THE IMPORTANCE OF TEACHING

The importance and influence of teaching should not be underestimated. Jesus said to preach (teach) the Gospel in the whole world.  If teaching is unimportant, did our Lord send the disciples on a worldwide "wild goose chase?"  To deemphasize the necessity and power of preaching and teaching is to contradict the Great Commission.  Furthermore, Jesus quoted the prophet, concerning a time when responding to teaching would provide the means for becoming a child of God, rather than being born into a relationship as were the Jews, "It is written in the prophets, and they shall all be taught of God.  Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto Me" (John 6:45).

Jesus, the Master Teacher used every opportunity and nearly every imaginable tool to illustrate His teachings such as: sheep, goats, shepherds, vines, branches, gnats, camels, coins and the list goes on.  To further show the value our Lord placed on teaching, we find He taught the disciples for three years, yet did not rely on their memory of what He shared with them, but promised the Holy Spirit would be sent after His departure to testify, guide, bear witness and speak (John 15:25-27; 16:13,14).  Jesus clearly explained and later proved that the Holy Spirit would be the teaching and revealing agency which should enable the apostles to teach the world.

Titus tells us that the qualified elder is responsible for "holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and convince (teach) the gainsayers" (Titus 1:9).  The effect of teaching can be seen in the next chapter as false teachers are mentioned as those who "subvert whole houses."  If the false teacher possesses power to "subvert whole houses," cannot the same be said for the teaching of the Gospel?  Can it not save whole houses?  Then why do some minimize the importance and need of teaching?

The strength of a congregation will be a reflection of both the doctrine that is taught, as well as the capability of its teachers.  No greater burden is carried by overseers of the church than to see to the feeding of the flock.  A shepherd overseeing sheep will see to both the quantity and quality of the flock's diet.  Their very health and well-being depends on it.  This is precisely how Paul lays the matter before the elders of the church at Ephesus in Acts 20:28 when he says, "take heed therefore unto yourselves, and the flock, which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood."  Who can deny the importance of teaching (feeding) in this passage, seeing it is attested to by the cost God paid for the church, the blood of Jesus?

The afore mentioned evidence is but a token of what the Bible reveals about the great universal need, that man must be taught, and is responsible for teaching.  However, many minimize the importance of teaching.  How?  Of course no one would verbally consent to such a blatant contradiction of plain Bible teaching, yet they sound forth this statement loud and clear by their actions.  Those who absent themselves from the assemblies, including the Bible study periods on Sunday morning and Wednesday evening, depreciate the importance and value of teaching.  It has been said that if only the voice of the empty pew could be silenced’!  Inexcusable absence tells the sinner that Bible study really isn't important.  The empty pew reveals that some are unconcerned with the congregation's spiritual betterment, because they are not present to "provoke unto love and good works" (Heb. 10:24).  The empty pew teaches the young by example, that other activities including recreation and rest are substitutes for worship, study and teaching.

Let's give the utmost respect and attention that every opportunity for teaching, preaching, and studying God's Word deserves.  As we recognize the great need to be prepared for eternity, remember the words of Peter when asked by Jesus if he too would go away, to which he replied, "Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life" (Jo. 6:68).

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copyright 2011

“WE WANT A KING”

In Acts 13, Paul is recounting to the men of Israel of what God in His providence had done for the nation of Israel.  He explains and reminds them of God’s divine love for Israel in verse 17, “…the God of this people of Israel chose our fathers and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt and with an high arm brought He them out of it.”  Israel had enjoyed the divine protection and deliverance from God.  

God had heard their cries and showed mercy unto them.  God continued His caring and nurturing for them in the wilderness for forty years even as they forsook Him on numerous occasions.  In verses 18 & 19, Paul recounts “and about the time of forty years suffered He their manners in the wilderness and when He had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan. He divided their land to them by lot.”  Look how God had cared for Israel.  He took the promised land of Canaan from seven nations and gave to the children of Israel.  God truly was their leader and protector.  Israel did not lack for anything.  In verse 20, we find “…and after that He gave unto them judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years until Samuel the prophet.”  The judges fought for Israel through God and delivered them from oppression by neighboring nations.  The judges not only fought for them but also ruled over them and made rulings concerning disputes between the people.  What more could they have needed...God ruling over them, fighting their battles, protecting and providing for their every need.  They should have been content and satisfied.  But in verse 21, Paul says “…and afterward they desired a king.”  Why would they even desire a king?  They had been under the period of the judges where God produced leaders who had fought and delivered them from their oppression.  The children of Israel were very short sighted.  In 1 Sam. 8:19-20, we find the reason why they were so committed to wanting a king.  “Nay but we will have a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.”  They had failed to remember what God had been doing for them up to this time.  God was already judging them and going out before them and fighting their battles, giving them great victories.  Yes, they had a valid complaint concerning the sons of Samuel in their ruling, but to ignore God in taking care of this problem was very grievous.  In 1 Sam. 8:3, we find, “and his sons walked not in his ways but turned aside after lucre and took bribes and perverted judgment.”

