This morning I was pondering the world around us that has little to no understanding about God's ways or His principles.
Even among believers who gather in buildings, there is little knowledge or interest in what God said in His word. Most people who say they are Christians spend their time constructing a belief system based on those who have been trained by men rather than being led by the Holy Spirit.
John 16:13 "…12I still have much to tell you, but you cannot yet bear to hear it. 13 However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come. 14He will glorify Me by taking from what is Mine and disclosing it to you.…"
This passage was written to the disciples but it is also for us. It was written for all born-again believers to expect that the Holy Spirit Who comes to live in us will speak to us personally.
Our mediator between us and God is Christ Jesus Who lives in us. No other person is that mediator for each of us. Our husbands are not our mediators between us and God, priests are not this, pastors are not this, and absolutely no one else is this mediator for us.
The Holy Spirit uses many means to speak to us, through our thoughts, our dreams, and our life experiences. Nothing that happens to the born-again believer is without purpose and lessons brought by the Holy Spirit, but only if we want Him to speak to us. He does not force anyone to listen to Him.
1 Thessalonians 5:19-22
"19 Do not quench the Spirit, 20 do not utterly reject prophecies, 21 but examine everything; hold firmly to that which is good, 22 abstain from every form of evil."
When we have a question our first response should be to go to God, not to anyone else. If we are in a discussion with someone who is godly and knows the Bible we must take what they say to the Bible to make sure what is said was also said by God.
Acts 17:11-12 "11 Now the Bereans were more noble-minded than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if these teachings were true. 12 As a result, many of them believed, along with quite a few prominent Greek women and men.…"
If we choose not to listen to God we miss a lesson and may even suffer some consequences that we could have avoided which sometimes bring devastating results for our disobedience., even lifelong results.
This is a "cultural Christian" generation that believes their own thoughts are above God's, so this culture changes what God says to fit their own desired beliefs. We have fashioned a "religious system" based on man's understanding for man's results rather than following what Christ taught us in His Word. And, without seeking the Holy Spirit for the understanding.
Many "cultural Christians" interpret the Bible in terms of social and fleshly interests instead of praying for the understanding to be able to know the heart of God in what He said.
Matthew 15:7-9 "…7 You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you: 8 These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. 9 They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’ ”…"
Mark 7:12-13 "…12 he is no longer permitted to do anything for his father or mother. 13 Thus you nullify the word of God by the tradition you have handed down. And you do so in many such matters.”
Most traditions of the modern Christian church do not honor God but make those who follow them feel all squishy inside with the trappings of rituals and decorations for their own enjoyment.
Fleshly feelings take priority over truth in this modern psychologically infused system overrun with the bacteria of human blemished and flawed reasoning.
This is why few people can learn the truths of God. The truths of God convict of sin, warn, teach, and always come against the teachings of men.
Believers who love the Word of God swim upstream against the current of popular secularized Christianity. Rarely can we convince modern Christians of the truth when they have already been indoctrinated with the cultural bent of the modern church based on feelings and experiences over truth. Walking on eggshells to prevent hurt feelings will always lead to error.
Galatians 5:16
"But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh."
Galatians 5:17
"For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do."
1 John 2:16
"For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world."
