Interpreting Scripture

Taken from Quora post by Steve Sorrell. 










The Holy Spirit guides us as we interpret the Scriptures. He does not necessarily interpret Scripture for us, for disciplined study is required. I do not mean everyone has to know Greek and Hebrew, only that you read the Bible everyday beyond just a devotional study. Devotional reading is personal and wonderful it is where the promises come to life, but this can not be all you do.

The Bible deserves endless reading and must be reread over and over again to understand its depth. A person who only sees the literal meaning of Scripture just needs to learn the principles of Biblical interpretation.

The Early Church Fathers taught “when the plain sense of Scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense.” So we should take everything at its ordinary and literal meaning unless the facts of the context indicate to us something different.

The Bible also speaks in different genres mostly figuratively, hyperbolic, metaphoric, in similes, in symbols, apostrophe, personification, in types, in parables, paradox, pun, irony, allusion and allegorically.

beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep‘s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from vessels? So, every sound tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears evil fruit. (Matt. 7:15–17)

The true teachers only want to edify the body and strengthen the brothers and sisters.

Some examples in the Bible:

Metaphors are words or phrases literally denoting one kind of object or idea is used in place of another to suggest a likeness or analogy between them.

You are the salt of the earth. ( Matt. 5:13)

I am the light of the world. (John 8:12)

I am the door. (John 10:9)

I am the bread of life. (John 6:35)

We know Jesus is the spiritual door to new life, and not a literal door. He is spiritual food (bread) not literal bread.

SIMILE- brings two objects together to show their similarities: “cold as ice” white as snow” smooth as silk” The Apostle Paul used a simile to discribe the serious believe when in Ephesians 6, he called them “soldiers.” It is the image of spiritual warfare that is conveyed.

We are to “share in the suffering of a good soldier of Jesus Christ” and we are reminded that “ no one serving in the army gets entangled in everyday affairs, for the soldiers goal is to please the enlisted officer” (2 Timothy 2:3–4) Paul called his fellow workers Epaphroditus and Archippus “fellow soldiers.” (Phil. 2:25, Philemon 2, 1 Cor. 9:7)

Hyperbole is an exaggeration for effect and is used symbolically to prove a point. Why beholdest the mote that is in thy brothers eye, but considereth not the beam that is in thine own eye? (Matt 7:3)

Symbolism is any detail in literature which in addition to its own meaning stands for something else. The book of Revelation has many symbolic phrases. He who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God; …and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God. (Rev. 3:12)

Types are found in the Old Testament with there fulfillment in the New Testament. It is described in Scripture, “A shadow of things to come” (Hebrews 10:1); (Colossians 2:17) (the type and the anti-type do not agree in all things, but are similar.)

Parables are comparisons that convey truth. They are short fictitious narratives from which a moral or spiritual truth is drawn, such as the parables of Jesus.

Apostrophe is where the writer addresses someone absent or something nonhuman as if it were present or human and could respond to the address.

I will ransom them from the power of the grave, I will redeem them from death, death, I will be thy plagues, O grave, I will be thy destruction, repentance shall be had from mine eyes. (Hosea 13:14)KJV

Allegory is a work in literature which some or all of the details have a corresponding other meaning and refer to either a concept or historical particular. (Galatians 4:21–31)

now these things are being treated allegorically, for these are the two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, giving birth to slavery -this is a Hagar. (Galatians 4:24)TLV

Allusion as a reference to past history or literature.

for as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish three days and three nights so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. (Matt. 12:40)

Personification is a figure of speech in which human attributes are given to something nonhuman, such as animals, objects, or abstract qualities.

but when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his immersion, he said to them, “you brood of vipers! who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? (Matt. 3:7)


Scripture must be compared with scripture.

A good understanding of the human condition and human experience is useful when reading the Bible.