This was not such an injustice which was beyond God’s control that it would require a king to correct it.  In verse 4 they came together and made, not a request to Samuel but more of a demand, and in verse 5 is their decision.  “Behold thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.”  When we make decisions in our life then we must also realize that there are consequences that must be met with those decisions.  Samuel proceeded to explain and reveal these consequences to the children of Israel before they made their final decision.  If you want a king to rule over you then here are the policies of the king who would rule over you.  In verse 9 God told Samuel to listen to their voice but to “...protest solemnly unto them and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.”  And in verses 11-18, Samuel relayed to them the manner of the king who would rule.  This will be his policies, this will be what he expects and demands by rule and this is what he will extract from the people.  

Again we see the longsuffering of God giving them the foresight to see what to expect and to make the correct decision.  What would their king do; what would he demand and extract from them; what great sacrifices would be required from them?

We find in verse 11 that the king would take their sons and put them in an army to go before him to fight.  They had judges who fought for them but now their families would be torn apart and their sons will have to go to war.  The implication is that there will be no peace in the family or in the nation.  The significance of having a king is that war would be a factor.  With a king nothing has changed for the better but really for the worse.  Wars and fighting will now consume their sons.  In verse 12, we find that the king will appoint leaders over them.  The corruption that they complained about to Samuel would most likely continue or elevate to a higher degree.  Making money dishonestly, accepting bribes and perverting justice is also prevalent under kings who rule.  God knew that corruptness would enter in and that is why He set rules against it in Deuteronomy 1:12-17.  We find that under a king they would be in bondage or servitude to their dislike.  They would plow and plant for the benefit of the king and he would reap of their harvest.  They would make weapons of war and equipment for the king’s pleasure.  Their daughters would be taken to be laborers as cooks, bakers and ointment makers.  The family would be torn apart and everyone would be in servitude to the king.  Even their inheritance would be taken by the king.  God had given the land to each tribe as an inheritance and it was prized and not given to anyone outside of the lineage.  But now they would have to surrender to the king their best fields, their best vineyards and give them unto his officers and servants.  Ownership of their land would go to someone other than in their tribe or lineage.  The king would demand a tenth of their seed and produce to be given to his administration and servants.  They didn’t work for it, but demand would be made to give it to them willingly.  Their servants would be taken, thereby leaving more work for themselves to do, to produce for the king.  He would take their best cattle and donkeys for his use. He would take a tenth of all their flocks.

The final summation was that the children of Israel would be enslaved by the very king that they wanted.  The oppression from their king would be so great that it would cause them to cry out against their king to God.  Israel wanted to direct their own steps but lacked the foresight to see where their decision would lead them.  God knew this, but Israel didn’t want to be led by God anymore.  Israel had a good life with God and everything they wanted from a king, God was already providing for them.  They were not content in their life.  We must put our trust in God, let Him direct our path and be content with our life because God is in charge.  Let us not have the same mentality as Israel in “we want a king.”  We have a king and His name is the Lord God Almighty.

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The Art & Benefit of Living Wisely

What has God done that enables us to live wisely?

Genesis 3:14-15 -  The LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put ENMITY between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel."

What is ‘enmity’? To understand what it means, we need to simply notice some passages where the word is found, and then notice the contexts.  This will enable us to understand how and why God acted in accordance with His eternal purpose when He put enmity as He did.  We will also learn how this enmity enables man to live wisely.

The Hebrew איבה ('eybah), occurs 5 times in 5 passages in the O. T. [KJV]

Gen. 3:15 - And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Numb. 35:21 - Or in enmity smite him with his hand , that he die: he that smote [him] shall surely be put to death; [for] he [is] a murderer: the revenger of blood shall slay the murderer, when he meeteth  him.

