Knowing and Standing on what you Believe
By
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
OPENING: - We are living in a time of uncertainty, darkness, fear, gloom, desperation, and anxiety as gripped our nation, people are literally sitting on the edge wondering what is coming next. It seems as if every 10 minutes in the past few weeks something major has changed in our world and it has caused people to stop and ask the question what’s going on. Asinine decisions regarding the nation’s defense and security are being made, the economic structure is in question, the National Institute of Health which is a federal agency that conducts and supports medical research in the United States and around the world is in jeopardy. The Pentagon which is the Headquarters of the Department of Defense and the symbol of American power, influence, strength, and leadership is threaten and weaken with threats of dictatorship and authoritarianism. The educational system, as flawed and backward as it is, is under attack and threatened to be destroyed. To say we are facing trying times is an understatement and what lies ahead is only going to be worse. Now is not the time to be indecisive, it’s not the time to be playing patty cake, it is not time to be straddling the fence, it is a time that we truly need to make sure we know and stand on what we believe, not so much that we believe, but what we believe and why we believe what we believe.
It is not that you believe that is important because the world is full of people that believe. People believe in all sorts of things they believe in the political system and that this person that they voted for is going to make everything alright, people believe in musicians, they believe in athletes and even some of the greatest believers are Atheist because they believe that they don’t believe and it takes a lot of faith to believe that you don’t believe when you can look around and see for yourself the sky, the birds, the sun, moon, stars, trees, oceans and say there is no God, but the Bible says the fool hath said in his heart there is no God. So, saying that you believe is not the important thing but knowing and standing on what and who you believe is because what you believe determines your decisions and how you live your life.
The Mystery of Iniquity is hard at work and laying the pathway for the Anti-Christ and many are being deceived in and by the apostate church, confused and deceived by a corrupt and perverse political system, and are wondering what am I going to do now. I believe that the people of God are about to have their belief tried and our faith is about to be tested and shaken to its core, the form of godliness will not be able to stand but those of us that are rooted and ground in sound doctrine and have our hope built on nothing less than Jesus Christ and righteousness shall be able to stand and having done all to stand.
Today I want to talk on the subject of Knowing and Standing on What you Believe.
PRAYER
SCRIPTURE: 2 Corinthians 13:5 “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates”
Let me ask a few very simple questions? Have you ever taken time and asked yourself why you believe what you believe and how did I come to believe what I believe? Do you believe what you believe because someone said so and it was never questioned, or did you search the scriptures for yourself? Most people believe what they believe based upon someone else’s belief. WATCH THIS: - Because Mom and Dad believed this way and brought you up in the church you were taught this, and for the most part your belief is based upon the belief of your parents. I remember being 10 and 11 years old in the church testifying saying giving honor to God who is the head of my life I thank God for being a lawyer in the court room and a doctor in the sick room and at 10 or 11 years old I had never been in a court room or the only sickness I had was a common cold, my testimony was based upon what someone else said, my belief was based upon what someone else said experienced. That was good when I was 10 or 11 but if at almost 60 if I still had the same testimony, if I still had the same basic belief something is wrong.
There is nothing wrong with that at 10 or 11 years old because that is foundational belief, that is the basic belief system upon which your own personal relationship and belief system is built upon. It is a good starting point because it enables you to have head knowledge where you can quote a few scriptures that should ignite your spiritual curiosity and cause you to want to dig deeper and develop a stronger belief system and knowledge of God and His Word, but it is not enough to stand life’s trials and tribulations that calls for not head knowledge but Heart Understanding Proverbs 4:7 says, “Wisdom is the principle thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding”. Understanding is the power of comprehending to make it an experience by applying it to your life.
TEXT: - 2 Corinthians 2:5 “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates”.
You need to ask yourself am I sure I know what I believe? Do I know why I believe what I do?
Do I believe what you know? Do I understand what I believe? These are very personal questions, and no one can provide you the right answers, not your parents, spouse, Sunday school teachers, not the preacher, etc. It is also a personal choice whether or not to answer them.
If you do not know why you believe, and if your foundation of faith is not solid now, it will be shaken later.
