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[Audio can be downloaded here: http://www.imssdarm-au.org/audio/2010%20Sabbath%20Sermons/Saltless%20Salt.mp3 ]
SALTLESS SALT
Matthew 5:13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
Jesus Christ is very good at taking volumes of knowledge and putting it down into a sentence. To impart a vast amount of knowledge and put it in such precise illustrations.
Matthew 5:13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
So much knowledge but yet it’s capsulated in a parable. It is the privilege of you and me to take these capsulated sayings that are full of huge dimensions like a seed is full of an oak tree and to get into that and understand all the DNA, all the information within this small capsule. It is our privilege to do such things.
I thank the Lord for his simple word that even a child can understand. Yet it is so that the wise of the world can’t comprehend it.
The beginning word ye, who is he talking to when he is preaching on the sermon on the mount? He is speaking to all sorts of people but the you referred to here is not necessarily the people but what is described in the previous verses.
Jesus’ Famous Sermon
Matthew 5:3 Blessed [are] the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
5:4 Blessed [are] they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
5:5 Blessed [are] the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
5:6 Blessed [are] they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
5:7 Blessed [are] the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
5:8 Blessed [are] the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
5:9 Blessed [are] the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
5:10 Blessed [are] they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Notice how he changes who he is addressing now;
Matthew 5:11 Blessed are ye, when [men] shall revile you, and persecute [you], and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
5:12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great [is] your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
5:13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
Who is the you? He describes some characteristics. The poor in spirit, the meek, the poor in heart, these people are the salt of the earth. We see Jesus describing his own characteristics, the characteristics of the father.
Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit
Was Jesus poor in spirit?
2 Corinthians 8:9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.
Jesus Christ made himself poor. He made himself have a great need and that great need was his father in heaven. He hungered and thirsted after him. He had a need. Poor people have needs and Jesus had a need.
Blessed Are They That Mourn
The smallest verse in the bible says and Jesus wept.
Blessed Are the Meek
Jesus says I am meek and lowly in heart.
It says blessed are they that thirst and hunger after righteousness.
Blessed Are They Which Do Hunger and Thirst
Recall the woman at the well. Jesus was journeying a long way from Jerusalem and he comes to this well at lunch time. He was walking with his disciples and he was thirsty and a woman comes and he asks can I have some water to drink? While he was there the disciples went off to get food as Jesus was thirsty and hungry. The whole town came out to see Jesus;
John 4:31 In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat.
They had come back with food and Jesus was busy ministering.
John 4:32 But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of.
4:33 Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him [ought] to eat?
4:34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.
The question is, did Jesus get any food? No. Did Jesus get the drink of water that he wanted from the woman? No. But was he satisfied? Yes. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst. Here was Jesus doing the work of the Lord giving salvation to others and he was satisfied.
These are attitudes are nothing less than the attitudes of Jesus Christ.
Blessed Are the Pure In Heart
Was Jesus pure in heart? It says we should be pure even as he is pure. When it came to the people he was talking to the unconverted, it says the heart is desperately wicked, above all things, who can know it?
The pure in heart are those who have had a heart change.
Blessed Are the Peace Makers
Jesus was the prince of peace. Blessed are they that are persecuted for righteousness sake. Jesus said if they persecuted me, they will persecute you.
The beatitudes are the attitude of Jesus Christ and the people who have this are blessed and they are the salt of the earth.
Jesus speaks again of salt;
Mark 9:49 For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.
9:50 Salt [is] good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.
What is Jesus equating salt to? If it is saying you are the salt of the earth it is talking about those born of God. What does it mean to be salt? Every sacrifice shall be salted with salt. Have salt in yourselves and peace with one another. Every sacrifice of the Hebrew economy, did it have salt? We can see what God had expressed in this symbolism. Jesus wasn’t saying anything new in the Sermon on the Mount, he was expounding on what was taught of old.
Leviticus 2:13 And every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat offering: with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt.
How many offerings? With all thy offerings. There was salt even in the offering of wheat. It was to be offered with salt. The burnt offerings of lamb and goat were offered with salt. The shewbread was offered with salt and even the incense. Salt had to be offered in every service of God.
Numbers 18:19 All the heave offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer unto the LORD, have I given thee, and thy sons and thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever: it [is] a covenant of salt for ever before the LORD unto thee and to thy seed with thee.
The Covenant of Salt
In the Hebrew custom they used salt to perform the marriage ceremony. Salt is made up of how many elements? Two. Sodium and chloride. One has a positive and one has a negative charge. They come together and are so stable. They love each other. It can’t explode on you, it is not aggressive it is stable. When it comes together they love each other and it is symbolised in the marital relation of male and female coming together and it is stable.
In the marriage ceremony each company was to take a vial of salt of their own and the groom was to have a jar of salt as well. Those two salts at the time of ceremony were to be poured together crossing over each other into the unified bowl. All the grains of salt crossed over and mingled into one bowl. They could only divorce if they could get their bits of grains of salt out of the bowl. It was so intertwined that there was no ability to separate it anymore. Till death do us part? That was the tradition of their culture. But the salt also had symbolism in relations to enemies and friends.
It is still practised today in Palestine that when there is a problem both lick the same bar of salt and the term is, is there salt between us? Jesus said have salt in yourselves and peace with one another as the covenant of salt was the covenant of peace.
Salt is the blending of two elements together. One is negative. Chlorine is green and stinky. Isn’t that like us? We are green and stinky and always negative. This world is so negative that in the electrical terms when you want a negative charge you call it earth because that is what earth is, always a negative but God is wanting to put a positive with us, it is called the divine nature. He brings salt, Jesus Christ God with humanity, with one being. Who is the salt of the earth? Is it Jesus? He said you are the light of the world but isn’t he the light of the world?
Jesus in the beatitudes was giving a display of the character of God. You are partakers of the divine nature and you have a positive charge with a negative charge and it neutralises all your problems.
What God is promising to do?
2 Chronicles 13:5 Ought ye not to know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, [even] to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?
David was given the kingship over Israel and his sons. Who was the son of David? Jesus Christ and the kingship that comes to Jesus Christ was forever as there was a covenant of salt made up on it. Jesus came and connected with us and became our king, the second Adam, the ruler of this planet. This is the covenant that I would dwell in and walk with them and be their God and they would be my people. That was the covenant given to Moses and Abraham. From the seed of Abraham everyone would be blessed.
