IN & OUT of CONTEXT

The difference between preaching the Bible apart from theology is seen in the different conclusions that people draw after hearing both preached.  In the Bible, an inspired apostle wrote that a child of God could sin, AFTER being saved by committing sin ~ "For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.” - 2 Peter 2:20-22  

Accordingly, those who are subjected to hearing this preached, come away with the understanding that salvation is conditional - this 'conditional' aspect is seen from the teaching of Jesus in John 8:31 when He said "IF YOU CONTINUE IN MY WORD...".  

But remember the old devil's work on EVE? In his reply to Eve, he gave some carefully worded 'theology' as to what God knew.  This was a clever diversion tactic. Notice how well it worked. God had NOT said "Oh, thou shalt not SURELY die"; HE SAID THE VERY OPPOSITE! But Satan added two convincing words: "God knows!"
He told Eve, "God knows...when you eat, you will become like God, knowing good from evil...".  Now how would Eve have concluded that from just the words that God had spoken?  Perversion of scripture is Satan's forte, and so it is with his messengers.  The results are always the same.

Theology (writings by uninspired men) perverts scripture.  One example, which is commonly found in creed language, regarding the possibility of a child of God 'falling away' is a statement that says, "SUCH ONLY ARE REAL BELIEVERS AS ENDURE UNTO THE END". 

Accordingly, those who are continually subjected to hearing this 'theology', come away with the understanding that their salvation is UN-conditional.  You know what passage the creed book cites? John 8:31!

You see it's all in the "interpretation", but without being "programmed" ahead of time by the tactic of Satan, you conclude correctly from the inspired apostle's words.

But when you ARE told "Oh, no, you will not SURELY be lost; for God knows.......", you no longer trust in God's word; you trust in your own thinking (this is what the prophet Jeremiah warned of: Jer. 10:23 – “O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps”). You see, you now conclude that you cannot so sin as to be eternally lost.

This false mindset of “once saved/always saved” then produces more false reasoning as it applies to Jesus’ teaching on ‘judging’.  It is seen in the comment by someone who views themselves as “once saved/always saved”, that, ‘NO ONE HAS THE RIGHT TO TELL ME I AM WRONG’.  They ‘quote’ Matthew 7:1 as their ‘proof’; stopping there without regard to the entire context of Jesus’ words

The TRUTH (from the entire context surrounding this passage), is that Jesus is explaining HOW to judge ‘with righteous judgment’ and ‘not according to appearance’.  Jesus taught here to apply God’s word to yourself FIRST. 

A simple analogy to show that this attitude of ‘NO ONE HAS THE RIGHT TO TELL ME I AM WRONG’ is wrong, can be seen from the dilemma it would create in trying to convert an alien sinner.  What if the sinner, when told of his need to “accept Christ as your personal savior” replied with ‘NO ONE HAS THE RIGHT TO TELL ME I AM WRONG’...and then ‘quotes’ Matthew 7:1, saying ‘the Bible says to judge not that ye be not judged...’!

Let’s take this ‘logic’ a step further…If the alien sinner can use Matthew 7:1 out of context, in regard to “accepting Christ”, then that same alien sinner use that same ‘proof’ text in reply to a preacher who pleaded with him/her to pray “the sinner’s prayer”.  If not, why not?

Isn't it a good thing that the alien sinner doesn't know theology......?

rdb

copyright 2013 

Rightly "Dividing" & Rightly "APPLYING" God's Word

Jesus said that God’s word was truth (John 17:17); yet truth is NOT to be found in the partial, but the entirety of His revelation (Psalm 119:160). God purposed eternal life for man; that purpose being termed His “eternal” purpose.  It was a gradual unfolding plan that began as a promise in the mind of God prior to the Creation and consummated with the establishment of Christ’s body, the church (cf. Titus 1:2; Eph. 1:9-10, 22-23; 2:16; 3:9-11). 

