"You search and investigate and pore over the scriptures diligently, because you suppose and trust that you have eternal life through them. And these (very scriptures) testify of me!" (John 5:39 Amplified)
It is my great desire to share the life of He Who is the "Life." I submit to you this article with prayers for the will of God to be done. Jesus Christ personified the will of God ("Thy will be done" is the literal Greek "to be," or "become"- see Lk 22:42 from the Concordant Greek text). Not only is Jesus Christ the personification of God's will, He is also the "Life" we are to share!
Among us today are various deceptions that dam the flow of life we are to share, and that leaves us with a "substitute" that cannot bring us to the full measure to which we are exhorted to come (Matt 5:48). One of these many deceptions is so subtle, that we could all stand to consider it. There is a way that seemeth right unto a man -- Search the Scriptures; for in them, you think ye have eternal life -- yet the end thereof is the same as it was for Adam and Eve in the Garden ... death! And remember the tree in the Garden was not called the Tree of the Knowledge of Evil; it was called the Tree of the Knowledge of both Good and Evil.
Often I have imagined what it would be like to have the original Hebrew and Greek scrolls along with the knowledge of the ancient Hebrew and Greek. With glee in my eyes, I have dreamed about having and holding those manuscripts, and then reality would kick in. The fact of the matter is, with all the knowledge of the ancient writings and the original scrolls, without the quickening of the Holy Spirit, all I have to offer from that holy writ is a skull full of information and a piece of history. Without the revelation given by the Spirit, all I would have is an administration of death!
The sad fact about all of it is that I could spend days, nights, and hours on end reading those original scrolls and not spending a single second with the Author who inspired them! I could know the language like a scholar, and not even know the God that inspired each word! When Jesus walked this earth in the form of one individual man, many knew Hebrew and Greek, but they did not know him!
Now there is something wonderful about those scrolls, and that is the glory of which they testify! Just like the original scrolls, and despite the uninspired translators, the scriptures that we have today point to, witness, and testify of the "Word" (John 1:1-14). Jesus brought out a clear contrast to those who fell into a misconception concerning the scriptures and the "life" of which they testify. Today, we can lump the scriptures into one category with "The Word" (the logos #3056, or the reema #4487), and be just as prone to fall into this misconception. If we think that the religious Jews of the New Testament are the only candidates for this mind set that obstructs our perception of Jesus, we are all deceived! The scriptures are inspired. We can all agree with that. But, do we worship the scriptures, or the one who inspired them?
Did Jesus say that the scriptures give life? If the scriptures give life, then the Pharisees had "life." They had the scriptures, and we have the scriptures! Do we bear witness of the "One" of which the scriptures testify, or do we bear witness of having the scriptures and yet have not the life of which they testify? We may have the scriptures, but he who hath the Son, hath life. Or did he say, "he who hath the scriptures hath life"?! The Spirit is the only thing that can give the scriptures life!
It is a very deadly practice to minister with the scriptures and without the Spirit. What are the results of this type of administration? Twofold the child of hell?! Twice dead and plucked up by the roots? Death? Is this type of ministry going on today? We can chalk it all up as another "great woe." I myself cry out, "Nevertheless, come Lord Jesus Christ!"
The religious spirit that stoned Stephen is still with us today, but
great things happen when the Lord apprehends religious people. One of
the religious people the Lord apprehended wrote most of the New
Testament! And what did this man have to say about the subject? "The
letter killeth, but the Spirit gives life." He had been on both sides
of that verse. He knew this by experience! Paul was a Pharisee of the
Pharisees! No matter how zealous he was, it was only after his
conversion that he was enabled by the grace of God to share the life of
Jesus Christ! No longer could Paul box God into his previous religious
concept! What once was a "dead letter" had become alive by the
revelation of Jesus Christ through the types and shadows that uncovered
the Logos in what we call the Old Testament! By the Spirit of God, Paul
could see beneath the surface the secrets once hidden and now say, for
they drank of that Spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was
Christ,
and nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses,
even over
them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression
who is the figure of Him (Christ) that was
to come,
and so on.
