God gave us a complete Book
Experts - Lifesavers from A Sinking Ship
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God gave us a complete Book |
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2Peter 1:2 Grace and
peace be multiplied unto you through God has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness; not just part, but all. These come through the Lord Himself and through His exceeding great and precious promises. We are speaking of the Bible, the word of God, the King James Bible in English. The promises of God also impart to us the divine nature and help us escape the corruption in the world. We are not at the mercy of the experts to instruct us in righteousness or to point us in the right way. We are not dependent on their useless lifesavers. God has taken care of every need we have to live a godly life. 2Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. All scripture is given for our profit. Through God's word we can be furnished not just to some good works, but to all good works. If it's a good work and profitable to you, God will make you fit to do it or point you to it through His word. Someone may question this, thinking that surely we cannot get help in certain areas from the Bible. The Bible is not an herbal reference, an encyclopedia, or a house owner's guide, but it certainly can keep us out of trouble. If we would heed the principles of the Bible, we could save ourselves from much confusion caused by following the experts. People are too often inclined to assume that the Bible does not answer certain questions when in fact if they would consider the principle of what the Book is saying, they would realize that, if not answering the question outright, it is pointing them toward the right answer. Examples: Jesus said eggs were good and spoke of them as one might speak of a snack food in Luke 11:12. After condemning eggs as evil, the "experts" now tell us eggs are good for us, some even admonishing us to eat at least one a day. Who was right all along? God's Book! If we had listened to the scripture, we would have been healthier since we would have been eating eggs right along. Luke 5:31 And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. The Bible states this three times: here, Mark 2:17, and Matt. 9:12. On the one hand, we have many well people, or barely ill people running to a doctor constantly. On the other hand, some folks seem to think that it's a sin to go to a doctor at all. The Christian Scientists would tell us that it is a sin, and perhaps it is their heresy that has crept in unawares that causes some Bible believing saints to have this same attitude. You see that the Bible answers the question for the those that take it literally. The examples are numerous. Here are just a few for interest's sake: taking a loan - Prv. 22:7; using herbs - Prv. 27:25, 2 Kings 4:39 (be cautious); eating flesh, fat, oil, carbohydrates - Deut. 32:12-14, Gen. 9:2-3, 1 Tim. 1:4-5; bodily exercise - 1 Tim. 4:8, Gen. 3:19, 1 Thess. 3:10-12; over work, resting - Mark 6:31, Ps. 127:2 (early rising and staying up late), Gen. 2:2; the weather - Job 37:10-13, Matt. 5:45, Ps. 147:16-18; building a house - Matt. 7:24-27, Deut. 22:8 (for flat roofed houses used for a verandah and balconies); employer - employee relations - Eph. 6:5-9. There are many more obvious instructions regarding raising children, separating from the world, faith, honesty, drinking and drunkenness, and very much more. Then too, there are the verses that cover the uncertainties, such as 1 Cor. 10:31, 1 Cor. 6:19-20, 1 Peter 4:4, Luke 16:15, and so forth. We don't need a Bible Answer Man. We need a Bible. We don't need The Answer Book. We need the Book. Some things may have a limited usefulness, but only the Bible provides sure and safe wisdom for all things that pertain to life and godliness. 1John 2:20 But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. 1John 2:26 These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. 27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. We do not need an anointing from Kenneth Pagan, Oily Roberts, or any other unlikely source. All that are saved have the Holy Spirit given to them of God. He is given to teach us all things. John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. The Spirit of God does not just guide us into some truth. He guides us into all truth. And lest ye wonder what the truth is, as did Pilate; John 17:17 tells us, Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. And, John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life... Thus we see that the Holy Ghost will guide us into the word of God and into the Word of God (John 1:1). Any "spirit" that guides in any other direction is not of God. 1John 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. [A note in passing: The Holy Spirit of God does not speak of Himself. He will never glorify Himself. When you hear any Charismatic/Pentecostal claiming to speak "in the Spirit" and glorifying the alleged "Holy Ghost," it is not God's Spirit of truth!] God does not want you ignorant or stupid. James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. 8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. God wants to give us His wisdom liberally, but we must ask. The Lord does not go around pouring out His wisdom on people that were not looking for it, contrary to what many false prophets of various groups will tell us. We must desire it, or He will not give it. Matthew 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Isaiah 51:4 Hearken unto me, my people; and give ear unto me, O my nation: for a law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people. God wants to impart His wisdom to us. He wants us to have the light of His word. He does not want us wandering through life like a bunch of ignoramuses without any direction or understanding of the right way, totally at the mercy of the wisdom of man (experts). Romans 10:3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. 1Corinthians 14:20 Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men. We should not be children in our understanding. We should be exercised through the use of the word so that we have strength to recognize the difference between good and evil. Hebrews 5:12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. 13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. 14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Ezekiel 44:23 And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean. 24 And in controversy they shall stand in judgment; and they shall judge it according to my judgments: and they shall keep my laws and my statutes in all mine assemblies; and they shall hallow my sabbaths. This is speaking of the priests during the future Kingdom of Jesus Christ on this earth. Notice that even then they will teach God's people the difference between the holy and profane and to discern based on God's judgments. If we want to discern and tell the difference between right and wrong we must do so based on the word of God. Proverbs 6:23 For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life: Jeremiah 15:16 Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts. My sisters in Christ, the word of God must become the joy and rejoicing of our hearts if we would avoid the snare of the devil that is offered us from so many experts. We must esteem God's word as absolutely right and hate every false way. Psalm 119:128 Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way. Notice - all, all and every. Not just some or part! May the Lord help each of us to desire and seek His wisdom and understanding so that we may discern and make a difference between the holy and profane and between the truth and lies, that we be no longer seduced and beguiled by the world, the flesh and the devil. 2Corinthians 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. Psalm
19:7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul:
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