In this great purpose, we see God’s love for man; specifically, in the offer of eternal life (John 3:16); as it was purposed for man ALONE.  Notice, from Matt. 25:34 – “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world’.”  God not only prepared a kingdom from the foundation of the world, but also an eternal fire.  This eternal fire was not purposed for man, but the devil and his angels (cf. Matt. 25:41, “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels). However, the Bible reveals that most of humanity will suffer this eternal fire, (cf. Matt. 7:13-14 – “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many...”)  

There are two questions relative to this eternal life that need to be answered from the Bible. 

1) WHY will only a few inherit this eternal life? 2) How will this inheritance come? 

The key in understanding why only a few will inherit that which was purposed for all, can only indicate that man has some sort of a response to God’s offer of eternal life.  Therefore, the response to God’s offer is the key to the inheritance.  This is where preaching factors in, for the role of preaching to those in the kingdom of Satan is to explain their response to God’s grace, that they might be ‘translated into the kingdom of “His dear Son” where there is “redemption, the forgiveness of sins”(Col. 1:13-14). This is why doctrine matters.  What is the response to God’s grace for the alien sinner?  While many passages could be set forth on the sinner’s response, three texts will suffice to show the nature of the response: 

~ Eccl. 12:13 — “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man”

~ Rom. 6:17-18 — “...you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed...having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.”

~ Heb. 5:9 — “he (Jesus) is the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him”.

God gave commands to man for this very reason. God’s love for man was seen in this act of grace.  Man, in return, responds to that love/grace by obedience to those commands.  No act of man, apart from humble submission and obedience to God’s word, will be in faith, for faith only comes from one source...‘what God has spoken’ (Rom. 10:17).

The Bible declares that this eternal life is in God’s Son (1 John 5:11).  Eternal life is synonymous with salvation in Christ, (Acts 4:12; 16:17), so therefore the matter of learning how to get into Christ is one and the same as learning how to inherit this eternal life that was purposed to him.  The truth that came by Jesus (John 1:17), was in His teachings (John 17:17), and elsewhere called the “words of life” (John 6:63, 68; 12:50; 17:8; Acts 5:20) 

Because truth is in the entirety of God’s revelation, in order to learn the truth surrounding this great eternal purpose, God’s word must be ‘rightly divided’ (2 Tim. 2:15).  While the responsibility of “rightly dividing” falls upon every person who makes an appeal to the Bible; the disciple of Christ has multiple responsibilities in his ‘handling’ of that ‘word of truth’.  For a disciple, “rightly dividing”, involves more than just a determination of context.  It also involves:

1)   the responsibility to rightly “deliver” that word.  This is to be done with ‘graceful’ speech (Col. 4:6); and

2)   the responsibility to rightly “apply” that word to himself prior to passing judgment on another (Matt. 7:5; John 7:24) 

There are two very good reasons for these responsibilities.  First, to ensure that the truth will not be ‘suppressed in unrighteousness’ by the one proclaiming the word (Rom. 1:18); and secondly, to ensure that truth will have the intended effect upon the hearer of the word (Isa. 55:10-11; Heb. 4:12-13).

While contexts can be “handled” aright, problems [both individually and collectively], arise when there is irresponsibility in the delivery and the application of those contexts.   When there is irresponsibility in these two areas, the gospel, (God’s power to save – Romans 1:17), which He entrusted as a talent to His stewards for the purpose of accomplishing unity/salvation (Matt. 25:14-30); will instead, incur the very opposite results (i.e., division/damnation).  

Even for the sinner; there are consequences in this realm of responsibility.  Failure to apply the relevant passages of the Bible to himself will only result in a reforming of his life, NOT repentance from his sins, motivated by godly sorrow (2 Cor. 7:9-10).

Let all who preach, heed the inspired apostle’s warning of “following”; “continuing in”; and “holding to” the pattern of sound words” (2 Tim. 1:13; 3:14; Titus 1:9). Two reasons relative to God’s eternal purpose bear this out:

·          The foundation [of teaching] has been laid by the Lord; (1 Cor. 3:10-11)

·          His own salvation and of those to whom he preaches (1 Tim. 4:16)

Likewise, let all take heed “how” and “what” they hear [taught] (Luke 8:18; Mark 4:24)

rdb
copyright 2013