, if you are deceived into having an us vrs them mentality or you are deceived into thinking that you have information that other believers don't, its like you;re saying Scripture isn't enough and have to have more information from elsewhere or from experiences. God takes those who add or take away anything from Scripture very seriously. There is NOTHING as believers that we have to try to 'get" that we have not already received from the Lord. In Christ we ARE complete
4) The danger of trusting in man
People can be easily deceived and think they are not trusting in man but when you take someone's word for something doctrinally without checking it out against scripture first or maybe you've heard it enough times that you start believing it you're trusting in man in a sense----following another person is really dangerous and is NOT something as believers that we should be deceived into. This is what the Lord said about those who put their trust in man-very serious words.
Jeremiah 17:5-9
This is what the Lord says:
“Cursed is the one who trusts in man,
who draws strength from mere flesh
and whose heart turns away from the Lord.
who draws strength from mere flesh
and whose heart turns away from the Lord.
That person will be like a bush in the wastelands;
they will not see prosperity when it comes.
They will dwell in the parched places of the desert,
in a salt land where no one lives.
they will not see prosperity when it comes.
They will dwell in the parched places of the desert,
in a salt land where no one lives.
“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in him.
whose confidence is in him.
They will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.”
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.”
The heart is deceitful above all things
and beyond cure.
Who can understand it?
5) As I already stated--the Enemy is so subtle!
Satan masquerades himself as an angel of light and his deception can be so subtle.
and beyond cure.
Who can understand it?
5) As I already stated--the Enemy is so subtle!
Satan masquerades himself as an angel of light and his deception can be so subtle.
May this be our prayer and desire so that we are not enticed by those who offer teachings out there to tickling ears!
1 comment:
Excellent post, Crystal. The more people this can get out to, the better. Christians are being too easily deceived by the many wolves out there.
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