Salt was used in every department of God’s orchestration.
Mark 9:49 For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.
Jesus knew what had been done in the past of intermingling the two in one.
Mark 9:50 Salt [is] good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.
Jesus is describing that salt is to be in you and it is to effect others. Jesus and the covenant of salt and peace he made;
Ephesians 2:12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
What is lacking to make them aliens? Christ or without Christ it says. If you don’t accept Christ, you are not part of Israel. Without Christ, we are aliens. It’s just like chlorine, if you don’t have Christ you are just a green negative stinky thing, it’s all you are.
Ephesians 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
2:14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition [between us];
2:15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, [even] the law of commandments [contained] in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, [so] making peace;
He brought two elements and put them together and he made peace. When you look at a negative and positive, are they opposite? Yes. Through Jesus Christ he is bringing them together and he is making salt and they connect so well.
This word both is talking of Jews and gentiles. Both need to come to God. Was there a problem between Jews and gentiles? Absolutely there was a wall of partition. Is there a problem with someone else in the church of a different character? Perhaps you have a problem with different races of the world. When Jesus brings different people of the world he is bringing man and man together reconciling both unto God.
Ephesians 2:16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
Did Jesus Christ only bear in his body the Jewish sins? He bore the sins of every nation kindred and tongue of people. In Jesus there is an incredible unity in this salt. It was to symbolise that two can become one.
Ephesians 2:17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
Jesus had to come and preach the salt message to both Jew and gentile as they both didn’t get it. In Jesus there is a unification of your nature with divinity. In Jesus divinity rules humanity. When Jesus says have salt in you what is he saying? Have the divine nature rule in you.
When we look at these two elements, sodium in our body gives our body the ability nutrient into the cell. If you don’t have salt you will die.
In Europe there was a salt famine from a flood and there was no salt and many people died because of a salt famine. Unless you have salt it can’t take nutrients into the cell. If you don’t have chlorine you can’t absorb salt.
There are nutrients going around in the sacrifices, the shewbread, the sacrifices in information but without the salt it was a form. Don’t let salt be lacking in your service to God. You can sing wonderful hymns, read amazing scriptures but not one nutrient will go into your cells. What is the point of it? Food is wrecked because of the lack of salt. So with the scriptures all the nutrients are gone.
Ye Are the Salt of the Earth
It is good for nothing. This peace that we are to have with one another is the salt that is to be in us. Salt can blend in different flavours of food and it tastes nice. The divine nature is the only way you can have unity with one another, it is impossible otherwise. Have salt in yourselves.
Are you having problems with other people? Have salt in yourselves, have the divine nature in you.
This divine nature is manifest in God’s people. Was God manifest in Jesus? Phillip says show us the father. Jesus said;
John 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou [then], Show us the Father?
If we are to walk in Jesus footsteps and someone says show me Jesus and if you say haven’t I been with you so long can’t you see him? We are to work the works of God.
God Made Jesus Palatable to Us
Why has God bestowed upon humanity the work of God? He wanted to connect these two elements as sodium by itself will kill. If you eat chlorine on its own it will kill you. If God was to come without humanity could he save anyone? If he didn’t come into humanity we would all drop dead. God had to come in humanity to make it palatable to us. Without the divine nature is chlorine good for us? Could God send some prophet who was through and through with no divine nature but would that save us? Can the arm of flesh save? It has to be the atonement of Jesus to make any sense in your life.
You are the salt of the earth if you have Jesus in your heart so when people see your good works they will glorify the Father in heaven. Salt is pure. It has some amazing properties to cleanse and heal.
Matthew 5:13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
Did you notice in the ye are those who accept Christ? They are the salt being the divine revelation of man of the earth which means it is to be spread abroad. Are you the salt to yourself? You are the salt of the earth. There is one lesson we need to learn and the reason why God disposes something upon you or me.
Why does God give saltiness to the salt? Can you imagine this planet and ocean without salt? Salt can preserve. In fresh water lake there is allot of algae but in the ocean not as much. Salt is for the purpose of blessing something else. You are the salt of the earth. Why has God wanted to dwell with you? Just to make you his special friend?
There was a man many years ago and his name was Abraham. The record of Abraham is that he is the friend of God. Abraham had the covenant of salt. But yet there is no recorded that they physically did the salt thing as you don’t have to do the salt thing to be salty.
The everlasting covenant was giving to Abraham. Salt can last forever. If you find a salt mine under the earth how long has it been there? it is just as fresh as the day it was put there. it is everlasting, it doesn’t go off.
Abraham was given this covenant and the Lord chose Abraham. Was it to be his special friend? Is that the only reason? What was Abraham chosen for? To be the special medium, the medium in which God wanted to dispose his whole blessings to the world.
Galatians 3:8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, [saying], In thee shall all nations be blessed.
Who has been justified by faith? The heathen. Did Abraham partake of the divine nature yes or no? Christ said Abraham saw my day and was glad. Abraham partook of it in its depths so he would bless the earth. Abraham was given this promise for the sake of the whole world. Why are you given spiritual gifts? For yourselves? for the sake of the whole world. T hat is why we have gifts. Not for ourselves but for others.
Galatians 3:9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.
If you partake of that blessing, blessed are. Blessed are those who have the divine nature, you are blessed with faithful Abraham. You are the child of Abraham. God says I will make your seed like the sand of the sea. Does that have salt in it? If you don’t have salt, are you the seed of Abraham? Yes or no? What was Jesus lesson to the Jews when he was speaking? If the salt loses it savour, wherewith shall the earth be salted? How shall the nations be blessed? A salt crystal has many elements and if you take the sodium chloride it still looks like salt. The sodium chloride which is the divine human nature of Jesus Christ, if that is taken out of the worship we have, is it good for nothing? Is a form of religion useless? Absolutely.
Jesus is speaking to the Jewish nation and us today, if the salt loses its flavour wherewith shall it be salted? I read that it being the earth but when I read it again, my wife read it that wherewith shall the salt have its saltiness again? If the salt loses its saltiness how can you salt anything?