In our text Paul calls the Corinthians to examine themselves because there was the fear that many of them had been deceived. There had been disorder and corruption in the church at Corinth and a spirit of religiosity and mediocrity had begun to develop in the church. So, he had to show them that it was important, in the highest degree, for them to examine themselves to see whether they had not been altogether deceived and to ensure they knew what they believed because he was about to leave, and he wanted to make sure the people would be able to stand and endure the test to come.
So, he says examine yourselves and prove yourselves these are 2 very strong and important words: - The Greek words for “examine and prove” means to test, to try, to put to use. In secular Greek, it was used to describe the scene in a marketplace where authorities would examine coins to make sure they weren't counterfeit, it was the real thing.
The proof of their belief was to be arrived at by a faithful examination of their own hearts and lives; by a diligent comparison of their views and feelings with the Word of God; and especially by making trial of it in life. The best way to prove our belief is to subject it to actual trial in the various duties and responsibilities of life.
WATCH THIS:- A man who wishes to prove an axe to see whether it is good or not, does not sit down and look at it, or read all the reports he can find on axe-making, and on the properties of iron and steel, valuable as such information would be; but he shoulders his axe and goes and puts it to the test by cutting some wood.
If it cuts well; if it does not break; if it is not soon made dull, he understands the quality of his axe better than he could in any other way – WHY – because he put it to use and he understand how it will perform when needed. So, if you want to know what your belief is worth, you must try it in the places where belief is of value. You must go into the world with it. You must go and try to do good; to endure affliction; to combat the errors and follies of life; to admonish sinners of the error of their ways; and to move forward the great work of the word of God to the world, and you will soon see what your belief is worth.
The problem is there has become a spirit of complacency and mediocrity in the church. So often we become comfortable with just sitting down and comparing ourselves with the Bible and saying yes, I believe and to a certain point that is ok because it gives us practical head knowledge, we know how to church, we know how to praise and worship, we know how to speak in tongues but we fail in knowing how to live when all of that is done because we have become complacent with church as usual, we settle for mediocrity. Then when our belief is put to the test, we struggle finding it hard to stand because we really don’t know what do and I really don’t know what I believe and understand.
That belief which will enable us to endure persecution for the name of Jesus; to bear calamity without complaining; to submit to a long series of disappointments and distresses for Christ’s sake. That belief which will prompt us unceasingly to a life of prayer and self-denial; which will make us ever conscientious, industrious, and honest; which will enable us to warn sinners of the errors of their ways, and the salvation of the world. It is like the good axe with which a man can chop all day long, in which there is no flaw, and which does not get dull, and answers all the purposes of an axe. Any other belief than this is worthless.
Matthew 22:36-37 says, “Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind”.
Let’s look at these briefly: - First of all it is humanly impossible to obey this command because of the fallen nature of man but through our belief in God and the power of the Holy Ghost we can actually fulfill this command.
all thy heart: - This is with our emotions at all times in the good and bad, when the answer is yes or when the answer is no. It is learning as Paul said to be content in every situation yet praising God regardless.
all thy soul: - This is going deeper than your emotions and understanding that God is exceeding and abundantly above all you can ask or think. When you look around and see the sun, moon, stars and just worship Him for who He is.
all thy mind: - This is not just knowledge, but understanding, power, strength, and might. This is loving the Lord with every fiber of your being and understand the purpose of why you love Him.
Yet so often we ignore the command to love God with our mind which is to think about God with reverence and adoration and hold Him in high esteem to understand what the Bible says about Him and His commands and obey them out of love. It is more than just memorizing a few scriptures. We must know what we believe and why we believe it. We must constantly seek and search the scriptures for these are they which testify of Him. True knowledge of God always bears fruit in greater love for God and a greater desire to praise Him. The more we know Him, the more glorious He will appear to us. And the more glorious He appears to us, the more inclined we will be to praise Him, to honor Him, to worship Him, and to obey Him.