The Apostle Paul stated that salvation is by faith (Romans 4:5), while James says, “By works a man is justified, and not by faith only.” (James 2:24)both are right. Faith is by faith alone, and James warns against an alone faith. One condemns works without faith and the other faith without works. We learn by studying parallels of verses and their word order. I personally lean toward faith alone, but seek the balanced life of faith and works. Works do not aid salvation in my humble understanding of Scriptures.


Bible interpretation is not mechanical the Holy Spirit is involved and must be considered the great interpreter who leads us into all truth. There are many things to consider before you give your opinion to what the Bible actually says. Our opinion does not really matter at all. We must check our own motives and let the biblical text speak for itself.

Many people claim to be lead by the Holy Spirit. Why do two different people, both claiming to be lead by the Holy Spirit come up with two different interpretations of the same Scripture? Personal bias, religious background conditioning, secret agendas, lack of in-depth study, could be some of the reasons, but without a deep love and reverence for Scripture, the Holy Spirit is not that active. The Bible has its own Spirit, this is the best way to read it.


The more study one is prepared to give to the Bible the more one will get from it.

God gives us light (divine revelation) without which we can not fully understand His Word.

“ Light first shines into the spirit,(human spirit) but God does not purpose to have the light remain there. He wishes this light to reach the understanding. After light has reached the understanding, it no longer passes away but can be fixed. Revelation is not permanent in nature, it is like lightning which flashes and passes away. But when light shines a man’s understanding takes it in and knows its meaning, then the light is fixed and we know it’s content. When the light is only in the spirit it comes and goes freely, but once it enters our thought and understanding it becomes anchored. From then on we are able to use the light.“- Watchman Née (from The Ministry of God’s Word pg.146.)

We must be ministers of the Word to strengthen the Body of Christ.

Oh how I Love Your Word it is my meditation all day long. (Psalms 119:97)e/pr5

Why Believe In Eternal Security?

Why I Affirm Eternal Security

Dated May 1999 @ Discovery Church, Hastings, MN 55033

In spite of the fact that I believe in the assurance of one's salvation, I do not want to give either false assurance or a sense of insecurity. The apostolic injunction to make one's calling and election sure is to be noted (cf. 2 Pet. 1:10) and only after one is confident of his salvation and has made his decision for Christ to accept Him personally and believes in his heart does he have a right to speculate about whether he can lose his salvation. The question is raised by those who base their assurance on subjective experience rather than on the Word of God.

Some people claim to have been saved over and over again and have made countless dedications and re-dedications or commitments. At a recent "Arise with the Guys" evangelical outreach featuring Tony Dungee et al., a few hundred were "first-time: decisions. God makes it clear that He wants us to know for sure that we are saved(2 Pet. 1:10) and John says in 1 John 5:13 that He wants those who believe in the name of the Son of God may know that they have eternal life.

We must distinguish between conjecture and certainty. I am not an expert in epistemology, but we cannot know in an absolute sense anything that requires faith, but here is a faith-knowledge that is "the assurance of things hoped for." There is no certainty in religion and in a works religion, you can never know for sure. Charles Swindoll says that one can never say how much works is enough or how little is enough to lose it. Ignorance is not bliss! God wants us to be in the know. Swindoll says we should know the "value of knowing the scoop!" If we can lose our salvation then we really cannot know for sure but only hope. God doesn't want us to say: "Well, I hope I go to heaven!"

Our salvation cannot be forfeited, to put it bluntly. To state the doctrine in plain terminology: "Once saved, always saved!" A cute way of affirming that apostasy is never the lot of the believer is to say that "if you have it, you never lose it; if you lose it, you never had it!" The Calvinists referred to the doctrine as "perseverance." This is more correctly termed "preservation" because God really preserves us more than we keep ourselves. Note that God doesn't give us permission to give up and go back into sin (cf. Romans 6:1).