How can earth be blessed if humanity doesn’t partake of the divine nature? If you go to someone and you want to minister to them with no divine nature can you help them? You can’t Jesus calls it the blind leading the blind.
But if you have salt, it does amazing things. In Sodom and Gomorrah God said if there are 10 grains of salt in the city I will save it. That was Lot, just one. The angels that are going to smite the earth, trees and land say hold till the servants are sealed. If it weren’t for God’s people this earth would already be destroyed.
The divine nature in humanity has a preserving power. It also has the ability to create thirst. How do you make a horse drink salt? How do you make someone want Christ? You need the divine nature in you. People look at each other and at Christians who argue and say I don’t want to be like that as there is no thirst. But when a soul has the divine nature and you are seasoned with salt, it makes others thirsty. They then go to the well and drink of the living water.
There are many reasons why salt can help. When Jesus says you are the salt of the earth, but if the salt lost its flavour. Can salt lose its saltiness? Have you ever gone to the cupboard pulled the salt out and it doesn’t taste salty?
We don’t know it as much as we have refined salt. In Jesus time there was the dead sea with much salt but they had to ignore the salt on the surface as they had to go deeper. Sodium and chloride can be dissolved. Salt can hold the look of salt but it has been dissolved. The dirt and moisture takes the saltiness of the salt. But while ever kept away from the elements of the world, salt will always be salty.
In the last days perilous times shall come, men will be lovers of themselves having a form of saltiness but denying the power thereof. They have a form of Godliness but no power. To have a form, to have a system of religion without Godliness, without the power of God, is useless. To have a church committee meeting and disfellowshippments without salt it is useless. If the salt has lost its savour, it is cast out. It is put on the street. You can’t do anything with it.
Jesus was trying to illustrate to the Pharisees that their religion was useless and today he is teaching the same lesson. Unless you have the divine nature in everything you do, you are wasting your time.
Abraham Had Salt
Romans 4:3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
4:9 [Cometh] this blessedness then upon the circumcision [only], or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.
4:10 How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.
4:11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which [he had yet] being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:
What is that saying? Abraham received the blessing of the circumcision of the heart although outwardly he wasn’t circumcised so he could be the father of those who aren’t circumcised in the flesh.
Circumcision is known as baptism in the New Testament. To be baptised isn’t necessarily the issue. It is to be salted. To receive that which baptism represents before you are baptised, is that possible? The thief on the cross, was he baptised physically? No. Was he baptised spiritually? Yes. So who is the child of God?
Judas was baptised but he wasn’t. Jesus said to Judas that it was better he hadn’t been born as his form of baptism availed nothing but the thief on the cross believed and it was done for him.
When we look at religious forms let us always have salt in our minds about religious forms. Was it necessary for Abraham to be circumcised? He was. But he got the promise before he was circumcised to how he can be the father of the uncircumcised. The form doesn’t do it for you but the salt, the divine nature does it for you and the baptism is just a testimony to that. We have become like Pharisees coming to church and doing forms. It is wrong.
Romans 4:13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, [was] not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
This promise of being the salt of the earth, is it done by ecclesiastical power or by faith in righteousness? How do you become the salt of earth? By joining a particular group or by having the salt in you? By the law on the paper that says this is true, this is done in the parameters of church manual, does that do it for us? So many times we are connected that everything needs to be done by the law but not by the Ten Commandments but by the law of ordinances.
Romans 4:14 For if they which are of the law [be] heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:
4:15 Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, [there is] no transgression.
4:16 Therefore [it is] of faith, that [it might be] by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,
4:17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, [even] God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.
Worldliness disqualifies from being in heaven. Worldliness elements if they take the divine nature from you, disqualify you from being salt. He that is a friend of the world is an enemy with God.
If you are a friend of the world, you have lost your saltiness. Is it possible to lose your salvation once you have been salted? It is a fallacy to believe that once your are saved you are always saved. You can lose your saltiness and then be cast out as useless.
A grape vine if it doesn’t bear grapes what good is it? Can you build a house from it? It’s useless. If you had a dog that didn’t bark, what use is that? What use is light that is dark? That is what he says, you are the light of the world but if the candle be hid. It is the same illustration. How do you feel when you turn on your flash light and no light comes. It makes no sense. A light that is dark is useless. What is the use of a bottle that is broken? A wine skin that is burst? What use is that? Where does the wine go? On the ground. What is the use of a talent put into the ground?
What is the use of a Christian that doesn’t affect other people’s lives? You are the salt of the earth. What use are we if we don’t’ affect other people’s lives? God has given something to us not for us to keep. In giving it we can have this covenant that is friendship to God.
May the Lord give us grace to have salt and peace with one another.
Amen.
By Paul Godfrey
http://sabbathsermons.com/2010/02/20/saltless-salt/
-Cindy deVille. (June 8, 2008).
Preface: This is a very intense word and I will not make any
excuses for the Spirit of God or attempt to manage Him. I will tell
you though that this word came from the depths of God’s heart. I
felt the same zeal and love that I believe drove Jesus to cleanse
the temple. His presence was very heavy upon me as I wrote this…
Judgment Is Coming to the Pulpits of America
“The zeal for My house has consumed Me says the Spirit of God!
The love for My people has overtaken Me!
Therefore I will begin, I will begin, I will begin says the Spirit of God.
I will begin now to cleanse My house, I will call out and I will bring
judgment, I will enter in and begin in the pulpits of America! The
fear of Me shall hit the five-fold ministry, it will cause many to
shudder as I utter My judgments.
The five-fold ministry shall see My judgments.
Those who presume to speak for Me with hidden sin,
they will see judgment come to them, swiftly and suddenly!
Those who think they can live in sin, be My mouthpiece and stand
in My Holy place with the mask of deception on their face, they
shall see My swift judgments! It shall be like an earthquake, and
everything shall shake!
Everything shall shake. For I will have My way!
This is a day when I will not tolerate their sin anymore!
NO MORE, NO MORE says the Spirit of the Lord!
For I am coming to My temple and with a great roar!
I will bring fear back to My house again
and I will confront and remove the sin
that many in the pulpit are living in!
And some shall be examples as Ananais and Saphira.
All that can be shaken will be shaken.
For I will have a Holy people, a Holy nation.