Paul knew about God, and yet he did not know Christ. But when he met the Lord Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus, he no longer knew only about God. Paul, from that point on, began to "know God!" Many people today know about God, but they do not know God! Now to say that we can know God through another way than Christ is incorrect. Why? Because Christ is the Way!
And likewise with the Bible, "You cannot know the scripture without the Spirit." We are not talking about knowing the scriptures and what the Bible says! Anyone in the jurisdiction of darkness can read the Bible, quote it, and remember what is says.
Without the "spirit quickening life," they will remain in darkness. But
when Christ comes, the light is turned on, for He is the Light! After
he reveals Himself to us, we have a "hearing relationship" in our
reach! He did say, "my sheep know my voice." Knowing His voice comes by
the Holy Spirit and by cultivating our relationship with God! This
hearing relationship is not confined to Bible study, and it is not a
thing of the past for Moses, Elijah, Paul, and other devout believers
in the Bible! It is very interesting to note that Jesus told the
Pharisees (who did read the scriptures) that they have not heard the
voice of the Father nor had they any perception
(Jn 5:37
Concordant
Version, Authorized reads seen his shape
), and yet He was fully
aware
that they searched the scriptures.
More importantly, Jesus told them Ye have not His word.
Now
they had
the scriptures, but they did not have His Word! The Logos spoken of in
the first chapter of John, and the reema that Jesus spoke of in
John
6:63 is the very thing that the Pharisees did not have, and if they
did, they did not keep it. There is a vital location in which we are to
keep God's word -- That is in us, and abiding in us, meaning to be
remaining in us.
That is why anyone can hear a good word delivered by someone truly
anointed and sent by God and continue to live contrary to God's word.
The word does not abide. We can be willing for a season, like the Jews
(Jn 5:35) who did rejoice in the light, but it was only for a season!
To rejoice in a true word is one thing, but to abide in it is another!
The scriptures have something powerful to say about "abiding." Whosoever
abideth in Him sinneth not
(1 Jn 3:6).
Now Jesus, being fully aware that the Pharisees had, read, and searched the scriptures, told them of whom they testify. "The Word of God" told the Pharisees that they think those scriptures give them life!
When the "Word of God" tells that to these religious Jews, who are supposing that they have life (eonian), that should be a good indication that the scriptures are not the life-giver! They only testify of the life-giver! Now the word of God is not a book, although God can speak through a book. We may want to keep Him in a book, but that is not God's plan. The word of God is not bound! Often God may wish to speak to us when we read the Bible, but do we worship the Bible or the One Who inspired the Bible?
When we come to know that "the Word" is not a book, but a Person, we can still see that the scriptures are inspired, good for reproof, and use them to test the spirits. But knowing that they bear witness that the word of God is personified by Jesus Christ, will be one less potential idol out of the way!
Logos and reema are not the Greek words translated for the word "scriptures." But by now it should be clear that the scriptures, be it the law, the prophets, the writings, or what we call the New Testament, are not the logos made flesh, or the reema word.
If you look up the word logos (#3056) as used in John 1:1-14, you will also find it translated, "sayings," "communication," "fame," "cause," "account," etc. Also, reema (#4487) in John 6:63 is translated "sayings." reema is from #4483, and speaks of a spoken word. When we hear the voice of God we receive a reema word, and this word is spirit and life. Any word without the Spirit holds no life in it!
I received a wonderful word of confirmation by a dear brother in the Lord, David Garner, having no previous knowledge whatsoever of these studies in which I have been involved. It goes so well with the subject at hand that we would like to share these words of spiritual conviction with you.
"It is essential to understand the way we have been called to go. No one has gone before except the one who prepared the way in the first place. Those who cannot see what we are seeing will not understand, nor encourage us in doing what they think is wrong. It is by the unction of the Holy Spirit that we will receive the direction we will walk or not walk. We must learn to hear the good shepherd's voice and go when He says go and stop when he says stop.