Numb. 35:22 - But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or have cast upon him any thing without laying of wait,

Ezek. 25:15 - Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because the Philistines have dealt by revenge, and have taken vengeance with a despiteful heart, to destroy [it] for the old hatred;

Ezek. 35:5 - Because thou hast had a perpetual hatred, and hast shed [the blood of] the children of Israel by the force of the sword in the time of their calamity, in the time [that their] iniquity [had] an end:

The Greek (echthra) from the adjective echthros (see ENEMY) is rendered "enmity" in the following passages:

Luke 23:12 - And Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before this they had been at enmity with each other.

Rom. 8:7 - For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile (enmity) to God...

Eph. 2:15-16 - by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility (enmity)

Jas. 4:4 - Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Gal. 5:20 – enmity; or ‘hatred’ (KJV)

From these texts, we see what it was that God put: ~ hatred; the opposite of love.  Enmity is the opposite of love (agape).

Notice further from the text of Genesis 3.

The Purpose: punishment for the devil for his actions in causing man to disobey God.

The Parties: between “you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring.”

The Results: “he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel."

HOW did God place (put) this enmity?  I submit that the way in which God put this enmity is also the means by which we are enabled to live wisely.

Do you know how God did this?  He gave something which results in enmity (i.e., hatred) between Satan and Christ; between Satan’s seed and Christ’s seed.

God gave commandments! 

Are we not told that in the beginning, Satan sinned? (1 John 3:8 - The one who commits sin is of the Devil, for the Devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God was revealed for this purpose: to destroy the Devil's works.)

Is not sin disobedience?  Disobedience to WHAT?  Notice elsewhere, what is said of commandments as they relate to living wisely and to enmity:

1 John 2:5 - but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him:

1 John 3:24 - Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.

1 John 5:2 - By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments.

[Jesus identified a disciple as follows: one who HEARS and FOLLOWS His teachings. To them He will give eternal life. Eternal life is their reward for hearing and following His teachings, not what makes them a disciple. One becomes AND remains a disciple by following the Shepherd's instructions. Hearing and following the Shepherd is NOT EARNING eternal life! - John 10:27-28]

Notice also from John 17:6, 8, 14, 17: 

6 - I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.

8 - For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them

14 - I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

17 - Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.

Commandments were given to distinguish God’s children from Satan’s.  The keeping of them differentiate between the two.  The one who has no respect or regard for those commandments will naturally hate those who do.  They cannot walk together!   They cannot agree!  There can be NO fellowship!

As long as God’s children walk in the light (Psalm 119:105) he will be protected by the source of that light.  He will thus walk in wisdom (Col. 4:5). 

 Jesus said, "If you love Me, keep My commandments". (John 14:15)

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The sin of presumption

In Numbers chapter 14, in the story of the 12 spies who went to spy out Canaan we see presumption practiced.  After their refusal to go up as God had commanded, several died by a plague as punishment for their lack of faith (this lack of faith was seen by their disobedience).  Then they decided on their own that they would go up and spy out the land.  The problem was, God had not commanded them to do so!  We pick up with the story in Numbers 14:39 and read thru v. 44 as follows: “And Moses told these sayings unto all the children of Israel: and the people mourned greatly.  And they rose up early in the morning, and gat them up into the top of the mountain, saying, Lo, we be here, and will go up unto the place which the LORD hath promised: for we have sinned.  And Moses said, Wherefore now do ye transgress the commandment of the LORD? but it shall not prosper.  Go not up, for the LORD is not among you; that ye be not smitten before your enemies.  For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and ye shall fall by the sword: because ye are turned away from the LORD, therefore the LORD will not be with you. But they presumed to go up unto the hill top: nevertheless the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and Moses, departed not out of the camp.  Then the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites which dwelt in that hill, and smote them, and discomfited them, even unto Hormah.”

Notice in v.44 – they presumed to go up... why was it a presumption?  Because NO command from God existed; thus they did not go or act “in faith”.

Moses warned against presumption by a prophet in Deut. 18:20-22 as follows – “But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.  And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken? When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.”

God warned Jeremiah of prophets who would act presumptuously and prophesy of the deceits of their own hearts in Jer. 23:16-17, 25-26 as follows – “Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD.  They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you…I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed.  How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? yea, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart…”.