The doctrine is commonly called "eternal security." I do not have this as my hidden agenda, but I see this as vitally important to the understanding of soteriology. One will never really grow until he has ascertained his salvation and rests in the faith and accepts Christ's work on his behalf as "finished" and a done deal. If our salvation was not a continuity, we could not be certain whether we were saved. By definition of the term "eternal life," we must assume that one's life cannot be terminated and is not "temporary salvation" but "everlasting salvation (cf. Heb. 5:9; 9:12).

There are extremes in the spectrum. For instance, the antinomians believe that you can do anything you want to as long as you simply believe. The legalists believe that you have to do this or do that plus believe and they are adding to the work of Christ and not believing in grace alone, faith alone, and Christ alone. The Quietists believe we should "let go" and "let God" and deny any cooperation in our sanctification, the Pietists like the Amish believe in the exertion of human willpower and effort to sanctify and do not become grace-oriented.

I deem this doctrine important because I first started to understand the Scriptures after I comprehended God's grace. I had been confirmed a Lutheran and had rededicated myself at a Billy Graham Crusade, but I never had assurance. In the Army, I met up with some Navigators (a parachurch organization) and God led in the right direction.

Catholics, I found out, deny assurance, as well as security and call it the sin of presumption. They say you cannot know for sure unless you have a special divine revelation to that effect. I am told that this is the born-again experience, if you will, and would agree with that. Catholics believe in sacramental theology and divide sins into mortal and venial categories. Some sins are egregious enough to kill the grace of justification and one must do penance to be restored. "Penance is the second plank of salvation for those who have made shipwreck of the faith," according to R.C. Sproul. Man is "incurably addicted to doing something to get saved"; however, Christianity is about receiving a gift not earning merit. We are saved by faith alone, but not by a faith that is alone, the Reformers affirmed. We receive salvation, we don't earn or deserve it.

Assurance is necessary for our "well-being" but one doesn't necessarily have assurance as a fruit of conversion or of the Holy Spirit. It is not of the essence of faith since sometimes doubt and faith coexist and assurance is intermittent, not frozen in concrete, so to speak. God doesn't require perfect faith, but sincere and unfeigned faith. Assurance is not a sin but a duty and it is the link to our sanctification. Growth results from this awareness. But let's not be subjective and base our assurance on some past experience, such as raising our hands or walking to an altar. Let's base our assurance on the Word of God, which is objective and reliable and performs its work in us who believe. True assurance is based on the Word of God coupled with the testimony of the Holy Spirit--that's why we must search our hearts and examine our fruit.

This doctrine wasn't really articulated by Augustine but really developed in the Reformation. It was developed at the Synod of Dort (ca. 1618-1619) and Calvinists and Arminians took issue with it against each other immediately. Even though Jacob Arminius wouldn't go so far as to say that one could lose his salvation the Arminians objected. The Wesleyans and Lutherans followed suit. The Lutherans made salvation contingent upon continued faith. The doctrine was articulated in The Westminster Confession, ca 1646, which is very eloquent. It must be noted that assurance and security go hand in hand and if you deny one, you must deny the other to be consistent.

Now the question arises about those who apostatize: First John 2:19 makes it clear that some commit apostasy or fall away, but those were "not of us." Some so-called people profess faith but later repudiate it and do not endure. They are like seed that doesn't take root. Some people do lip service to Christ and honor him with their lips, but their hearts are far away. The believer can fall but not absolutely. His fall is only temporary. Jesus prays that our faith will not fail. Some are saved "as if by fire" or by the skin of their teeth, but they do make it, even if they get no reward or lose the reward. There is a sin unto death as punishment, but no sin unto hell. To sum it up: their departure manifested their true state, but we shall be kept in the Father's hands. Jesus said, "He that comes to me I will in no wise cast out."

