When I was training to be a Contract Specialist in South Carolina, my mentor, Art Nalley, always stressed one thing. “What does the contact say?’ That was second only to “Don’t worry about the mule going blind just load the wagon” when the workload was intense. That is a Mississippi adage.
Government contracts can be quite intricate and sometimes a bit vague. When I arrived as a trainee we were still doing cut and paste contracts as the section was not thrilled with working with computers. Thanks to some previous computer training, I was able to get the section fully automated. We had no internet at that time and we always quoted a couple of USC. codes that were to be followed and yet we had no copies of them to let the contractor read what he was being required to comply with. Not sure how he or we would have known If he violated them.
Because of some things being vague and others so complex that you needed a lawyer we often had discussions over what paragraphs said as to who was responsible for what or the proper specifications. Like many things, you could get three people to look at it and get six interpretations. Art said that it did not matter what the contractor said or even what I thought we had to dig deep, if necessary, to know what the contract says.
Over the years, I have found that something similar exists in the Church. When I was first saved and sat in Sunday School people were answering questions with, “I think, I feel, Maybe or even the culture says” I was confused. I was hearing Scripture that said, “Thus saith the Lord” and yet all I heard was generalities and feelings.
When I went to Bible college, it was not much better as we read so many authors that had varied opinions. I found more convincing statements in many of the books in the library from men who had been dead a hundred years. More contemporary men were not so confident as the old scholars.
This is not a new thing as God has had to send clarification through His prophets throughout man’s history. Jesus came and kicked a lot of theology and traditions in the face making Him unpopular everywhere except among the common man. There were several schools of theology. There were extreme Liberals and extreme Conservatives with both rewriting the Word to their agendas either adding to or taking away from it at will. Ever wonder why the people were not as on fire for God at various times in history? They had trouble with what was being taught and often how the priesthood behaved. They either lived in despair or were given false hope.
Matthew 5:43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
This is one of eleven times in Matthew that Jesus had to tell the people what the current theology or cultural consensus was and then tell them the truth. There are a myriad of things you have heard today that if we check the contract/Word correctly we will find that many are incorrect. Too often we have pendulum swing theology. We react to real or perceived legalism by swinging too far to the other side using our feelings to rule or not matching our experiences and things we see to Scripture. The letter without the Spirit is dead, but Spirit is not going to override what He was instrumental in writing. Thus if what you see, hear, feel or whatever does not match up with the Word it is not the Holy Spirit you see moving. If it replaces anything, be very careful.
Galatians 1:6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
7) Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
8) 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.
Paul says that if he or an angel changes or perverts the Gospel then he and the angel are accursed. There is a lot of interest in Apostles these days. Some groups believe that the people they call prophets, priests, apostles and even the early church Fathers had the right to disagree with the writers of the New Testament and override what they said. Some have founders/prophets that have changed not only the Gospel but many other doctrines into things not supported by the contract. This is how we end up with so much false doctrine, cults and apostatized groups.
I can promise you that every church has at least one person that believes some lies or false doctrine. Some of you might be thinking that you have a great pastor that knows all this stuff so you are not worried about false doctrine in your church. That sounds good except Paul disagrees.
2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
16 But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.
17 And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus;
18 Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.
We are all called to study or be diligent knowing how to correctly interpret the Word and we will answer as a workman of the Word one day before God to see how well we did. Besides how are you going to know profane and vain babblings without knowing what the contract says that proves that is what they are? How will you know when someone has erred against the truth without knowing what the truth is? Your pastor is not going to be available all the time. You will run into people talking pure trash that is easy to debate, but what happens when people quote Scripture out of context or do a sleight of hand deal on a meaning? Will you call your pastor? He may not be available. If he is doing his job well and you are doing yours such calls will be far fewer than what is normal these days.
Ephesians 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
Your pastor’s job is prepare you to do the work of the ministry. He is the trainer, but you need to be studying. He cannot perfect you if you do not perfect yourself through the Spirit and study. Your work is to do ministry in unity, which that is one thing we are in dire need of as we split over nonsense and fads. That we do this proves we are not being taught or we are not doing the homework. We are greatly tossed about in this age believing folktales or Christian mythology, dazzled by parlor tricks and trusting in business paradigms despite what the Word says. Playing loose with the Word is how we divide because truth cannot unite with error. We are not supposed to be so gullible.
1 Timothy 1:3 As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine,
4) Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.
5) Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:
6) From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling;
7) Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.
People believe in fables or pseudepigrapha like the Book of Enoch and other Apocrypha, which are basically ancient types of the fictional Left Behind series. Like the fiction in those other writings the Left Behind series has convinced many people that there is a second chance after the Rapture. The contract clearly states that if you heard the Gospel and rejected it you will be given over to believe a lie after the Rapture.
Other myths that people believe is that dead saints become angels when it is clear that we are totally different beings. There is no sacrifice for the sins of the fallen angels. We will judge them. They are ministering spirits to the children of God. We need to be careful about what we believe about angels as Paul warns us lest we become the one intruding into things which we have not seen being puffed up by the fleshly vanity of our minds. Others believe that their loved ones are peering over the portals of Heaven watching what is going on here when the passage they use speaks to the cloud of witnesses in Hebrew chapter 11. Genealogies were important to the Jews as they were how they proved their positions in the tribes and the nation. They were being exalted or misused so Paul tells us to not argue over them. Such things are not important in the Kingdom. That we are related to Christ is enough. Jesus said to be chief in the Kingdom is to become the servant of all. Titles of men are unimportant.