Peter said that false prophets in the church were presumptuous in their false teaching.  “But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.” (2 Pet. 2:10)

Notice the presumption of false teachers in Jude 1:8, 16-19: “Likewise also these filthy dreamers (they rely on their dreams) These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.  But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.  These be they who separate themselves (cause divisions), sensual, having not the Spirit.”

Our worship can be by faith or it can be by presumption.  If by faith, then we will have commands from God to do what we do in worship.  Our faith will be seen in our compliance to those commands.

Thus we find early Christians engaging in the observance of Christ’s death by partaking of the Lord’s Supper, EACH first day of the week; singing without the addition of instruments; giving as prospered rather than by tithing, prayers to God the Father in the name of Christ, and preaching/teaching of the gospel message.

All of these are by commands of Jesus thru the apostles.  Our respect for His authority will be seen in our adherence to these commands; thus we will worship in spirit and in truth (John 4:24).

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God's Charge: Preach the WORD!

“I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” (2 Tim. 4:1-4)

    A local church is going to be about as strong and sound as the preaching it receives and is willing to endure and support. Paul's solemn charge to Timothy had a sense of urgency about it. Preach the word now, while brethren will endure it, or face a time when they will not. For several years I have been paying particular attention to the dominant concerns about the caliber of preachers and their preaching content in churches today. A typical comment expressing this frustration is: “I am getting tired of...hearing ‘fluff’.” This person’s explanation of “fluff” was stated as, preaching that contained very little real Bible teaching.

    Strong congregations will not be built nor maintained on “fluff.” The sad thing about it all is that many of today’s churches had rather have “fluff” than real spiritual food. As long as churches demand it, there will be those who are willing to be paid to spin it out for them. Preaching for money is not new, for the prophets of the Old Testament era, spoke of its prevalence. The prophet Micah said, “Thus says the LORD concerning the prophets who lead my people astray, who cry ‘Peace’ when they have something to eat, but declare war against him who puts nothing into their mouths...its heads give judgment for a bribe; its priests teach for a price; its prophets practice divination for money; yet they lean on the LORD and say, ‘Is not the LORD in the midst of us? No disaster shall come upon us’.” (Micah 3:5, 11 – ESV)

Sermons and classes with real doctrinal content are held in disfavor by many of today's churches. The demand is for more "relevant"(?) matters. Themes more suited for psychologists and sociologists are replacing basic Bible topics. Topics that address so-called “real problems” and “real life concerns” of “today's Christian” are replacing those that deal with what the Book says about man's basic spiritual problem, sin; and his real basic needs--conviction of sin and the salvation of his soul. Lectures aimed more at enhancing man's present happiness and welfare than ensuring his eternal well-being are by far the most widely received. Preachers that entertain and make brethren feel good about themselves, rather than producing godly sorrow leading to repentance or any real depth of scriptural knowledge, are given the most favored status among brethren. Sermons that really teach the Bible are considered, “uninteresting”, “too-structured” and even “crude” by some. A congregation constantly fed on "fluff" will not develop an appetite for sound doctrine. Any who may have had an appetite will soon lose it. Without a desire for sound doctrine churches are vulnerable to all kinds of fables.

Neither motivational hype nor emotional manipulation is gospel preaching. Such may produce increased activity of a sort. It may even build and inspire audiences after a fashion. It may enhance the speaker's standing with brethren as a dynamic speaker. But, it will not produce a well-grounded faith based upon a "thus saith the Lord." All preaching must follow the pattern that Paul outlined to Timothy. In form, it must have a well-rounded combination of reproving, rebuking and exhorting. In substance, it must have teaching (doctrine) at the base. It is no accident that Paul, in the preceding chapter, shows the scriptures to be profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16).

Book, chapter, and verse preaching/teaching that quotes or reads scriptures and then makes clear applications of the reading seldom sweeps folks along on clouds of ecstasy, nor does it flow quite as smoothly as Dale Carnegie trained orations. It is not likely to make folks jump up and down with uncontrollable joy or roll in the aisles with laughter. It will likely cause them to mostly sit and ponder on the validity of the message…comparing it with the scriptures before them. Once convicted of the validity of the message, they will then be motivated to act with both an intelligent and emotional response to the great message preached. They are then moved by the power of the gospel preached more than the charismatic personal power of the preacher/teacher or dynamic qualities of his delivery.

We need preachers who will preach it just like Paul and other inspired men wrote it; preachers who will preach the word in season and out, without regard to whether churches will endure and support it. We need churches that will not only endure sound doctrine, but demand it of those they support in local work, and throughout the world. Unless we have this we will continue seeing churches slide toward religious error and philosophical foolishness and away from the sound doctrine based on "what saith the scriptures."