There are principles involved in a word of truth that will produce freedom and bring life. The principle of life depends upon us following the formula prepared 2,000 years ago. I can name quite a few good speakers and orators who know the scriptures well. There are many scholars that have studied the books and are extremely educated in even the old Hebrew text or New Testament Greek, yet have no relationship to the Spirit of Life that quickens and makes alive the word. The dead letter did no one comprehend, nor were they able to follow. But when those same words were spoken and entered into our hearts and made alive to us by the anointing of the Holy Spirit, they become more than just mere words of the past; they became a substance that feeds and sustains us during the trials and turmoils of daily life.
In the beginning God spoke the world into existence, and without the word there was nothing made that was made. The Word issued forth from substance of Love producing the life that you and I now enjoy. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was made flesh in the form of Jesus Christ and dwelt among us, yet the world did not recognize or receive him unto themselves. Christ said that He alone was the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and that He was with the Father before the world was. The spirit of love expressed itself and produced life. That life expressed itself in creation, but man in his finite condition could not attain the level of maturity required to grasp the life that was available to him, for the natural knowledge of good and evil mixed with self-exaltation made him feel independent, and separated him from life. It killed him and brought him under the dominion of the death realm. He heard the word without possessing the spirit of it, and it slew him. This is what has happened to the church world today. This is why we have so many interpretations of the scriptures and a different name over almost every church door."
I am in no way advocating for people to stop studying their Bibles. Yet apart from intimate union with Christ, the living logos within, can we live the mysteries of which the Bible speaks? If I do not have the logos abiding within, I do not posses the word of God.
The moon is such a beautiful illustration of the letter and the "light" (Jn.8:12). As you may know, the moon has no light or life of its own. It only reflects the light of the sun which is its source of light. You can use this as a contrast between the Mosaic law and the New Testament (2 Cor. 3:6). But, without the Holy Spirit uncovering the secrets, giving us spiritual understanding concerning the mysteries, and giving us a relevant, practical application, the New Testament can also be a dark and desolate place to go! John 16:13 speaks of the guide into all truth - the spirit of truth! Without our guide we are left in the dark with our imaginations. Any scripture, Old or New Testament, is dead and lifeless without the "Son-light." It is through Jesus that we shall have the light of life (Jn. 8:12), because he is the "Light." By the spirit, the scriptures bear witness of the "Son," the very source of light and life.
As we begin to abide in the "Son-light," and it begins to abide in us, "life" will appear in places that seemed so dead! To the majority, Exodus through Deuteronomy may seem to be an old history lesson, dull and mundane. After all, Jesus has not been born until you skip to the Gospels. Yet with "eyes to see" and "ears to hear" we see the "life" of which the writings of Moses foreshadowed! Consider when we look at the moon how we do not always see a "full moon." Sometimes we see it only in part, and likewise with the scriptures. With the revelation that the "Living Logos" is there beneath the surface, the history of the Mosaic writings becomes a mystery, and (as all mysteries in the scripture) awaits to be uncovered by those with a meek, teachable spirit who refuse to forsake their guide (James 1:21)!
Seeing these scriptures unveil the
"logos"
and hearing the "reema" word that they testify of should humble
us,
because
this is no new thing to some elite group in our generation. As we
already
mentioned, Paul saw that the "life" hidden in the law, the prophets,
and
the writings was the "logos" made flesh. All through time as we know
it,
each generation has had a remnant, if you will, that dared to peer into
the deep with adoration and fervent love for "THE WORD." They could
feel
the rush of life as the hunger for the "life" hidden in the letter ran
through them like rapid waves. Indeed dear brothers and sisters, deep
calleth
unto deep at the noise of the water spouts. For those who have heard a
voice from heaven as the voice of many waters have found themselves
carried
away with the same passion that cried out "draw me and I will run to
thee."
When we read Proverbs 25:2 ,It is the glory of God to conceal a
thing,
but the honour of kings is to search out a matter,
are we searching
with
a motive to fuel the fire for things that gender strifes? (2 Timothy
2:23)
Are we looking for a platform to emphasize uninspired predictions? (Mt.