There are many inferential proofs that make it clear that salvation is eternal and permanent. King David never lost his salvation but only prayed for the joy to return. We can grieve the Holy Spirit and lose our joy, but not the Holy Spirit, which will never be taken away from us. The Holy Spirit is the "earnest of our inheritance and is given a "pledge' and "seal." God is the ultimate Promise Keeper. Salvation is a covenant and God will not renege. We are adopted as children and cannot be un-born. We are His sheep and Christ will not lose any of His sheep. We are born of "imperishable seed" and "salvation is of the Lord" (not of our efforts). Our salvation doesn't depend upon our free will but on God's immutable decrees. "We are born, not of the will of the flesh, nor the will of man [cf. John 1:13]." "It is not of him that runneth, nor of him that willeth, but of God, who shows mercy [cf. Rom. 9:16]."

The objections to this doctrine are that it leads to indolence, smugness, complacency, and false assurance or license to sin. But only when one realizes the grace of God and has experienced the peace of God can he have the good works." "For we are created unto good works." We are His handiwork and He is the Potter, while we are the clay. Some think the doctrine violates Scripture. They usually point to Judas or Saul and make false conclusions. The Bible never says Saul lost his salvation, and never says Judas was saved. "He that endures to the end shall be saved is not a proviso, but a veiled promise of endurance.

I agree with Martin Luther that we should base our doctrine on the Bible and not on some experts or scholars. The Reformation cry was "Sola Scriptura" or Scripture alone. If one doesn't realize salvation he can lose orientation, therefore we need the helmet of salvation for battle. Moreover, we are to "work out our salvation with fear and trembling" and this implies a spiritual workout to prove it and make it real. Some of us really need a spiritual workout. Soli Deo Gloria!

Do You Know Your Place In The Church? ...

Many believers do not recognize their place or gift in the body. One needs to experiment and try different services or opportunities to see how God uses or blesses you. You do not tell God that you refuse to serve in an individual capacity because you do not think you have that gift. You also should not have gift envy and wonder why you are not gifted like someone else nor even expect others to have your gifting and be able to walk in your shoes. You don't need this gift projection either; i.e., gift projection.  Remember, we are all on the same team with one mission statement and vision of fulfilling the Great Commission with a great commitment. 

We must show faithfulness in little to be faithful in much and rewarded. God the Holy Spirit equips each believer as He sees fit and enables each to do God's will effectually. What it boils down to is not ability but availability! We will be judged by our faithfulness in what God has gifted us, not its success. Note: we all have different gifts but the same Spirit! And we aim and strive for the greater gifts with the spiritual ambition of a noble thing, such as to prophesy or edify the church. 

You must decide whether you want to be a part of the solution or part of the problem. That is the dichotomy! A Christian who will not serve is a contradiction in terms and only those who serve Christ know true peace and fulfillment. There may be two types of Christians questioning their church body's functionality or effectiveness. One says, "What is wrong with this church?" and says, "You are wrong!" Another one says to God, "God can you fix the church?" and God replies, "That is why you are in it!" Either way, we must learn to serve God and labor in the Lord trusting in what He tells us and taking it to heart. Let us be faithful to our heavenly vision and calling and fulfill our ministry. 

We must be the reason people believe in God and be positive witnesses and be the only Jesus some may ever see or the only sermon they may hear! What they see ought to be what they get! We do much harm to our witness and jeopardize our testimony's credibility if we do not live up to it and live it out faithfully! Are you part of the problem or part of the solution?    Soli Deo Gloria! 

Was The Apostle Paul A Christian?

 It has been disputed even today whether Paul was an apostle or one duly appointed and even an inferior one at that. Paul was so questioned about it that he wrote 2 Corinthians to refute the idea in chapters 10 and 11 he makes his case. What else is an apostle but one who has seen the risen Lord, can do miracles, signs, and wonders, and is personally appointed by the Lord Himself?  But the contention was that Paul was just a troublemaker, not a peacemaker, a divider, was always in trouble with the law or in jail, got shipwrecked, stoned,  beaten with rods, unpopular, left for dead, gone without food,  not an uniter, and a poor preacher and even too hard to understand and didn't get along with Peter or other apostles even disputing with Barnabas. 

