The Word of Truth Ministries
|
| |
|
|
|
|
If
you continue in my word |
|
|
“Then
said Jesus to those Jews who believed on him, if you continue in
my word then are you my disciples indeed.” For years, I have studied the church and always been amazed by what God says and what the world says about the same subject, and how God's people respond and side with those two sides of an issue. I have recognized an interesting point from my study of this phenomenon. People who say they are saved, filled with God's spirit, etc., have moved on God's word strangely when the world has an opinion about the same issue under discussion, be it perfection, holy living, adultery, marriage, whatever. The lure and call of the world is not without effect on many in the church. Many have come to Christ, but as they have traveled along the road to rapture, they have unwittingly and some wittingly have left Christ behind. When the parents of Jesus went along thinking that he was with them, and finally recognizing that he was not, they searched among their relatives and then went back to Jerusalem to find him. They found him in the temple of God questioning and answering questions of those in the temple concerning the Word of God. Those parents who went back to find Jesus represent those who unwittingly have lost Jesus. [Lk. 2:41-49] One can unwittingly lose Jesus as he/she travels and becomes so accustomed to the traditions and customs of churches, religious people, the world that feigns religion, and the word of God is de-emphasized as worldly things become over-emphasized in the lives of many saints. Jesus was explicit on this matter. "Why do you transgress the word of God by your tradition?" [Mat. 15:3] Many churches have customs, procedures, and their way of doing things and will not allow the word of God to change those customs and procedures. And as they continue in their own way and their own manner, they lose all semblance of godliness and God's way and word. Yet, many think that they are walking according to the word of God. God has said through the mouth of his holy prophet Isaiah 4:1 that in this day we live in these churches can be characterized as seven women taking hold of one man, saying we will eat our own bread and wear our own apparel but yet us use your name to take away our reproach: seven [number of completion] women [symbolic of a church] taking hold of one man, [living with and associating with] but they eat their own bread [they will use their own word, not the bread of life--God's word--and their own way of doing things] and wear their own apparel [have their own form of righteousness] even though they are using his name to take away their reproach [the name of Christ is used, but they are not departing from iniquity]. And many never know that these assemblies and they have gone off and left Jesus in the temple of God. Sometimes, this gradually happens; sometimes leaving Jesus is imperceptible because of it gradual manner. Solomon seeing this cautions us to take/observe the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines; for the vines have tender grapes. [Song of Solomon 2:15] And although he has cautioned us to observe these little infractions of God's word [little foxes], we often make explanations and excuses for our infractions. And those explanations and excuses become the norm so that we actually believe that minor departures from God's word are OK. But God does not accept such departures. God has shown us how we get ourselves into these departures from Jesus--the word of God--and says to us to prove all things and hold fast to that which is good. [1Thes. 5:21]. Go back and find Jesus! Those who wittingly lose him have no approach to finding him: they keep going along their way without him. These are they who knowingly take on God's name only to take away their reproach. [Isa. 4:1] They will not take his name to cleanse their sins away. [Acts 4:12] As they linger in the way of God, they depart from Jesus and knowingly do not try to find him. But God says, Stand in the ways and see; ask for to old path wherein is the good way, and when you find it you have to walk therein. But they said, we will not walk therein. [Jer. 6:16-17] Instead they use his name only to cover their sins and not be numbered among the sinners. And God's word wrongly divided becomes a cloak for their sinful lives and behavior. But a wrong division of God's word is not what God is saying, and although they may be able to deceive some, no lie can live forever; eventually there will be a thirst for the truth of God. But they go along pretending that Jesus is still with them, and some even venture to assume that he will catch up with them as they enter death's door. Such an assumption, however, is quite rebuttable by God's word--He that is holy, let him be holy still; he that is filthy, let him be filthy still. [Rev. 22:11] But the way of the world numbs our mind to this godly reality of scripture. This second position is widespread in the Christian world and is a major problem that is destroying many good people. I have seen people devastated by ungodly men who act contrary to God's word and tell them