I will have a Glorious Church and I will remove everything and
everyone standing in My way. For this is a new day!
You say mercy, mercy, grace, grace
and you think that will erase the hidden sin you continue to live
and revel in!
I will have it no more! Your words are nothing to Me, it is your
actions that I see! You have trampled on My grace and made a
mockery of My mercy and you have taught My people the same
and now My name is shamed! Now My people think that I am
OK with sin, You have opened the door and let it into My sanctuary,
into My Holy place, You have made My house one of disgrace.
You have defiled My house and defiled My people! The sin is
destroying My people, destroying My Church and destroying your nation!
I am done with you, and I will have it no more!
No more mercy and no more grace, for you come near to Me with
your words but your heart is far, far from Me.
Do you not know that I see everything?
You cannot fool or deceive Me as you do My people,
For I AM the God of all truth and I will deal with you!
For I AM a Holy God and My sanctuary shall be holy, and
I WILL HAVE A HOLY PEOPLE that they might bear My Glory!
They shall be holy unto Me, therefore I must remove the unclean things!
I will raise up and I will bring down!
I will remove apostle, prophet, pastor, teacher, evangelist from the
pulpit, those in the five-fold ministry who are defiling My house and
defiling My people. I will have it NO MORE, NO MORE, says the
Spirit of the Lord.
My judgment is coming to the pulpits of America.
I will judge, I will cleanse, I will purify!
I have seen in secret and I will reward you openly!
I will expose your sin.
You have fooled My people but you have not fooled Me says the
Spirit of God, for I see all things! I see what you have done behind
closed doors and I say to you, I WILL HAVE IT NO MORE! For
judgment has opened the door and is coming in.
These are not mere words that I speak to you, but watch Me, says
the Spirit of God, I will perform My word, and you will know the fear
of Me again. For I am the Lord of Glory and this is not as before,
this is not as before, this is not as before!!! I am coming to deal
with the sin in the pulpits of America, I am coming in to deal with
you! I will have it no more, no more says the Spirit of the Lord!
For I am warning you says the Spirit of God,
do not step up to the pulpit with hidden sin in your life,
for you may not live to see another day
for I will have My Church, My way, says the Spirit of Grace.
This is not a game, this is not a game!
All the earth shall know My name!
I am not playing games!”
SOURCE: shekinahtoday.org/sktPW_Judgment-Puplits.htm
Jesus Christ calls the Church to repent—from what?
When Elijah appeared in the era of the Old Testament, he told the Israelites—God’s people—to repent from idolatry and to return to the Lord. Hundreds of years later John the Baptist appeared in the spirit and power of Elijah in fulfillment of Malachi 4:5 just before the coming of the Messiah. His message to God’s people the Israelites was, like Elijah’s, one of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
Today, perhaps on the cusp of the Messiah’s Second Coming, the spirit and power of Elijah is again being sent to God’s people. When he comes, we will again preach repentance to the Church to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. From what are God’s people being called to repent in preparation for the Second Coming?
To five of the seven churches he addressed in Revelation, Jesus said “repent.” Although he also commended some of them for some positive things they had done, he was generally not satisfied and had words of rebuke for them. To five of the seven churches he also said, “I know your deeds.” Genuine saving faith must result in deeds; without works faith is dead.
The apostle Paul to his disciple Timothy
1 Timothy 4:16 Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.
Paul teaches that salvation is a result of close attention to right living and right believing, and persevering in them. Unfortunately in the Church today, the emphasis is usually on other matters. We are taught that after we repeat a sinners’ prayer from our heart, we have received a guaranteed one-way ticket to heaven. Our eternal inheritance in heaven having been settled once and for all, we can turn our attention to living a “successful” Christian life on earth. We are taught through an endless series of sermons, seminars, conferences, and Bible studies how to overcome obstacles in life—admittedly real-life obstacles—in order that we may live happy and productive lives. Regardless of what our varying roles on earth may be—as a man, as a woman, as a breadwinner, as a husband or a wife, as a parent or grandparent, as the child of elderly parents, as a businessman, and so forth—there is a teaching for us which will enable us to be fruitful and successful in those roles.
There are also teachings to help us to know God better and more intimately. But what is their purpose? Do they result in right living and right believing by which we can save ourselves, or do we receive them so that we can receive more earthly and spiritual blessings from God here on earth?
The desire of most Christians today
Most Christians today desire to have a good livelihood with which we can raise our children to fear the Lord in a happy and healthy home environment. We want our children to be intelligent and to do well in school and eventually to graduate from good universities and to get good, well-paying jobs. We want them to find a God-fearing spouse from a good family, and to bear beautiful and intelligent grandchildren for us. Of course we will be serving God faithfully in our home church all our lives, whether as an usher, deacon, or elder. Then we will breathe our last and die at a good old age and full of years; and like Abraham be gathered to our people.
We can argue that Christians today desire all or some of the above blessings for themselves on earth. While the Old Testament does indeed speak of such blessings for the righteous, they unfortunately do not comprise the central message of the New Testament. Instead, the blessings described above comprise essentially the Christian version of “the American Dream.” It has its roots in the Old Testament. We know that the Old Testament is but a shadow, and that the New Testament is the fulfillment of the shadow which consists of Old Testament types. It is foolish to chase after the shadow when we can have the fulfillment. It is foolish to focus on temporal blessings in this life when eye has not seen and ear has not heard what God has prepared in heaven for those who love Him.
What is the central message of the New Testament?
There are many Scripture verses to choose from, but here are two passages which we can agree are representative of the central thrust of the New Testament. The first passage is from Peter, and the second is written by Paul.
2 Peter 1:5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
…10 Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, 11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
1 Timothy 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. …I charge you 14 to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,
…17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
The New Testament occasionally speaks of God’s blessings in this life, but far more emphatically on preparing for the next life in the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are to live a certain kind of life here on earth in order to receive a rich welcome and to take hold of the life that is truly life.
Some may argue that leaders and full-time servants of God (“clergy”) like Peter and Paul of course had to have such spiritual and high-minded perspectives. Moreover, each was not far from martyrdom and entering eternity when they wrote their respective epistles referenced above. Certainly the Lord would not require ordinary church-goers and disciples to hold to the same standard. But as we shall see later in this article, the Lord rebukes us also for this kind of teaching and thinking.
