There Can Only be One
Dearly beloved of God, God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the One True and Living God is light, not darkness. He only speaks the truth; He is not a liar like the adversary, the devil. He enlightens our eyes, not blinds people’s minds to the truth. He gives life; He does not take it away.
God gave us His Word to make His Will known to us. His Word is the truth, and it reveals what we are to believe.
If God’s people would believe the Word of God we would not have thousands of denominations in Christianity, we would have the Church, which is the body of Christ, living in practice.
The truth will make you free. The lies of the adversary lead to bondage and captivity.
Doctrine is teaching that sets the standard of truth so that we can believe what God would have us to believe. Read Romans 10:17. Wrong doctrine ensures that we believe wrongly.
How do you get the right doctrine? Since all scripture is God-breathed we must allow the Word of God to speak for itself. We must read what is written. God’s Word is not open to “private interpretation.” Either the Word of God will interpret itself, or no interpretation is possible.
The Word of God will interpret itself either in the verse where it is written, in the context of that verse, or where the identical subject has been spoken of previously.
Within the verse, we must consider how God uses words in the Scriptures, or their biblical definition. We must consider the use of figures of speech, and oriental expressions that may not be commonly understood in our culture.
If God’s Word is to be understood without any private interpretation we must be sure of to whom a passage of Scripture is addressed, and who it concerns.
We must consider the administration of time and how God dealt with people during that period if the Word of God is to interpret itself. We must take into account the who, what, when, and where concerning any scripture.
If we will allow God’s Word to interpret itself instead of letting loose upon it with our own ideas and biases we can come to understand the Word of God as God originally gave it to holy men of God, and believe what He would have us to believe.
What is the truth and what is error; that is the question. There are many controversial subjects among Christians because of what they have been taught; not because God’s Word is error prone. Theologians are error prone, not God.
Whether the subject is one God or two at work in this age; the One True God and His Son Jesus Christ or the trinity; salvation by works or by grace; grace versus the law; access to God through the Lord Jesus Christ and his accomplishments or through dead “saints;” our standing before God in Christ or by our works; prayer by the spirit or by vain repetitions; God possesses people and uses them as channels or He gave us free will; speaking in tongues is the proof God gave us of our salvation or is it from the devil; receiving eternal life at death or at the return of Jesus Christ for the Church in the air, saved from the wrath to come and the Lord’s Day or will we will go through it, etc., only the Word of God rightly divided can give us the answers we must have concerning these crucial subjects.
Truth is truth, and there can only be one.
Every scripture regarding the identical subject must agree if we are to have the truth about any subject; truth cannot contradict itself.
The Word of God can be our only rule for faith and practice concerning spiritual matters, dearly beloved, and we must allow it to interpret itself.
We must always allow God to speak for Himself and not put words in His mouth. His Word will reveal the truth if we want to know it.
God sent Hosea to Israel with His Word, and had him tell them: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to Me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.” Hosea 4:6 They had rejected God’s Word.
Believing comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God, dearly beloved. See Romans 10:17
Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that does not need to be ashamed of their workmanship, rightly dividing the word of truth. See II Timothy 2:15.
God is light, and He only reveals the truth to us. He would have all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. Take Him at His Word, dearly beloved of God.