24:23) Are we looking for another verse to cut our brother down like a
child handling a sharp object instead of considering Proverbs 27:17
Iron
sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend,
or
are we longing to fully embrace our first love? (Rev. 2:4) Are we
love-sick
for the "living logos" whose spoken (reema) words are spirit and
life?
(Song of Sol. 5:8) Are we looking for our Lord Jesus Christ, or
something
instead of Him? (the Concordant Greek Text renders "anti-Christ" as
"instead-anointed"
-- 1 John 2:18 testifies of all the "instead-of Christs" among us
today).
This brings us to a whole new
meaning of
the verse choose ye this day life or death.
This may seem out
of
context,
nevertheless, the application stands. When we go to the scriptures, are
we looking for Jesus Christ - "the Life"? If we are not searching with
that motive, knowing HE IS THE LIFE that the scriptures testify of,
then
we are destined to find the "dead letter." The letter is true! However,
without the illumination we stumble around in the dark with a sure and
solid testimony of THE TRUTH, yet not seeing it.
We look at Israel wandering in the desert and shake our heads at their foolishness. We can be amazed at how blind the Pharisees were. We point out falsehoods lurking today. The sensationalism of the "ANTI-CHRIST" is overwhelming, but how often do we wander around in the dark? How many times have we had the truth standing right in front of us, and not even noticed it because it did not come in the form we preferred? How much of our measure of truth is mingled with carnal thinking (Lev. 19:19)? How often have we settled for something else, or looked for something else, in our spiritual walk instead of CHRIST?
One thing we can be comforted with
is that
the Lord is long-suffering.
To be in ignorance with the right
motive
would seem to be a better position than having been enlightened but
have
the wrong motive. Yet, it is not impossible to be enlightened and
maintain
the right motive! The purpose of receiving a revelation is not to feed
a thrill-seeking mentality (Acts 17:21), or to equip us with reasons to
belittle others. If that is the case, then the revelation was not THE
REVELATION.
The revelation we would all do well to look for is the REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST! The more that He is revealed to us the less we are prone to have our affections lowered to anything other than Him! The lasting impression of a revelation is the experience of it (I Peter 4:12). Many people down through the ages have experienced such revelations through the fellowship of his sufferings.
The pharisees had death and life set before them. Yes, they had to crucify their Messiah to fulfill scripture. However, just as the wilderness journey for Israel was for our learning, so are the actions of the Pharisees for our learning. They came with the "law" to contend with Jesus, trying to prove him wrong. How often we miss the "life" that the scriptures point us to when we are determined to be right and prove others wrong. And just as the Pharisees came with the law of Moses, we can just as easily come in the same spirit with chapter and verse.
What is it that is so much more
important
to us than the source of our spiritual life, Jesus Christ? The dead
letter
was favored by the Pharisees, even though they could not grasp the
"life"
beneath it. They felt very secure about their knowledge of "the law,"
but
Christ said, For if ye had believed Moses, ye would have believed
me:
for he wrote of me
(Jn. 5:46), and beloved, the pitfall remains!
Anyone
of us can feel secure and content with our knowledge about the
scriptures
and still not know the mind of the one who inspired them ... and then
the
"life" comes. But, oh, the rejection, the opposition, the gnashing of
teeth
that takes place to the "sent" one who is delivering "THE WORD." The
Pharisees
had the Romans to nail THE WORD OF GOD TO A TREE, and those soldiers
did
not nail any scrolls, manuscripts, reference books, or bibles to that
cross!
Jesus did not tell his disciples "I will send you a reference book or scroll to guide you into all truth." I thank God for putting a desire in man to come up with good tools for our searching and digging, but I'm not in love with the shovel that I'm digging with. I'm not going to substitute the many tools that I have in my natural home on my bookshelf for the treasure God has placed in my earthen vessel. My tools are very helpful. I thank God for all those who labored and did such tremendous research for our learning. However, I can own a warehouse full of concordances, and commentaries, and have every bible translation known to man with all the time to read them, but when I forsake my guide into all truth, the Spirit, I'm going to be feasting upon the very thing the Pharisees feasted upon. The result will be death, the dead letter, and utter darkness, with the only "glory" and "light" being a part of what history recorded ... convinced the "life" that God has set before us is for some future age! Could this be a contributing factor to the indifference manifested in the body today? One thing to keep in mind -- lukewarm waters are not only restricted to large denominations, but they also can flow around small groups and individuals!