We live in an age where people say they have no conviction about many things. They are not convinced. Mostly, because they have not read the Word or they find a way to work around what it says. Our freedom in the West has led to people thinking they can have their own brand of Christianity and “freedom” in interpretation of Scripture. Paul says no here and in 1 Corinthians 11 when he says “we have no such custom, neither the churches of God,” not just the Corinthian church. That makes sense as there is only one truth about any issue. There are many applications of the truth, but only one truth. Are all truths “essential?” Either it is truth or it is not and since God is a God of truth then to Him all truth is essential since it is part of His essence.
I had a discussion about baptism with some folks. I told them how the word baptizo means to dunk or immerse. If you would read a Greek epic poem or historical record where it speaks of a ship sinking the word baptizo would be the one used. Therefore a true baptism according to the Word is one where the person was immersed. Being sprinkled or poured is not a true baptism because is not a true interpretation of the Word and the practice of those times. Groups who do not immerse are not baptizing no matter what they call their ritual or rite. Theirs is a man made doctrine that was birthed during persecution, but it is error.
I was asked if it mattered since you can be saved without water baptism. In other words, if it does not effect my salvation can we let error slide? Can you be saved and not believe that there is a future resurrection of the dead? Maybe, but Paul read the riot act to Hymenaeus and Philetus over that doctrine. Could they have considered it an eschatology issue rather than soteriology therefore not a core or essential doctrine? We do not know, but Paul considered the truth of the issue essential. It was making people give up on the faith because if the resurrection is over what is the point? There are several resurrection lies out there and since it is part of the Gospel it is essential to know and teach the truth.
Truth is multi-layered and complex. If you look at Einstein’s theory of general relativity the formula gives you a headache so you really just look for the solution and are happy. Yet, in the formula he made a mistake and multiplied by zero making that complex formula and its solution wrong and useless past the error. Indeed, that is why lies can be so complex because the truth is complex. You can try to twist a small piece of the truth and it will effect far more things than just the present issue or circumstance. That is multiplying by zero and no matter how you may have thought you compensated for the error you only make it worse and easier for someone to point out the error hence lying being a “tangled web we weave.”
One mistake in a line of computer code can crash the whole thing. I know. I replaced a + with a – in one line of a long program and it fired up. The program was so complex that those who knew programming missed the error when it stood out like a flashing red light to a neophyte like me. I think that may be why new converts see things that older saints do not and ask questions when they are told things that do not ring true even though they hate to question ones who should know the right answer, but may not.
John 16:13 Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will shew you things to come.
14 He shall glorify me: for He shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that He shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
Does verse 13 say that the Spirit will guide you into some truth? Does it say essential truth? No, it says all truth. God was concerned about jots and tittles because things that small could change the meaning of the passage or in other words the truth.
A young lady was seeking the filling of the Spirit many years ago and despite diligent prayer it did not happen. She had a costume jewelry hair clip that she really liked. She felt that God was telling her to get rid of it, but she did not do it. Did she see it as a small thing that was non-essential so why would God choose that? I do not know, but when she finally threw it in the trash can she received the answer to her prayer.
That small thing was tied to obedience and maybe vanity. That small truth we think is non-essential may well be like us fighting the hair clip. If we do not confront lies like we are supposed to then how can we be bearers of His truth? If Jesus is truth then what part of Him is non-essential? What error fits into His core essence?
This is why “gray area” thinking is dangerous. If we think something cannot be known fully or is not really that important it takes the edge off our discernment. We are apt to fall for more serious errors. This attitude makes us more willing to seek for a church that “believes like I believe” without any serious inquiry to see if what you believe is right or wrong according to the contract. Hence the unwise multiplication of churches splitting the Body and we who know the truth do not reach out to correct the errors. We would rather leave people in their error than to rock the boat. If we are not careful, we can become Pilate asking what is truth causing us to be shipwreck according the faith.
1 Corinthians 14:19 There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification.
Yes, there are many voices out there. One hawking one thing and one another. The joke that you can get six Christians and have thirteen opinions on anything is not really funny, but fairly accurate. In a country with a myriad of colleges and seminaries, we are probably the most biblically illiterate generation in our history.
There is only one truth per issue. The truth will have many applications. Often pastor-teachers teach one application instead of giving the interpretation and then the application. Thus people are off balanced believing the application to be the truth itself. This is why they must read and study seeking the truth in the contract not just taking notes and parroting what some teachers say. I have always told people to not create a little red book of the quotations of Brother Ron, but rather be Bereans so if I get off track they can help me get back.
In closing, while there are many voices there is only one voice you need to hear and that is of God. His voice is recorded in the contract so get to know it properly. While God still speaks, there are many who listen to the wrong voice because they do not recognize the voice of the contract. Maybe they have never signed the contract so they are not able to hear Him. Others have not been studying the contract so they have a faint echo of His voice so it is easy for an impostor to imitate that echo. Those who spend time in the contract and speaking to Him will not respond to the voice of an impostor. Even when satan comes in the future with lying wonders so good that if it were possible they would deceive the very Elect there will be a louder voice showing them the errors and they will reject the impostor.
Who are you listening to? Make sure what they say can be accurately proven in God’s contract or it may be Hell for you here and the hereafter. If you signed it, you could lose many of the benefits of the contract although you will have a home in Heaven having had a life of wood, hay and stubble! Make sure you run everything through Jesus because He may well say, “but I say unto you…” Maranatha!!