False teachings
New Testament epistles also warn us again the false teachings which have proliferated within the body of Christ.
2 Timothy 4:3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.
We can reasonably conclude that right living and right believing in view of the Lord’s appearing and our eternal reward is the central message of the New Testament. Unfortuantely this is not the primary message we hear from pulpits today.
Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness
Does God want to provide for our varied and diverse needs in this life? Yes, He certainly does. We can be more fruitful for God when we are delivered, healed, restored in accordance with our needs, and content with our lives. But it should arguably not be in the way that the Church emphasizes today. Instead of the endless seminars and teachings and programs we attend to learn how to receive God’s blessings and provision here on earth, Scripture is rather quite succinct.
Matthew 6:31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
When God’s kingdom has come into our lives, we will obey His commands. We will seek to extend His kingdom and His rule on earth. Moreover, “His righteousness” refers not only to the attributed righteousness which comes by faith alone, but also to the practical righteousness by which by His grace we actually become holy as He is holy. If we are truly disciples of Christ, we should believe and obey the command to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. He is truly faithful and will indeed provide for us. We and our family are personal witnesses of His faithfulness.
A church founded by Paul compared to the churches of today
Let’s compare the churches of today with a church founded through the teaching of the apostle Paul—the Church at Ephesus. Unlike the kind of teaching that is prevalent in the Church today, Paul’s teaching did not prepare believers to live a “successful and fulfilled life” on earth. Rather he taught believers how to live their lives on earth in preparation for the age to come. Was the Church at Ephesus more pleasing in the sight of God than contemporary churches today? In Revelation Jesus gives the Ephesian Church mixed reviews.
Revelation 2:1 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands: 2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.
4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. 5 Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. 6 But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
The practices of the Nicolaitans which Jesus hates are not clearly understood today. According to one interpretation, the meaning of the original Greek for this term is “rulers of the people.” The Nicolaitans taught an unscriptural division between the priests and the laity. If this interpretation is correct, Jesus hated the practice of establishing a separate and professional priesthood who would rule over the people in an unbiblical way.
The Roman Catholic Church fell into this error. Perhaps the mention of the Nicolaitans in Revelation was a veiled prophetic reference to the Roman Catholic Church to appear a few centuries later. Has the modern Protestant Church, the offspring and beneficiary of the great Reformation half a millennium ago, finally free from the error of the Nicolaitans? No, it’s clear that the contemporary church is not. We still make the very clear distinction between full-time professional “clergy” who are paid for their services and the “laity” who sit in the pews and are the beneficiaries of the services of the clergy. Jesus commended the Church in Ephesus for rejecting the practices of the Nicolaitans. His words to the Church in Laodicea—perhaps representative of the church today—were as we shall see later very harsh by contrast.
The Church in Pergamum rebuked for Nicolaitan practices
Perhaps not coincidentally, the third Church in Revelation, the Church in Pergamum, was rebuked severely by Christ for having tolerated the teaching of the Nicolaitans.
Revelation 2:12 “To the angel of the church in Pergamum write:
These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. 13 I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives.
14 Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality. 15 Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
The Church today should repent of this teaching.
The Church of the last days?
Some believe that the seventh church of Revelation refers to the Church of the last days.
Revelation 3:14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. 15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.
19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. 20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.
21 To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
Believers today have largely lost their focus on their eternal reward in heaven, preferring instead to concentrate their attention on God’s earthly blessings. But although we may be wealthy in terms of earthly assets, we are poor and pitiful in the sight of God. He sees us as lukewarm since we have largely ignored the central message of the New Testament. How has this state of affairs in the Church today come about?
A class of paid professional clergymen and women
It likely has to do with the teaching of the Nicolaitans which has created a class of professional clergymen and clergywomen mostly called “pastors.” (The United States government abets in this by providing special tax benefits for such religious professionals.)
Each pastor leads his own congregation. As a member of the community of professional clergy, a pastor is under great pressure to see his congregation grow in size. His self-esteem and the honor accorded him by the community of pastors (and usually even his income as well) will usually be directly related to the size of his congregation. It’s not difficult to see that a pastor will look for effective ways of increasing his numbers under the guise of “winning the lost” and then bringing them into the fold.
The rules are the following. The lost must hear the gospel presented in some fashion or another. Then they are challenged to repent of their sin and to accept Christ as Lord and Savior. To do this they repeat a “sinners’ prayer,” after which they are assured that they now have a guaranteed one-way reservation to heaven. Then they are encouraged to go to church to be discipled by the pastor or one of his leaders. A pastor is always happy when this happens; the more the better.
A faulty foundation
However, there are problems with this approach which may be symptomatic of an underlying foundation which is faulty. First, the message of the gospel is usually presented with persuasive words of human wisdom and without a demonstration of the spirit and of power. The lost are told that God loves them and that He has a wonderful plan for their lives. God wants to bless them, restore them, and make everything right for them. Some preachers will even tell them that God wants all His people to be materially rich on earth. Such messages are very appealing to desperate and needy people, and can even appeal to the flesh. It is a good marketing tool for growth. People will come and the church can grow. The pastor is happy and gives praise to God.
Then the new Christian is incorporated into the church as a member and attends discipleship classes. Eventually he is encouraged to take advantage of the many classes offered in the church for him to “mature” as a Christian. While a few classes will teach him how to know God better, most will enable him to be more successful in his life as a Christian on earth. The hope is that the new Christian will find a comfortable home in the church. Even better, he or she will eventually serve God in some capacity in the church—of course under the leadership of the full-time, professional pastor. In this way, the church can continue to grow. The “back door” is closed. Pastors are generally not happy when people leave their church, although there may be occasional exceptions.
What’s not to like about this approach?
The fundamental flaw with this approach is that it is based on the teaching of the Nicolaitans. A professional clergyman, whose performance and competence are judged by his peers in terms of the size of his congregation, is always on the lookout for the latest technique or approach which will result in church growth. Such techniques can involve a “seeker-friendly” approach to church or a ministry that can satisfy the “felt needs” of the people. These approaches will almost always concentrate on people’s earthly needs or desires. They will teach people how to be happier and more successful on earth as Christians. This is what “sells” and brings the people.