that they are doing what God's word says. And because many have come to Christ through these ministers, they think that they cannot go astray. But God's word is true and everyone who goes contrary to it, regardless of his/her title, ranking, tenure, or position in the church or out of the church, is a liar. [Rom. 3:4] There is a way for both the unwitting and the witting person who has left Jesus behind. Paul says, "Let a man examine himself...." [1 Cor 11: 28] This self-examination is not just at Communion, it should be an ongoing examination. Indeed, Paul says in 2Cor. 13:5 to examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith; prove yourselves. When we examine ourselves, we can correct our wrong leanings and then we will not need God to correct us and judge us. Many are not in the faith, but they travel. They have left Jesus behind years ago, but they carry on in his name to take away their reproach. The church for many ministers has become a mere business--a business from which they raise revenues for their own houses. And the needs of the church go unmet as they raise funds for new cars and new carpets for their houses, while the house of the Lord goes without repair. I have seen ministers walk off with the church money needed to repair God's house and they apply that money to their own wants instead of God's house. Some years ago, a Jesus Name minister used the church only for money and sex--much like some priests in the Catholic Church are using that church as a stable for their sexual and homosexual desires. That minister had memorized many scriptures and impressed the people with his memory and his ability to correlate a number of scriptures to show that Jesus was God, but he was far from being saved. He openly stated that he had lost faith years ago, and, of course, such a statement is a declaration of being unsaved--for without faith it is impossible to please God. But the people continued traveling with his leadership. This is a circumstance that afflicts many churches. A leader can be as wrong as a left shoe on a right foot, but many continue following him and expect that somehow they could be led correctly by a crocked minister. As he tended toward hell, they somehow think that they can make it into heaven. That reasoning defies all the logic of God and reasonable men. But so they reason and travel without Jesus. God's word says, examine yourself and see if you have left Jesus. See if Jesus is where you are or whether you have to go back to where he is. This examination is not without instructions. We examine ourselves by the rightly divided word of God--comparing spiritual things by spiritual things.[1Cor. 2:13] But not comparing ourselves by ourselves as many do. Paul says that they who measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves by themselves [members comparing themselves by their pastors and other members] are not wise. [2Cor. 10:12] God's word has been and shall be the standard, not man. A semester or so ago, a number of my students did not understand a conceptual problem I had lectured on. Instead of asking me to state it differently or to help them understand it in some other way, they simply asked each other whether the other was as unknowing of the concept as they were. When they, in large part, agreed that they did not understand, and when I confronted them at next lecture period, they took a certain solace in their widespread ignorance, saying, "Dr. Jones, we didn't understand the concept." Instead of having come to me, they felt comforted in comparing themselves by themselves and communing in their mutual ignorance. This is what Paul is preaching against for saints. Because your brother or sister or pastor is in sin, you need not be! The measure of a man in Christ is not man, but God. For those who have unwittingly left Jesus in the temple, as they went away from the temple and the correct teaching of God's word, once they realize their mistake, they will always go back to the Word. That is the mark of those who unwittingly leave Jesus. That is why God says for us to examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith. The Hebrews writer said that the word is quick and powerful.... [Heb. 4: 12] Furthermore, the word of God can kill out ungodly things that creep into one's life unknowingly, and it can make godly things grow again--it kills and makes alive. Those who willingly leave Jesus and go on their way, never examine themselves to see if they are in the faith. They do everything they want to do and say that they are traveling with Jesus anyway. That is their mark, and you will know them by their fruit. They were once saved, but they walked away from that salvation. Salvation has requirements. It was Jesus who said, "If you continue in my word, then are you my disciples indeed, and you will know the truth and the truth shall make you free." Jesus did not imply, he simply said that we had to continue in his word to be his disciple. A departure from his word means that one is not a disciple of Christ. The mother of Jesus thought he was with her. That was before she examined herself. Our thoughts can be deceptive; we should