Truth Or Consequences

Matthew 5:38-39 Ye have heard that it hath been said,... But I say unto you,... KJV

We have heard many things said since our birth. Some have proven to be true and others are flat out lies or just old wives tales. Many of us have heard many things about God, for and against, and what He dictates for us to do or not to do. The religious leaders had added to and taken away from the Word of God for many years. Because of that they were able to play the hypocrite and control the people. That control brought great wealth as well as fame and at least outward respect for who could be brave enough to or wise enough to challenge the Rabbis? So Jesus had to say you have heard, but I say and clarified and corrected many things in His ministry bringing the ire of the current clergy upon him.

I believe we are in the same condition today. Many people have no clue as to what the Scriptures teach because they do not feel they can challenge the teachings of the Doctors, be they Pastors, Rabbis or Priests. Many are controlled by man-made doctrines that conflict with the Word. It is adding to or taking away again along with hypocrisy, power and gain.

When you stand before God, He is not going to let you off the hook because someone, even you dear sweet sincere grand-mama or some insincere false prophet taught you error. He is going to ask you what YOU did with His Word and why were you not like the Bereans who sought the Scriptures daily to see if what Paul or your teachers taught was true. Your traditions, cultural bents, comfort zones and the like will not help you at all at the BEMA or the Great White Throne. It is His Word, His Will and His Way that matters.

I have said many times that if people would truly search the Word asking God through His Holy Spirit to show them truth there would be far fewer groups/denominations/non-denoms or whatever you want to call them. Many would disappear in a puff of truth and others would have to drastically change their ways.

There is a right way and a wrong way to challenge error. If you do it the right way and your spiritual teacher threatens you with damnation or that God is going to burn your house down because you went up against God's man or the group's teaching then you need to run away from that man or group. Neither Jesus nor the Apostles ever turned away a seeker of truth, but they could confound the naysayers or ones seeking to justify their own theologies or sins.

I once heard a deacon say that if the preacher told him that the white wall was black he would believe him. That is so wrong. That is how people end up in Guiana or Waco.

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. KJV

There was an old game show called Truth or Consequences and there are many consequences if you do not seek and find truth because you felt it didn't really matter or that there were no consequences for holding to false doctrines and frivolous, concocted traditions.

Qui Deum amat et quaerit veritatem