We see believers do likewise today thinking that if you haven't achieved the American dream or are not a success in the eyes of the world, then you are not measuring up as a Christian and not be one at all, especially if bad things happen like divorce, bankruptcy, unemployment, disease, disability, or trouble with the law.  The proliferation of prosperity theology is appalling and widespread and is popular as even the mention of the word "sin" is considered a killjoy and taboo.  What we must learn is that we are not to cash in on our spiritual lottery ticket but learn to be content in whatever circumstance God gives and be thankful to be in God's will.  

But we must realize that hardship is par for the course in our Christian experience of hard knocks and the spiritual adventure and road to Reality 101 learning. In short, we are not promised a bed of roses and our life is no rose garden. We can have just as many hardships as an unbeliever. It is written that the Jews thought they were immune to disaster or calamity by virtue of being God's people but had a wake-up call during the Babylonian captivity. It is true God can and does put a hedge of protection around us but God can allow short-term evil for long-term good; look at Joseph saying, "You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good." and also Job saying, "Should we accept good times from the LORD and not evil times?" 

We are to judge Paul by his writings which Peter called "scripture" despite being hard to understand. He is the one we owe our understanding of the gospel message.  Paul is the one who preached to the Gentiles and founded more churches than the other apostles in Europe and Asia. But we must put his life into the perspective that Jesus said he would suffer 'great things for Him." Paul said it was a privilege to suffer for the sake of the Name. Paul wrote at least 13 epistles and is considered the chief New Testament writer. 

What About The Hard Sayings Of Jesus? ...

And after some disciples heard these sayings, they no longer followed Him..... Jesus never made it easy to be a follower of His and stipulated strict guidelines and requisites like denial of self, and having first priority in our hearts so much that we "hate" our parents. He also said that we "cannot come to the Father unless it has been granted.." We cannot believe in Jesus apart from grace ("Apart from Me, you can do nothing...." "This is the work of God... that you believe in Him whom He has sent."). St. Augustine of Hippo said it well: “God command what you will, but grant what you command…” If we can turn over a new leaf, make a New Year’s resolution, Boy Scout pledge, or AA pledge to change our lives, what good is regeneration? God must change us from the inside out!

What good is regeneration if we can accomplish this of our own strength and without grace working in our hearts? God opens the door of faith and kindles it within us as He quickens our dead spirit. This is called "lordship salvation" as opposed to "easy-believism" or that commitment to Christ as Lord is not required for salvation. We must receive Him for who He is! Jesus never watered down His message, contextualized it, nor dumbed it down, but told it as it is in straight talk and calling a spade a spade. He never minced words or made it easy to follow Him but discouraged half-hearted disciples who may have admired Jesus but were not ready to lay down their lives for Him.

For instance, no fornicator, murderer, liar, drunkard, homosexual, thief, or swindler will get into the kingdom. But with all these requirements, we cannot change ourselves but we must be willing to let God change us: we come as we are, but do not remain that way due to the grace of God working in our hearts. What good is regeneration if we can believe apart from it or conversion if we had the power to transform our lives ourselves? The whole point of the gospel is that God changes us and we become new creatures in Christ: a changed life as a testimony!

Salvation must be grace from beginning to end: "Salvation is of the LORD," (Jonah 2:9) and that means we do not contribute anything to our regeneration and conversion. Therefore, it is not of us and God nor of us alone but of God alone! It is the work of God on our behalf who gets the glory. Soli Deo Gloria!