not rely on our own understanding. [Prov. 3:5] The word of God rightly divided is our only anchor. Not our thoughts because the way of a fool is right in his own eyes, even while he is still unwashed from his filthiness. [Prov. 12:15] That is the reason God calls him a fool--he does not listen to the counsel of God. Often, we can imagine, assume, think, hope that Jesus is with us; sometimes a shout and even a tongue may buttress that hope and that desire that He is with us. But Jesus is the word of God, and he said, "If you continue in my world, then [only then] are you my disciples indeed." But if we fail to continue, we involve ourselves in sin and that sin separates us from God. [Isa 59:1-2] Only Jesus can be our hiding place from the wind. [Isa. 32:1-2] If we walk off and leave Jesus, we leave the only savior there is; man is a poor substitute for him. Notice the word If in the above passage; it is a word of condition, of stipulation; a word that predicates an action or the absence of an action. In Contract and Property Law if is frequently used to indicate and navigate interests and behaviors based upon conditions occurring or not occurring. Here Jesus uses it in the same manner. He spoke to those who believed on him and said that there are conditions to discipleship. The conditions are these: You must be a believer first; second, you have to continue in his word. Then he said you would become a disciple indeed. A disciple indeed is a position that opens you to an entire range of truths. But first one must become a disciple indeed--one who continues in the words of Jesus. Examine yourself. Why is it you don't know and understand the truths of God's word on so many things? A disciple indeed, one who continues in God's word, will know the truth and that truth will free him. Are you not free from the works and deceptions of Satan and the world? Become a disciple indeed and God has promised that you will know the truth and the truth will make you free. But, my dear readers, there is another dimension to this scripture that must be understood. Disciples indeed are people who follow God even as Caleb followed him, FULLY. The many years being saved will not wear out a saint or make him faint in spirit and wane from the word of God. Instead he should grow stronger; his knowledge of God's word should grow, as he grows in grace and the knowledge of the Lord and from faith to faith and to perfection. If there is no growth, there is regression; that is called, in church parlance, backsliding Let's look at the other dimension of this word. Many years ago I was the pastor of a small church; I was preaching the word of God rightly divided and without fear that the people would leave because I told them the truth. Indeed, they didn't leave; for they had not heard the word preached as plainly before. But as I preached, I had sinners sitting in the congregation and they were not rapidly getting saved. So I prayed and asked God why. I said to him, "You said that your word was like a fire and a hammer and that it would break the rocks into pieces. Why aren't these sinners getting saved? Is there something wrong with my preaching?" And He dropped the answer into my spirit. He said to me, "You didn't see the time element in my word, did you?" You only know God's word and are made free by it as you do it. Without the doing of God's word, you will never know more than the reading of God's word and that will be with eyes that look through a glass darkly so you cannot see the greater realities of God. God has said through Hosea 6:3 we shall know the Lord [the word] as we follow on to know. If we do not continue in his word, we will only scratch the surface of it. There are truths and dimensions of God's word that only reveal themselves to those who are willing to stand on it, take a chance and an adventure with God, and suffer the consequences of faith in God's word. Those are the ones who know intimately that tribulation works patience; and patience works experience with God; and experience with God works hope; and hope makes the brave men of God to not be ashamed. [Rom. 5:3] Those who go on with God and not concern themselves with the slings and arrows of wicked men will get the greater truths and the greater understanding of God's word and a life of adventure with God! So great and marvelous is this adventure with and use by God, I exclaim with Ulysses, "How dull it is to pause, to make an end, to rust unburnished, not to shine in use! As if to breathe were life. Life piled upon life were all too little, and of one to me...." Ulysses could not be satisfied with the stale nothingness that he was experiencing. He wanted adventure, not just existence, as if mere existence was life--mere breathing is not life. But if that is it, there is a lot of life--life is piled upon life! When one goes with God, oh the adventure! It may appear scary sometimes, but to experience God in his glory, one must disrobe himself of sin, the oppressions of the devil, and those of man and just go with God. Paul told Timothy, a young minister of God, "Considered what I say, and the Lord give thee understanding in all things." [2 