As we have seen, however, this is precisely not the central focus of the New Testament. Instead, Scripture teaches us to live holy, fruitful, and productive lives on earth in light of and in anticipation of our appearing before the Lord when we will receive our heavenly prize.
Colossians 3:1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.
We see that the teaching of the Nicolaitans which creates a separate class of paid professional clergy has ultimately resulted in a church whose focus is on earthly things and earthly success. Interestingly, this church bears an eerie similarity to the end time Church of Laodicea, rebuked severely by Jesus for its spiritual lukewarmness and spiritual poverty despite its material wealth.
Since the Lord loves us, he rebukes and disciplines us. We are to be earnest and to repent. He stands at our door and knocks. Are we going to hear his voice and open the door for him?
The link between the teaching of the Nicolaitans and the teaching of Balaam
The teaching of the Nicolaitans, moreover, can arguably be linked to the teaching of Balaam for which Jesus rebuked the Church in Pergamum. Balaam was the prophet of God who could be hired for his services. In this life, it is reasonable that a person’s financial remuneration as an employee be tied to his job performance. For a class of paid professional clergy, the same rule will naturally apply. His job performance will likely be evaluated primarily by the growth of the church under his tenure. The more souls he can draw to join the church, the greater will be the income of the church. And since “the hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops,” the salary of the pastor will follow and be increased by the church board (or even by the pastor himself, depending on the structure of the church).
It is not a great leap from this to the teaching of Balaam, where the love of money overcomes the desire to serve God in sincerity and in truth. Of course, we are aware of Paul’s instruction to Timothy regarding workers deserving their wages.
1 Timothy 5:17 The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. 18 For the Scripture says, “Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages.”
However, giving a love offering to an elder is a far cry from the formal system of a paid professional class of religious leaders in part supported by the federal government with tax relief benefits, and where financial reward is based on performance and numbers. Such a system has already been infiltrated by the pernicious teaching of Balaam.
Over 450,000 churches in the United States
According to some estimates, there are over 450,000 churches in the United States. This may not include the many “churches” not registered with the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3) church organization. Imagine for the sake of argument that each one of these churches is led by a paid professional pastor, a human being who is subject to the flaws and temptations of the Nicolaitan system. Even though he understands from the Great Commission that we are to preach the gospel to every creature and to disciple all nations, he must nevertheless deal with a flock with needs and demands on a daily basis. His job is not to disciple them and then to send them out of the church to proclaim the kingdom of God, but rather to keep most of them in the church in some capacity so that the church can grow big in numbers. To this extent he unconsciously keeps the believers dependent on him to some degree. (After all, no one wants to work themselves out of their job.)
The Nicolaitan system essentially keeps believers from growing up in all things into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. We end up not discipling the people to maturity and then sending them out of the church as laborers for the gospel to the lost. We instead keep them bottled up—most of them little more than infants with retarded development—in an institution called the local church. Is it any wonder that under the Nicolaitan system the 450,000-plus churches in the United States have failed miserably to fulfill the Great Commission? Not only that, this system provides just the right environment where the teaching of Balaam can thrive and corrupt the Church of Jesus Christ.
We must repent from the teaching of the Nicolaitans and from the teaching of Balaam before the great and dreadful day of the Lord. Only then will be Church be capable of fulfilling the Great Commission.
—From one who has ministered as a street preacher, a foreign missionary in the Third World, a local pastor in the USA, an evangelist, and now a teacher.
William Lau
Dear friends, put your trust in the Lord for He has accomplished your salvation from sin.
The most important thing is to repent and confess your sins so you can be cleansed. {1 Jn.1:9} If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. When you have confessed your sins, you must confess the savior. Repentance means in Greek to “change your mind” so you must now believe the good news which has power. {Rom.1:16} For I am not ashamed of the gospel (good news): for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth…
The very good news is that Christ bore your sins away at the cross and you don’t have them any more! Yes, the ones you struggle with now are gone. {1 Pet.2:24} who his own self bare our sins in his body upon the tree, that we, having died unto sins, might live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed. The demons no longer have power to keep you in bondage through your faith that Jesus took your sins away. {Col.1:13} who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love. Through this teaching you are free from sin and those who kept you in bondage. {Rom.6:17} But thanks be to God, that, whereas ye were servants of sin, ye became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching whereunto ye were delivered; {6:18} and being made free from sin, ye became servants of righteousness.
Now you must cast down false imaginations that you are still in bondage to these sins. These thoughts are strongholds of the enemy. {2 Cor.10:4} (for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the casting down of strongholds), {10:5} casting down imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. If you continue to believe the enemies lies that he has power to keep you in sin you are giving him authority through negative faith in him to rule you. Yes, we can empower the enemy through faith for Jesus said, “as thou hast believed, [so] be it done unto thee” and “according to your faith be it done unto you.” We have authority through our faith, good or bad, to bind or loose the enemy. {Mt.18:18} Verily I say unto you, what things soever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and what things soever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
You must use the promises of God like a two edged sword to cut sin and the curse from your lives. {2 Cor.7:1} Having therefore these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. If we endure the trial of our faith reckoning that what God says is true sin will not reign over us. {Rom.6:6} knowing this, that our old man was crucified with [him], that the body of sin might be done away, that so we should no longer be in bondage to sin . . . {6:11} Even so reckon ye also yourselves to be dead unto sin, but alive unto God in Christ Jesus. {6:12} Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey the lusts thereof: {6:13} neither present your members unto sin [as] instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves unto God, as alive from the dead, and your members [as] instruments of righteousness unto God. {6:14} For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under law, but under grace.
If we are double minded by believing God one moment and believing the enemies lies the next we will not overcome. {Jas.1:6} But let him ask in faith, nothing doubting: for he that doubteth is like the surge of the sea driven by the wind and tossed. {1:7} For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord; {1:8} a doubleminded man, unstable in all his ways. If we believe and act on our faith victory is ours. {Rom.10:10} for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. However if in our thinking and actions we add or subtract from the Word, we permit the enemy to keep us under the curse. {Rev.22:18} I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, if any man shall add unto them, God shall add unto him the plagues which are written in this book: {22:19} and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the tree of life, and out of the holy city, which are written in this book.