From Faith To Faith

 We do not stand still in the Christian life we are either going forward or backward we are not treading water walking; you can walk backward and you can walk forward but you cannot walk and place. That's why it says we go from faith to faith our faith grows that's why it's called a growing living faith because something in his life grows. We must be willing to walk with God by faith through thick and thin with our dynamic faith growing as we come to know God personally come what may as it were. We all have a spiritual journey where we grow and learn from our mistakes our errors our flaws our faults our misjudgments and our sins. We must learn to practice the presence of God in whatever happens whatever occurs to us in faith but always calling upon the Lord and being unseasonally in prayer and fellowship.

That means keeping short accounts of the God of our sins and confessing constantly what we do wrong. There is a vacuum in our soul only God can fill we must do so by filling it with God. The more the world that is in God and our soul the less the room there is for God our spiritual. Our spiritual journey or pilgrimage with God begins that salvation and doesn't cease until we reach glory in heaven; even there we learn and grow from glory to glory as we know the Lord better and better all the more. Because this is what eternal life is knowing God and knowing the Lord personally. So we go but we grow by faith to faith glory to glory strength to strength as it were. 

This involves being committed to our Lord in faithfulness to our calling. Our mission should be the primary focus of our life we must not be disobedient to our heavenly vision you know we are.  Some will must realize that he was faithful and little shall be faithful in much we must be faithful to whatever assignment God has given us his will for our lives for he that is given much much of him shall be required. This involves being faithful to our resources, our blessings, our talents, our gifts, our time, our relationships, our skills, our calling --whatever God gives us.  Soli Deo Gloria! 

Why Am I Here?

 

"Unless you assume a God, the question of life's purpose is meaningless." Bertrand Russell, atheist philosopher ( Without God in the metric life makes no sense!)  

Some of us just wish to be remembered! Some to make a contribution to the world or the church's mission. We are here to make a difference not to be remembered! Even the wicked can be remembered or live on in infamy! We are marching to a beat of a different drum though and follow God's marching orders not to follow the crowd as to get lost in it, to be of the world but not of it. We may even feel taken for granted or forgotten in life but are here for God's pleasure and purpose, not ours. We owe society as well as God and should feel some obligation to pay back or make a positive influence. Even if we are forgotten, we have struck a chord that will vibrate for eternity in God's timing and purpose as David fulfilled all God's purposes and then slept with his fathers, We must relinquish our will to God and do and seek His will for our lives, Remember, God wants us to see the big picture and know we have a big God and not to see God in merely human terms.  As long as we see the big picture we are properly focused and oriented to God's will: "All things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose." We must realize in our faith that it is not how big our faith is but how big our God in whom it is; the object of the faith is what counts-- you can be sincerely wrong and have zeal not according to knowledge! We all should be aware of our mission statement of the Great Commission! When our work is done we are called home and only what is done in Christ will last and be rewarded, above all remember that God is the Benefactor and it pays to serve the LORD! We will surely be rewarded if we faint not and continue on in the Spirit of the Lord and be faithful and obedient to our heavenly vision! Our work is not in vain! Note that our faith is not measured by our experiences or ecstasies but our obedience: "Only he who is obedient believes; only he who believes is obedient."  Yes, we were designed and hard-wired to serve, know, love, and worship God! We are part of some divine intricate plan! If not God, it will be for someone else! a false or pseudo-God. 

Discovering God

 Christianity is about the God who is there! Just believing in God will not save you, the demons believe and tremble! Faith is going beyond mere assent or agreement or intellectual head belief.  King David was anointed with the Holy Spirit by Samuel and the Spirit never left him from then on, He dwelt in the house of the Lord all the days of his life and fulfilled all God's will and purpose for him as a man after God's own heart. Some people say they believe in God but are He the right one? One cabbie in Ireland came across an atheist and asked him: Is it the God of the Protestants or the God of the Catholics you don't believe in? Many will acknowledge or give lip service to a Deity but the mention of the name of Jesus is an offense to some and a sound barrier to be broken. 