Now, if Jesus is Lord, our tools for research should not hinder us. We would all do well to treasure our relationship with Jesus Christ far more than anything we have. It would be foolish for a man with a good shovel to marvel at it, and begin to idolize it, and never come to the reality that its value is pale in comparison to the treasures he could find with it. How much greater is the living logos, the word made flesh, than the tools we may have on hand to study with? It's wonderful to know that He has not left us in the dark, but has given us His Spirit.
God is sovereign to speak by the Spirit to those who are obedient and believing. He instructs them, guides them, and teaches them by His Spirit, for God is spirit. Many down through the ages have suffered persecution, physical pain, and emotional heartache. Many have even been put to death because of their obedience to God and the leading of His Spirit. To the natural man that sounds like a foolish route to go. But, like Paul, many have found no satisfaction in their position and titles they held before God apprehended them. They count it all as dung, and set their face as a flint with a God-given hunger to press-on, to run the race, to be solely submitted to the Holy Spirit, and seek to do God's will and God's will only! In other words, they held on dearly to their intimate relationship with Jesus Christ! They would not settle or be content to know only about Him. They wanted to know Him! They heard something deep in their spirit that initiated a divine process of growth. They heard "the voice," and a seed was planted. The Concordant Greek Text reads in Luke 8:11 that the seed is the saying of God. This is speaking of the "living logos" that we are to take up our habitation with. Many different views are held by people concerning hearing from God, but instead of addressing each one, we would rather share a word that we pray will edify and challenge you.
Midway in this writing, I again received confirmation from a source that had no idea of what I was writing. We would like to quote T. Austin Sparks from his message entitled, "The Voice of the Son of God":
"It is possible to hear the verbal statement of truth, and that many times and over many years, but not to have heard his voice. It is possible, after having heard the truths often and long, suddenly to hear the voice, and the result to be as though we had never before heard at all, all is so new and wonderful. Living relationship with Christ is not an emotional or intellectual or volitional reaction to a presentation of Gospel truths; it is not by an influenced and persuaded signing of a card or 'deciding for Christ;' it is not the effect of hot air evangelistic effort in which the soul is played upon, and all sorts of superficial and theatrical elements are brought into play. All this may have an apparent success on a large scale, but -- always allowing for the sovereignty of God to reach some hearts through His Word -- much of this may only be adding to the great tragedy with which the Church is confronted as one of its most difficult problems, namely a cheap regard for the Christian life, a mass of people who 'have tried it and found it disappointing,' and a great number of 'Christians' who have no real living and growing knowledge of the Lord. The fact that there is so much indifference to Christianity today and so little taking of it seriously is largely due to its having been vitiated and cheapened. No, the basis of everything in the New Testament is that, beyond anything audible, vocal, natural, temporal, earthly, the voice of the Son of God was heard deep down in the human spirit. This may or it may not be a voice of actual words, but when it happens the one concerned is truly able to say 'The Lord has spoken to me,' or 'I know that the Lord has made me aware of His will.' It is a voice -- a power -- through words, or without them, but not just words alone. I said that everything depends upon this. 'They that hear shall live.' Our very life -- in the Divine sense -- depends upon it."
When we "hear" that which is "truth," "life," and "light," the falsehoods, death, and darkness in our mind will be infuriated with the fact that we may be in error! Often we may be cut to the heart by the Word (Acts 5:33, 7:54). Those things that we highly uphold are shaken, and every thought and idea that can be shaken begins to experience the earthquake within! Yes, there will be earthquakes in divers places.
The word spoken by the Spirit can leave a painful "sting!" For example, one may say, when giving a testimony, that they heard something (from a T.V. program, a preacher speaking, a loved one, or a voice within while reading something) and it pricked their heart. God can speak through any source, but when He speaks through His chosen ones, the "sting" can be very intense.