The current situation and trend of today is not new, as it plagued God’s people Israel in the Old Testament. The prophet Jeremiah described a similar situation of “fluff” preaching in his day and asked a most sobering thought that needs to be given urgent attention. He said, “An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land: the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule at their direction; my people love to have it so, but what will you do when the end comes?” (Jer. 5:30-31)

“And God said…yea, hath God said?”

Gen. 1:3 versus Gen. 3:1

Part 2

The Bible is filled with examples whereby when man obeyed the will of God “fully” (Numbers 14:24), he received God’s blessings, and other occasions where he fell short of “full” obedience he suffered for it.  This is seen from the story of Adam and Eve in Genesis.  It is not a matter of how great a thing a person may do, how much sacrifice they may make, of how much persecution they may suffer, but whether they honor God by taking care to follow His commands.  God gave them a two part instruction…something to “do” and something “not to do”.  They were to work the garden and keep it and they were not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  No where do we see any indication that Adam and Eve failed to do what God told them to do but we do have record of their failure to respect God in regard to that which they were not to do.

The only way we honor God is thru full obedience to His commands. Saving faith obeys.  Jesus made this point at the time of his temptation in the wilderness. When Satan challenged Him by asking him to change stones into bread Jesus answered: "It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, But by every word that comes from the mouth of God’." (Matt. 4:4)

Moses failed to “fully” obey God’s commands in the wilderness of Zin.  The story is found in Numbers 20:7-11 – “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink. And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him. And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.”

Moses reminded the people of this experience and told them that he had asked God to let him enter the land on the other side of the Jordan but had been told he must die in the land of Moab. Notice God’s explanation to Moses in Num. 20:12, “…because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.”

We learn an important fact about faith from this incident.  Faith which avails, obeys…FULLY!  Our obedience SANCTIFIES God also!  God is to be sanctified by His creation.  Man does so thru strict obedience to God’s commands!

Notice also in Numbers 20:24 what God stated to both Moses and Aaron: “Let Aaron be gathered to his people, for he shall not enter the land that I have given to the people of Israel, because you rebelled against my command at the waters of Meribah.

Their actions were called “rebellion”!  Again, in Numbers 27:12-14 God stated to Moses, “…get thee up into this mount Abarim, and see the land which I have given unto the children of Israel. And when thou hast seen it, thou also shalt be gathered unto thy people, as Aaron thy brother was gathered. For ye rebelled against my commandment in the desert of Zin, in the strife of the congregation, to sanctify me at the water before their eyes: that is the water of Meribah in Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.”

Moses would warn the second generation of Israelites who were to be led by Joshua in conquest of Canaan with these words: “You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you.” (Deut. 4:2)  In Deut. 12:32 Moses told them, “What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.”

Joshua also told them in Josh. 1:7, “Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper withersoever thou goest.”

Notice the blessings that were promised if they took care to FULLY (COMPLETELY) follow God’s commands given thru Moses.  God is sanctified thru full obedience by man to His commands!  

Solomon also spoke on the necessity for FULL (COMPLETE) obedience to God’s commands in Prov. 30:5-6 as follows, “Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.”

The lesson from these examples is that we are to take care not to alter IN ANY WAY, what God has commanded of us.  Doing so, dishonors God, constitutes sin and sin separates us from God.  Once separated, the way back into fellowship is thru Christ.

Christ has ALL authority and has given commands whereby ALL who have committed sin against God MUST obey in order to be restored to fellowship with God.  Christ gave those commands to the apostles.  They were to preach them to all.  We find them recorded at the end of the four gospels and in the book of Acts. 

Obedience to those commands constitutes the new birth of which Jesus spoke of in John 3:3-5 in the conversation with Nicodemus.  All people who have committed sin MUST be ‘born again’.

No one is “born” in sin, but rather COMMIT sin in choosing to obey Satan’s will instead of God’s (Joshua 24:15; Romans 6:16-18).  Yet, many preach from Romans 5:12 that sin passed from Adam to all.  The word of God does not say that; it says that death (the consequence or wage) of sin passed, NOT THE SIN! The reason death has passed is also stated in this text, BECAUSE ALL HAVE SINNED.  Careful hearers detect the perversion.  Because all have sinned (Romans 3:23), God commands all to repent (Acts 17:30) and to be immersed in water (Acts 2:38: 8:38).   