David wanted to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living; he didn't want a 'PIE IN THE SKY" religion but a practical one that proves it pays off to serve God and He blesses us in the here and now and we can enjoy God now, not just wait till glory.  He felt secure in his salvation despite heinous sins.  David longed to be in the house of the LORD,, where the glory of the LORD was, and he could meet with God, but we have the resident Holy Spirit inside us permanently who will never leave nor forsake us. We don't have to go out looking for God in that sense because God has found us and sealed us with the Spirit. David's psalms teach us to seek the face of God and to enjoy His presence and anointing in prayer and worship. 

All Christians are now anointed and we have a greater advantage than David because of the complete Word of God and Holy Spirit, We are better off than he was though he was a prophet. In those days some presumed that God would never let anything bad happen to Israel or Jerusalem because of the temple but they did;t realize that God does not dwell in temples made of stone or manmade. This was false confidence that they found out was wrong when Babylon invaded and put Israel into exile and deported them. 

The Jews actually had to search for God on their own and learn godliness not depending on externalism or religiosity for they had no temple to make sacrifices either. They ultimately leaned on God as their protector, provider, and fortress, and did not lean on their own understanding or wisdom, or resources.  Necessity is really the mother of invention and the Jews were finally cured of their sin of idolatry. 

They also must have learned to wrestle with God in prayer and to seek and find justice in this world even wondering if there is any in their complaints to God.  They had a lot to learn only in exile and learned to practice personal piety and seek God's face as is basic spirituality. They must have also wondered where God's justice is because a wicked nation was punishing them. They grew homesick and even despondent longing for the good old days. I'll bet they vowed to be faithful and truly worship God when they returned to the homeland.

Isaiah 5:13 says that the Jews went into exile due to their ignorance of God and lack of knowledge of God. It is through much tribulation we enter the kingdom of God (Acts 14:22).  Ignorance was no excuse and God had some issues for them to work out corporately and personally (Hosea 4:1,4). It is evident they learned their lesson as idolatry was never an issue again and piety rose with the establishment of synagogue worship.

NOTE these points in closing: anyone can find God if they seek Him with all their heart in all sincerity. He is not far from any one of us, as close as the mention of His name. He is found even by those not looking for Him (Isaiah 65:1) and God seeks us and finds us more than we do Him: we are to seek Him while He may be found (Isaiah 55:6)! Seek and you shall find, knock and the door shall be opened, ask and it shall be given (Matt. 7:1)! God's chief complaint is that man does not seek Him!    Soli Deo Gloria!

Do You Follow Your Heart?

Some people misuse or abuse the word "heart" and think it just stands for how they feel or their emotions. Like saying, "I feel in my heart that you are wrong!" Or "I cannot accept that in my heart." Sometimes things don't resonate or ring true but we are meant to be rational creatures who reason out things and listen to the voice of reason! We must be true to our hearts but realize they have an intellect and volition too. The will is like the driver that controls the two horses on the carriage of emotion and intellect giving feedback and needing direction. When we accept Christ into our hearts, it means to be willing to obey Him, love Him, and know Him! I want to know Jesus more clearly, love Him more dearly, and follow Him more nearly!

Too many people are told to follow their hearts in pursuing a career or even marriage and misconstrue that as going by one's feelings or emotions, which can vary like a weathervane in a storm. We are to seek godly counsel in major decisions and go to the LORD in prayer as a fist and not a last resort. If something is God's will, He will provide and give us the love for the endeavor and the means of doing it. God does have a plan for each of us and has even written out our lives before we were even born. God is always in control and our spiritual guide and counselor. If we don’t seek God’s will, He may say, “Okay, have it your way!” We should always bow in relinquishment and commitment to God’s will and favor.

We must realize that no one is purely emotional, intellectual or logical, or volitional; note our will are not born free but the slaves of sin, and when we get to know the Lord, we are set free! "If the Son shall set you free, you shall be free indeed." We are to love and seek the LORD with all our hearts, soul, and strength; all our being and essence. We must therefore guard our hearts, for out of them flow the issues of life (Prov. 4:23) and that as a man is in his heart, so is he (Prov. 23:7). We cannot fool God who even sees the motives of our hearts (Prov. 21:2): "The LORD weighs the heart."