If you do get double-minded, confess your sin again and start over believing only the Word. Sometimes it takes practice, like learning to walk. 
)
If you have not been baptized please read this.
Here is more teaching on our perfection that was accomplished at the cross.
Love from your servant in Christ,
David
In the midst of this worldwide “shaking of all things,” what is God’s great concern in all of this? Is it on the events of the Middle East? No. The Bible tells us God’s vision is trained on his children: “Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy” (Psalm 33:18).
Our Lord is aware of every move on the earth, by every living thing. And yet his gaze is focused primarily on the well-being of his children. He fixes his eyes on the pains and needs of each member of his spiritual body. Simply put, whatever hurts us concerns him.
To prove this to us, Jesus said, “Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28). Even in the midst of great world wars, God’s primary focus isn’t on the tyrants. His focus is on every circumstance in his children’s lives.
Christ says in the very next verse: “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father” (Matthew 10:29). In Christ’s day, sparrows were the meat of the poor and sold two for a penny. Yet, Jesus said, “Not one of these small creatures falls to the ground without your Father knowing it.”
Jesus’ use of the word “fall” in this verse signifies more than the bird’s death. The Aramaic meaning is “to light upon the ground.” In other words, “fall” here indicates every little hop a tiny bird makes.
Christ is telling us, “Your Father’s eye is on the sparrow not just when it dies but even when it lights on the ground. As a sparrow learns to fly, it falls from the nest and begins to hop along the ground. And God sees every little struggle it has. He’s concerned over every detail of its life.”
Jesus then adds, “Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows” (10:31). Indeed, he says, “The very hairs of your head are numbered” (10:30). Simply put, the One who made and counted all the stars—who monitored every action of the Roman Empire, who keeps the galaxies in their orbits—has his eye fixed on you. And, Jesus asks, “Are you not worth much more to him?”
How is it that we have only one Jesus and one Bible, yet there are world wide an estimated 36,000 denominations who call themselves “Christian”? Every one of those 36,000 denominations claim to have the truth and they can prove it from their Bibles. How can it be that we have only one Holy Bible and over 36,000 different divisions within the Church? The only reason that a new denomination is started is because we feel the one that we’re currently a part of, just doesn’t quite have all the truth so we start our own. Why is it that our churches and denominations have such division? We have only one God and one Jesus Christ so why the division, why such varying opinions as to what the Bible really says?
So how do we find that real truth which God has hidden within His Holy Scriptures; how do we know when we’ve found that real truth that seems to be so elusive? Today we’ll look at several ways in which we can find the real truth and how we can know that it’s really God’s truth and not mans.
Truth Detector #1 –Do you have a repentive heart?
Have you ever met a person who is so close-minded and stubborn that their mind can never be changed, even when they’re proven wrong? They believe what they believe and they will never change their mind. That is a person who does not have a repentive heart.
Having a heart that is able to repent is the foundation to finding real truth within the Scriptures. Without a repentive heart you’ll miss the truth, even when it stares you straight in the eye. What does it mean to have a repentive heart? Most people look at repentance and think that it means to confess our sins and turn from them. That’s only part of it, the Greek word for repent is “metanoeô” which means to change one’s mind or change your way of thinking. So not only does repent mean to change your mind about sin, but it means that when you’re reading the word of God, you repent and change the way you think. You change your thinking from the way you used to think according to this world to what Jesus thinks and acts like according to the Word of God. That’s why Jesus said, “I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:5). Jesus says that unless you change your way of thinking, you will perish. If we have a repentive heart, we’ll have a heart and mind that’s always being renewed by the Word of God. (Romans 12:2) do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. If we have that repentive heart, we will not be anchored into a belief that we are not willing to change. The evidence of a repentive heart is that we will always yield to the Word of God and listen to that still small voice.
Scripture says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105). This world that we are traveling through on our way to Heaven is a very dark and evil path. We must let the light of the Word illuminate our way. On this journey there will be many obstacles that we will have to yield to. There will be potholes, branches, streams, rocks and even bends in the road. If we don’t yield to these obstacles, we’ll either go down the wrong path or be injured along the way. The Word of God, it’s a light unto our path and we must continually change our way of thinking when we read it. If we’re not willing to repent and change our way of thinking as we read the Word of God, then we’re not letting the Word light our path we will never find the real truth. If we can’t lay down our old way of thinking about what we’ve learned in “religion”, then we may as well stop right here and read no further.
For those who can set aside their “religion” and what they’ve been taught by man, in exchange for what God would teach them in His Word, let’s continue. “For the word of God is living, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow (Hebrews 4:12). The Word of God is designed to mold us more and more into the image of Christ. If we don’t have an open heart of repentance we will not be transformed into that image of Christ (2 Cor 3:18).
Truth Detector #2 –Have you prayed for wisdom and understanding?
The most neglected and underutilized way of getting truth and understanding is to simply ask in prayer. “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5). Scripture confirms that it’s not us who gets wisdom or understanding on our own, it’s God who gives it to us. “Only the LORD give you discretion and understanding” (1Chronicles 22:12). Yes, we can find many witnesses throughout Scripture that confirms that it’s God who gives us understanding and not us getting smart by our hard work or effort. (Job 32:8) But it is the spirit in man, the breath of the Almighty, that makes him understand. God is the one who gives us both understanding and wisdom. (Proverbs 2:6) For the LORD gives wisdom from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; (7) he stores up sound wisdom for the upright“… So if it’s truth and understanding that you’re looking for, we must do as the psalmist David did and pray for it. (Psalm 119:34) Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart… (73) Your hands have made and fashioned me; give me understanding that I may learn your commandments… (125) I am your servant; give me understanding, that I may know your testimonies!…(130) The unfolding of your words give light; it imparts understanding to the simple… (144) Your testimonies are righteous forever; give me understanding that I may live. (169) Let my cry come before You, O LORD; Give me understanding according to Your word. Once you’ve prayed and asked the Lord for understanding, then it’s time to search for God’s truth using the third truth detector.
Truth Detector #3 – Your “truth” must fit together with the other persons “truth”.