Tim. 2:7] Notice the structure of this statement. Within it is the IF found as in John 8:31-32. That if is implied based upon the clear assumption inherent therein: Do X and God gives Y; failure to do X will mean you fail to receive Y. As Jesus looked beyond his moment and saw glory, we too must look beyond the mere reading and hope of an understanding of God's word to the doing of God's word if we are ever going to become disciples indeed and receive the knowledge of the truth that we may receive the freedom of God's word. I had not seen the time element in Jeremiah's words, and I could not have seen it but for having continued in God's word. One's sight to God's word is blind if he is not living the word of God--doing it. That one, be he a minister, a pastor, a bishop, etc., will not get any insights from God if he is not continuing in God's word. Look at some of the ministries that once blossomed and now they are withered and dried up. There is no great mystery involved in determining why. Look at their lives. Jesus said the condition of being a disciple of his is to continue in his word. As one continues in his word, and only when one continues, one understands and has greater insights into the word of God because such a one has a fellowship with God. There are those who see other ministers prospering in God's word and they try to accord their education for the inspiration and anointing God has put upon them. But that explanation only works to justify their lack of inspiration and anointing. And it only works among the blind followers of the blind. The truth really is that the anointing is upon one who follows Jesus; they have gone off and left Jesus, and instead of going back to the temple and finding him, they become jealous of God's blessing and anointing on another and by slight of hand in misinterpreting the scriptures they explain away God's anointing, calling it education and strange educated thought. Some even pronounce damnation on their supposed wicked and educated minds. But to understand how the anointed of God thinks, you need only look at God's word. Go back and find Jesus in the temple; the Bible says return unto the Lord. There is no other way to get Jesus; He is not going to catch up with you as you go on your own way. God's way is not man's way; His thoughts are not man's thoughts. [Isa. 55:8-9] The way God thinks is not the way man thinks, and that is why we must be transformed by the renewing of our minds to have the mind of Christ as a lifestyle, not the mind of man. [Rom. 12:2; Titus 2:5] Let me conclude this discussion by saying this: going back is hard when you have gone the wrong way so long. It's embarrassing as well. But I remember some years ago a young lawyer was saved in our church, and we taught her the word. She asked intelligent questions, and we gave her intelligent answers. She had two children who were teenagers. She took the word of God that we rightly divided and taught her and sat her children down and explained to them that for many years, she had been teaching them the wrong thing, but now she has seen the truth and that what she had taught them in the past, she would not honor it nor teach it any longer. It was wrong, she said. That took courage, stoutness of heart, and a repentant life. Many will never have the honesty, the stoutness, and repentance enough to ever come to this behavior, and sadly they will not be snatched from the fires of hell. This I know and am saddened by. That is why I cry so loudly in this ministry that the sword comes. Why not do as this young, intelligent lawyer did? Why not do as King Josiah did? Hilkiah, the Priest, found the Book of The Lord lost in the house of God--how pregnant is this scripture for us today--and he gave it to the scribe Shaphan to take to the King. King Josiah was not unapproachable; he heard the reading of the book and saw that the people of God had left God behind, much like Mary and Joseph had left Jesus behind. The King fearing God, wanted to know what God thought about that loss. He sent Shaphan to Huldah, the prophetess, to get a word from God concerning this departure, much like Mary and Joseph went back to find Jesus. Thank God, she could get a word from God. And God said that he would bring evil upon that place and the people according to that book they had lost. You see, God's word stands forever, whether we obey it or not, our disobedience, departure from it, or twisting of it does not make the word of God void or make it say what we try to make it say. It shall accomplish whereunto it is sent. And because Josiah's heart was turned to God when he heard God's word and saw their wrongdoing, God said that he would draw him unto his fathers and not allow him to see the evil that he would bring upon the people for their sins. [2 Kings 22 &23] God's word is settled in heaven, [Psa. 119:89] and there is nothing we can do to change it. We must change ourselves so that we continue in it. I plead with you, if you haven't continued in his word, go back and find Jesus! For without continuing in God's word you are now bound and you will be eternally lost.
| |
Copyright © 2002 by The Truth of God