Pascal was right: "The heart has reasons the mind knows not!" And Jeremiah was also on target: "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Who can know it?" Jer. 17:9 This is why Jesus wants to come into our hearts and we must believe in our hearts! He opens the eyes of our hearts to the truths of scripture and opens our hearts to make them receptive to the gospel message. God can also judiciously harden our hearts as He did to Pharaoh. But only after we have done so. Some people are just intellectually in love with the idea of the Bible as scholars or of Jesus as the model or guide of humanity but Jesus is not looking for admirers, but worshipers in spirit and in truth.

In sum, if we do not feel right about a decision, we should wait upon the LORD and pray and seek wise counsel because it may be our conscience speaking to us and God may be trying to prevent us from ruining our lives; remember this: the heart of the matter is that it’s a matter of the heart! Soli Deo Gloria! 

Knowing Truth...

 "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge," according to Prov. 1:7.  In the Bible, knowledge, wisdom, and understanding are linked. They lead to each other. If you know things, you can be wise with that knowledge, understand it, and use it to the best means and ends. We are to increase in our knowledge of the Lord. 

Jesus claimed to come to bear witness of the truth and that those who belong to the truth will listen to Him (John 18:37) and even said He is the epitome of truth itself: "I am the way, the truth, and the life..." (John 14:6).   Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ (John 1:7). Because of Christ, we have universal, objective, transcendent, absolute, and timeless truth to live by. 

One must ultimately ask: on what basis do you define or reckon knowledge? It cannot always be certain but must be true to the best possible proof and belief. Without reference to God, can there be any real knowledge? Can you make truth claims when the God of truth doesn’t exist and you deny absolute truth? Knowledge must be accepted and believed! Denying knowledge is denying reality in a way as is not knowing the truth and inventing your own truth.

All in all, one must be justified to believe in knowledge. But what we now have in a secular society is a way to be intellectually fulfilled and have the answers without God in the metric especially by appealing to evolution or saying that science is the answer; au contraire, God is the only Answerer!

The starting point as far as the world or secular society (Secular Humanism) is concerned is mankind as the "measure of all things" or reference point. They believe in commencing with man and contemplating, understanding, and explaining or explaining away God!  Athanasius said that the only system of thought God will fit into is the one where He is the starting point: we begin with God and explain reality or the world, not vice versa. 

Reality has to correspond with the truth and if Christianity is true, then its concept of reality is worth studying and living by. If not, then it is completely irrelevant.  Postmodern philosophy says that "God is dead" and this means God is no longer relevant, meaningful, necessary, or helpful in understanding reality and the world; they only want to believe what science can prove as absolute truths and not what God reveals. 

This is a philosophy and not science and should be called "scientism." That is very apparent when people harness science for unscientific reasons such as making philosophical proclamations as Carl Sagan said, "The Cosmos is all that is or ever was or ever will be." Science cannot know this and this statement cannot be subject to the scientific method. Science is not the only means of gaining absolute or perfect knowledge.  

The point is that without God, we can know nothing at all, we need an infinite reference to understand a finite reference point!  For instance, if there is no God, life has no ultimate meaning and unless there is a God, all things are up for grabs and all things are permissible because we have no reason to believe in morals at all except for selfish preservation like a survival instinct.  To have firm branches, we need firm roots and our worldview is like our roots!  It is the foundation that our knowledge depends upon!  

Because of God, we can say that we can know things for certain (we have a firm foundation) and that morals are absolute and not relevant to the person or situation. When you say that truth itself is relative, is that statement relative? When you say that you must not believe anything someone tells you about God, should we believe that person? When you say that you can know nothing for certain, can we trust that person is certain, and can he be certain?  Soli Deo Gloria!