And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles
among the people
(Acts 6: 8). We are aware that there are many
different views on miracles. Many today give credit for miracles to
counterfeits, the Devil, and/or false prophets (Matthew 7:22) instead
of God. We are aware of such possibilities, but how big is your God? We
agree miracles are not the completion that God has in mind, yet along
the way is the application of John 14:12, Verily, verily, I say
unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do
also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my
Father.
Stephen took this declaration to heart and he believed!
Mark 9:23 says, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to
him that believeth.
We may also want to consider the man's cry in
Mark 9:24. Remember, unbelief will keep us out of the promise land.
When the heart has compassion for God's little ones and the lost, God
will use such a person. The skeptics are not interested in the needy;
they are concerned with picking out the false prophets and issues that
may point them to what is possibly considered as the last days.
However, Stephen was submitted to the Holy Spirit. Instead of trying to
figure out God's plan, he was operating in it. While the religious ones
are bent on being right and pointing out the wrong, Stephen was bent on
obedience. It may be safe to say that Stephen had more than just some
moral values, some decent standards, and a casual relationship with
Jesus Christ. Stephen had the "Logos" within, and he did not stumble at
the letter without! A man will stumble because there is no light in him
(Jn. 11:10) -- within him is the place that the light must abide.
Stephen also spoke the Word. Anyone can belt out the scriptures even
with zeal from their knowledge and understanding of the scriptures.
However, when Stephen spoke THE LIVING LOGOS WITHIN WAS EXPRESSED (Acts
7). Though they stoned him to death, the words he spoke penetrated
their calloused hearts (Acts 7:54). They were cut to the heart and the
Logos was heard. A young man standing by for the first time heard the
Logos speak to him (Acts 8:1-3). I am sure many young men were standing
by that day during this display of boldnessand humility. That day was a
turning point in the Body of Christ, and a beginning for someone God
used in a ministry that still shines on in our day! Yes, I dare say
that Saul, the young man endorsing the death of Stephen, for the first
time heard the Logos speak to him -- through the hate that went off in
him his heart was pricked. The second time Saul hears the Logos it
appears in a much more direct manner on the road to Damascus. The Lord
tells him it is hard to kick against the pricks! Indeed, as Saul went
about to imprison the saints, he was boiling within from "the sting"
that Stephen left. Interestingly enough, the Greek word for sting (I
Cor. 15:15, Rev. 9:10) is kentron, the same Greek word used in
Acts 9:5 for the word "pricks." We are also aware that kentron
is not the Greek word used in Acts 2:37. It is katanusso
(Strong's 2660). The definition given by Strong's is "to pierce
thoroughly, i.e. to agitate violently (sting to the quick) - prick."
The Amplified seems to bear this out in Acts 2:37. They were stung
(cut) to the heart.
The power of the Logos kills and makes alive. We see Saul in his wicked
disposition with pure hatred for all believers on course for a head on
collision with the one who has a sharp two-edged sword that proceeds
out of his mouth (Rev. 1:19), and it divides asunder (Heb. 4:12).
Stephen handled and used this sword very well, even at the expense of
his life. After all, he was endued with power from on high to be a
martyr. That's right, to be a witness (Greek: mart`us)! That is a power
that has been overlooked. It is power that is available for every
believer (Acts 1:5,8). The question believers ask in the book of Acts
was not "What church do you go to?" but Have ye received the Holy
Ghost since ye believed?
(Acts 19:2).
Now once more we are stepping out
on a
limb, but if you can hear it, Saul came to the end of himself at the
brightness
of the Lord's coming! Second Thessalonians 2:8 speaks of this end. The
Authorized reads, And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the
Lord
shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the
brightness of his coming.
The Amplified reads, ...bring him to
an
end
by his appearing at his coming.