With so many different beliefs as to what truth is, how do we really know if we have it? Some will say that the Bible is subject to each ones interpretation and that’s why there are so many differing opinions. (2 Peter 1:20) No prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation. How can Scripture be a matter of interpretation when the God we serve is a God of truth? God is not a God of confusion and Scripture confirms that the Word is for teaching and training. (2 Timothy 3:16) All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness. You cannot teach from the Scriptures unless you have the truth; not your interpretation of truth, but the real truth from God. On any given topic in the Scriptures, there may be two or three opposing doctrines for that same topic. Each person who “feels” they have the truth, can go to the Bible to support their doctrinal belief and tell you exactly why they believe they have the truth.
So how do we find the real truth? Although many on both sides of each issue can use the Bible to back up their beliefs, there can only be one truth and we cannot have two so-called “truths” fighting against each other, or you simply do not have the truth. For example, If your belief is that we have free will and it fights against Scriptures that say we do not have free will or vice versa, then we don’t have the truth. If you cannot explain and fit your Scripture into the other person’s Scripture, then yours is not truth. The Holy Bible is the Devine word of God and there’s only one truth. Only when you can fit and explain the others person’s seemingly contradictory Scripture into yours, do you have God’s truth.
Truth Detector #4 – God doesn’t change, it’s happened before.
If you think that you have biblical truth, then what you believe your Scripture to say must have already happened before. (Ecclesiastes 1:9) That which has been is what will be, that which is done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. (10) Is there anything of which it may be said, “See, this is new”? It has already been in ancient times before us. If you have a point that you’re making from Scripture, then you should be able to find it other places within the Bible. If it’s truth, it’s already happened in some type or example before. That’s why the apostle Paul said, “For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction” (Romans 15:4). Paul says in (1 Corinthians 10:11) “Now these things happened unto them by way of example and they were written for our admonition.” Yes, the Scriptures were written for our instruction and our warning. For an example, let’s say that you have what you feel is the truth about baptism and that it should be done when you’re an infant. If that’s true, then we should be able to search the Scriptures and find it elsewhere. We should be able to find examples of infants being baptized throughout the Bible. If we cannot find our so-called “truth” in a command or an example of it happening before, then you don’t have the real truth. The reason is because God doesn’t change, and if He hasn’t done it in the past, He’s not doing it now. “For I the LORD do not change” (Malachi 3:6). “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines” (Hebrews 13:8,9). Because God doesn’t change and because He’s the same in the New Testament as He was in the Old Testament, we can make sure that we don’t get “carried about with various and strange doctrines.”
Truth Detector #5 – Have multiple Scriptures that back up your “truth.”
Have you ever met someone who takes one Scripture out of the Bible and makes an entire doctrine out of it? Even though it cannot be backed up by any other Scriptures, they believe they have the truth. We find over and over in the Bible that God says you need more than one witness to find the truth in a matter. (Deut 17:6) On the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses the one who is to die shall be put to death; a person shall not be put to death on the evidence of one witness. God has set out that the truth is found when you have more than one witness. (Deut 19:15) “A single witness shall not suffice against a person for any crime or for any wrong in connection with any offense that he has committed. Only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established. We have the Apostle Paul saying the same thing about the Word of God. (2 Cor 13:1) At the mouth of two witnesses or three shall every word established. Even Moses when he came down the mountain with the Ten Commandments, had two witnesses. Do you remember the TWO tablets of stone? They were often referred to as the testimony (Hebrew witness) of God. The word of God itself in the Bible has two witnesses, the Old and New Testament. Before Jesus would come, He sent out two witnesses before every city He was about to go. (Luke 10:1) After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. So the bottom line is that if you think you have the truth according to the Scriptures, you need to have more than one verse that states your case, because the Word says that “the sum of your word is truth” (Psalm 119:160), and not just part of the Word.
Truth Detector #6 –How is a word used throughout the Scriptures?
(2 Timothy 2:15) Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. Is the word of God accurate? We know that God’s word is Divinely inspired, but only in its original form. The original manuscripts are 100% accurate, but the further you get from these original manuscripts, the more errors and mis-translations you find. For an example, we all have respect for the King James Version and for the most part, it’s very accurate. Although it’s highly respected, it was translated from the Geneva Bible, which was translated from the Great Bible which was translated from the Tyndale Bible which was translated from both the Vulgate Bible and the Ancient copies, which were copied from the Most Ancient copies which finally was copied from the original manuscripts. So here we have the 7th generation from the original and ample time for man to subtly make a few changes. Whatever the translation you read, it will have some errors, not God’s errors but man’s errors. For an example the original 1611 King James Version was revised in 1613, 1629, 1638, 1644, 1664, 1701, 1744, 1762, 1769, 1850, and 1885. Which of these was the “only inspired Word of God” ? The fact is, none of them. God does not make mistakes, yet there were over 75,000 changes made in the KJV from 1611 to 1885! As man translates the Greek to English or the Hebrew to English, man’s doctrines and beliefs tend to creep in. Man adds a word here and takes away a word there, indiscriminately fitting it into what they believe it is saying according to their doctrine. They don’t purposely try to change God’s word, yet it’s done.
This is why you must search the Scriptures and find how this same word is used throughout the entire Bible and not just in your “pet” verse that may explain your truth. By looking at the same word throughout Scriptures you should get an accurate meaning for what that word really means. (Isaiah 28:9) “To whom will he teach knowledge, and to whom will he explain the message? Those who are weaned from the milk, those taken from the breast? (10) For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little.” To get the real truth, you must look at that same word in the Greek or in the Hebrew. Only then will you understand if the translation is accurate or not. If you’re not sure how to find the Greek or Hebrew word I suggest purchasing a concordance or download a free software program called E-Sword, www.e-sword.net. The truth is in the Bible, it’s not in one’s opinion or interpretation! If you’re willing to search for the truth and come to God with a pure repentive heart, you will find truth because God will reveal it to you.
(Hosea 4:6) My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee. When we stand before the Lord, we will have no excuses. All our lives we have had the source book of truth readily accessible to us. Are you reading and studying the Word, or are you depending on your pastor to give you the truth? You are the one who is responsible for your own salvation, only you. That’s why Scripture says that we must “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12).
Mark, a servant in the Lord, www.heavenshelpers.org
Questions/Feedback – email me: mark@heavenshelpers.org
