Trust not your Souls upon Misapplied Scriptures
Are we confused today about the Word of God? There is the living Word and the written Word. The statement heard often that the Bible is the "Word of God." All the denominational churches of the world have their own application of the meaning of the scriptures and they are as far apart as left is from right. The scripture says that "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." (John 1:1) and "His name is called the Word of God." (Rev. 19:13) and "The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us." (John 1:14). However, concerning the scriptures it is written: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." (2 Tim. 3:16).
The scriptures are given by God and the living Word, Jesus, has been given to us. The Christian world has misapplied the written word (the scriptures) and placed their trust upon these concepts. These wrong concepts have given us thousands of warring, confused, divided systems filled with the anti-christ spirit. I can hear the reader of this message say "Our church is not like that. My pastor is wonderful and has such insight into the scriptures. I have learned so much from her (him) that I never knew before. Our church is growing and we are in a building program." Pray for discernment while you have time, while it is still day, for the time is running short.
When I was young, I trusted my soul to the cult church that my parents put me in. We had the truth and all other systems were going to hell for sure, and I really felt that they deserved that because they were not of us. We had misapplied scriptures everywhere. The day finally came when I had a true encounter with the Living Word who came within me and felt freedom from sin and eternal life within for the first time, and the written scriptures for the first time began to have meaning for me. However, almost immediately afterward, all the well-meaning Christians began to confuse this life within me with all their misapplied ideas from all their confused denominational systems.
The believers today are faced with these same problems. Ninety-five percent of all Christian books are leading people down the wide path that leads to destruction (Matt. 7:13). Ninety-nine percent of Christian T.V. and movies are works of iniquity. (Matt. 7:22-23). What have we missed? What will it take for us to get on a path that is narrow which leads to life? It is a great mystery. We need to remember the words of the apostle to the Galatians. "I marvel that ye are so soon removed from Him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: which is not another, but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ." (Gal.1:6-7). And "If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed." (Gal. 1:9).
It certainly looks like with all types of gospels today being preached that we have many accursed. What is the answer for us and the true church which is not a building but a people? The Lord has delivered us out of the kingdom of darkness. He is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He might have the pre-eminence. (Col. 1:18).
Again, what have we missed? We have missed the Christ within, who is the sum of all spiritual things for me and the church. We have replaced the Christ within for a form, a system without. We have replaced the living, active life within our temple for visiting the brick temples without, replaced the life of the Spirit within for the shams of false spirit-filled teachers without. We have replaced that crucified life within for the greedy, position, wealth-seeking life without. We have replaced the finished work of the cross which Jesus fully paid for a spiritual life which is still centered on the Old Testament, and we have become enemies of the cross.
What Lord Jesus must I do? Lord we need a current revelation of You. Who you are that is in me. This mystery is summed up in "Jesus Christ in you, the hope of Glory."
Jim D. December 2003
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