Yet people are deceived in regard to God’s commands on repentance and baptism thru Satan’s perversion of God’s commands.  Satan cleverly distorts God’s words by “adding to” or “taking from”.  He speaks as he did to Eve, suggesting what God MEANT by what He said.  By this means, people are deceived into reasoning as Eve did.

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copyright 2011

“And God said…yea, hath God said?”

Gen. 1:3 versus Gen. 3:1

Part 1

The apostle John said of himself and of all the apostles, “We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us.  Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and spirit of error.” (1 John 4:6)

False teaching is easily identified in this way. If I teach what the apostles taught, I am “of God”.  If I alter their words, I am “of Satan”.  We must know what the Bible teaches well enough that when we hear some strange teaching we can compare what is said with what the Bible says. Just like the Bereans in Acts 17:11, “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”

It is not a matter of how great a thing a person may do, how much sacrifice they may make, of how much persecution they may suffer, but whether they honor God by taking care to follow His commands. The Bible is filled with examples whereby when man obeyed the will of God “fully” (Numbers 14:24), he received God’s blessings, and other occasions where he fell short of “full” obedience he suffered for it.

When God had made man, He said, “And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”  (Genesis 2:15-17)

God gave a two part instruction…man was to work the garden and keep it and he was not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  No where do we see any indication that Adam and Eve failed to do what God told them to do but we do have record of their failure to respect God in regard to that which they were NOT to do.

We all know the story of Eve’s temptation. She knew God’s instructions. She knew that God had told them not to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil for she stated God’s instructions to Satan in Genesis 3:2-3.  The fact that God had spoken was not enough. She listened to Satan who, by his words did what ALL false teachers do yet today.  He spoke to Eve in terms of what God MEANT by what He said.  This was the perversion!  What makes preaching false is when it offers man’s wisdom/logic on what God MEANT by what He said rather than quoting what God stated or commanded on a particular subject.  By this means, people are deceived into reasoning as Eve did.  They do not think it wise to obey God’s commands, but view His commands as restrictive and depriving them of happiness.  Listening to Satan, Eve began to weigh the matter for herself. Eve resorted to her own thinking in the matter, thereby ignoring God’s command. This was her fatal mistake and one that is still being made by many today. She made a decision; she chose to believe Satan’s words and in doing so, she removed God from ruling her life.

The facts given to her in regard to the fruit were correct. It was good for food; it was delightful to the eyes and it would make her wise to know good and evil.  She exchanged God’s instructions for her own reasoning which man has been doing ever since. How often do we hear people today justify some practice in rejecting some portion of God’s Word as “this is just a little thing,” admitting that they are not following the will of God in the strictest interpretation but reasoning that “surely this will be all right,” or “this is just as good.”  What does “this is just as good” really mean?  What is just as good as what?  It means that man’s idea is just as good as God’s teaching on the point in question, that man’s wisdom is just as good as God’s wisdom.  This was Eve’s mistake! 

What did she do?  She merely took a piece of fruit and ate it and gave it to her husband and he ate.  Can you think of an act less offensive?  Can you think of an act that would be less degrading?  Then why was it such a terrible thing to do?  The magnitude of this wrong cannot be measured by our evaluation of the act itself.  It can only be measured correctly when God’s word is taken into consideration.  From that standpoint what had Eve done?  She had replaced God’s teaching by her own decision in the matter, and in so doing; she had dethroned God and enthroned herself or her judgment.  When we exchange our reasoning for God’s will, we sin!  Adam also listened to someone other than God…his wife.  Adam’s sin was not in listening to his wife, but in “hearkening” to the voice of his wife. He obeyed what he knew was different than what God had commanded.  Because of their sin, Adam and Eve were separated from God.  So likewise are all separated (Isaiah 59:1-2; Romans 3:23). 

The only way we honor God is thru full obedience to His commands. Saving faith obeys. James 2:14-26 is clear is stating that faith apart from obedience is dead.  Likewise, partial obedience does not suffice.  Today, God has spoken unto us by His Son (Heb. 1:2).  The teaching God has given to us through his Son must be respected as fully and carefully as the teaching God gave to Adam and Eve.

The apostle Paul wrote to Corinth, “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.” (2 Cor. 11:3)  He also warned the Galatians, “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.” (Gal. 1:8-9)

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copyright 2011