Saul comes to his ending as Paul
meets
his beginning. We can not isolate all scripture for a one time future
event
and expect to have any relevant exhortation for present truth, so this
application in II Thessalonians is not the only one, but it is one for
your consideration. Another scripture we would do well to consider in
this
matter is Isaiah 11:4 which says, But with righteousness and
justice
shall
He judge the poor and decide with fairness for the meek, the poor, and
the downtrodden of the earth; and He shall smite the earth and the
oppressor
with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall
slay
the wicked
(Amplified).
John 16:2 (Concordant Version)
states,
...coming is the hour that everyone who is killing you should
suppose
he is offering divine service to God.
Saul, in his heart, felt that
he
was doing a divine service to God. He was zealous in his darkened mind
and later he found himself on the other side of the coin. He found
himself
in Stephens position a time or two. The very people he set out to
destroy
turned out to be the people he served and loved. Paul labored with
tears
(Acts 20:31). Paul's conversion was such a breakthrough that evil
spirits
took note of this (Acts 19:12-16). The work God did in Paul was
something
words can do no justice to describe!
Today we know God is ever capable and ready to do above and beyond what we can imagine in others besides Paul, for his plan is in motion and the end is secure! In the meantime, there will be those who feel that they are doing God a service as our Lord mentioned in John 16:2. We should not expect to win a popularity contest when we proclaim that the Word of God is not a book, it is a person! The truth is not a doctrine, although doctrine can be true. The way is not what the majority prescribes as a route to glory, although it may be very broad. The revelation is not our intellectual understanding of spiritual matters! And we should not be surprised to find opposition when we proclaim Jesus Christ as the Word, although opposition is not what we are after. He is the Truth, He is the Way, and He is the Revelation that we would all do well to seek. Without Jesus, the Bible is of none affect and useless. Without Jesus, doctrines are static noise and lifeless words. Without Jesus, we have no way to the Father. Without Jesus, revelation is hidden, for natural human wisdom at its peak can only come away with some legal checks in the letter to try and uphold a better standard, but this is by the sweat of fleshly efforts. Without Jesus, revelation is still a hushed secret and a closed door, which leaves us with predictions calculated by the carnal mind, vain imaginations, and Adamic guess work. Without Jesus, the truth is only a point to prove for self-gain instead of ministering "life." The religious mind is not into life. It is still at the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. In Acts 18:14-15 we see the true mark of a religious spirit, and so it is today. People can be so precise with their cut and dry, scientific, doctrinal concept of God's plan, yet in a lifeless manner that stresses the technicality of words, and not be imparting an inkling of the life of Jesus Christ to anyone. However, one can be limited in their information as far as verbal expounding goes, yet their lifestyle says that JESUS IS LORD. Out of this state of being, life is imparted!
Many of such a religious spirit will despise others over small disagreements concerning doctrine as if it were the sin of the century. The real sin at hand could be not knowing Jesus as Lord and continue to say he is with our mouth while our state of being says otherwise.
We can never be too emphatic about the constant need for our anointed, overcoming, sinless Savior and Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ to be the very center of our lives!
We would like to end this study with two questions. Do you know him as Lord? This message may not fall under the category of "heavy-revy." We can not find any other revelation heavier, greater, and deeper than the one who has revealed HIMSELF to us as SAVIOR. NOW LET US GO ON TO KNOW HIM AS LORD OF ALL, OUR HEAD -- THE HEAD THAT WE ARE TO GROW-UP INTO. WITHOUT HIS LORDSHIP, GROWTH IS LIMITED AND WE BECOME SIDETRACKED INSTEAD OF BEING LED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT! In this hour the Lord has been and will continue to reveal new aspects of truth to many. Yet, our hearts cry out for pure unadulterated Christ! It's not so much that we need a new revelation, but we need a further revelation OF THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST! This brings us to our last question. Can we really accept any substitutes?
We would like to mention those who offer material on this subject. There is no charge for the material offered (Mat. 10: 8) This study originated out of my personal Bible study notes from the summer of 1997 concerning the tree of life, wisdom, etc. I was also challenged to search out the true meaning of the Word of God after reading an article by Robert Beecham. May God bless you in your studies. God bless Wayne Vinson for his generous spirit.