This is moving from glory to glory, from fruit, to more fruit, too much fruit, from the outer court to the inner court, to the holy of holies. So often people become comfortable with the outer court because there is excitement, there’s sacrifice, fire, and emotionalism in the outer court and there is nothing wrong with the outer court if you are just starting out. But there needs to be the desire to move from the outer court and press towards the holy of holies because in the Holy of Holies is the presence of God.
I believe that the times we are soon to be facing an outer court experience as good as it is will not be enough to keep a lot of people from slipping and conforming to the pressures of the world. How can you say that Bishop because 2 Timothy 4:3-4 says, “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”.
That word Endure means persevering through trials, resisting sin, and remaining faithful to God’s purpose. Unless you have been in the presence of God, unless you have more than an emotional experience, unless you have a deep understanding, unless you know that you know that you know what and why you believe what you believe will you be able to stand.
Now let me bring this around. John 15:18-19 says, “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love its own; but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you”. Understand people of God nothing in the Bible is there just to take up space everything has a purpose, and I believe Jesus is letting us know that the world hates us just as it hated Him for a reason. At every step of His ministry there were those that accepted Him, but there were twice as many that were against Him and He is letting us know that we are going to be tried and tested, persecuted and perplexed and as time moves closer to His return before the Rapture and before the Tribulation that we are going to face unprecedented times and I believe those times are standing not just on the other side of the door but in the doorway with the door and it is wide open and we need to make sure that we know and stand on what we believe.
We must know and stand on sound doctrine. We can’t be moved from the truth of the Word of God.
What is Sound Doctrine: - Sound Doctrine is TRUTH teachings that are error free, solid, reliable, and accurate. Our faith is based on Sound Doctrine and a very Sound and specific message. Sound Doctrine affects how we think and how we act in the world. Sound Doctrine produces in us Romans 12:1-2 “present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God”.
Our Duty is to earnestly contend for the Faith which literally means know and stand and fight for the truth Jude 3.
Understand there is nothing wrong with praise, there is nothing wrong with shouting and speaking in tongues, but you better know how to live and stand when all of that is done.
Knowing and Standing on what you believe. This is Sound Doctrine and is what you need to make sure you know and understand in order to be able to stand. Sound Doctrine is knowing and standing believing the truth about God as revealed in scripture.
God: Creator and sustainer of all who is omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, immutable, self-existent loves you who in John 1:1-5 & 14, Genesis 1:1-3, John 3:16 says it like this:- “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. Who as God created the heavens and the earth All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. For in him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. But God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. So the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth”.
Christ: It is this word that became flesh as Jesus Christ the Son of God the only begotten of the Father that said in John 8:42 “If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me”. It is this Jesus the Son of God which refers to his incarnation not the eternal nature but his manifestation and purpose of the salvation of mankind who God hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him according to 2 Corinthians 5:21 understanding that one day we must all appear before the judgment seat of this very same Jesus Christ that everyone may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether good or bad according to 2 Corinthians 5:10.
Holy Ghost: The Holy Ghost is the comforter that Jesus the Word that became flesh, the Son of God the only begotten of the Father said in John 14:26-27 “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid”. If you don’t have the Holy Ghost, you need the Holy Ghost for without it there is no peace. You need to understand how it all comes together.
The Oneness of God: That God has no distinction in number but of manifestation only. God all supreme, eternal, infinite, indescribable, creator and cause of all things, sustainer and creator of the universe is omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent. Jesus Son of God refers to His Incarnation not the eternal nature but His manifestation and activity for the purpose of salvation of mankind. Holy Ghost/Spirit what Jesus said in John 14:26-27 would come to comfort us and guide us through this world giving us peace, so we don’t have to be afraid when we face trials and tribulations. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost is the fulness of the Godhead the complete divine nature of God and it dwelt bodily in Jesus Christ as stated in Colossians 2:9.
Scripture: The Bible is the Word of God, and every word of it is true 2 Timothy 3:16–17 “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works”.
That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works that sums it all up right there to be thoroughly furnished is to be equipped properly to have everything you need to be able to stand the test. It is having your lions girt about with truth, having on the breastplate of righteousness, having your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, having the helmet of salvation, taking the shield of faith and the sword of the spirit which is the Word of God, so you are Knowing and Standing on what you believe.
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
