Do You Really Want to Know?
Dearly beloved of God, as the children of God we cannot allow our past teachings, opinions, or feelings to discourage us from believing the truth of God’s revealed Word.
Sadly, too many are influenced by their relationships with other people instead of believing the truth of the Word of God.
Some people are influenced by what other people say about a topic. Very few have the courage to search the scriptures for the truth, and then boldly stand on it regardless of what others may say.
We cannot trust anyone’s experiences above the truth of God’s Word. One person’s experiences will vary from the experiences someone else may have. We must hold our experiences up to the light of God’s Word, and God’s Word alone.
Our past teachings, opinions, or feelings may prevent us from considering the truth that God reveals in His Word. We cannot afford to reject the Word of God out of hand without ever considering the evidence revealed in the God-breathed Word.
The Word of God must be the only rule for our faith and practice. That the Word of God is the Will of God is the most underrated truth there is today. It is the greatest secret in the world today.
If we will come to the place that we understand that Word of God is God speaking we will be able to find the answers we truly need. We will be able to separate what is the truth from what is a deceiving counterfeit. When it comes to spiritual matters we must learn to take God at His Word.
When we work any subject in the Word of God, it will interpret itself; we do not need to resort to our personal opinions, feelings, or what someone told us about it. We do not have to let others frame what God reveals.
The Word of God will interpret itself if we will read what is written in the verse, in the context in which it appears, or where the same topic appears previously. If it is the truth, every scripture concerning the identical subject will agree.
We can find every scripture concerning a particular subject by using a Concordance. Young’s or Strong’s are two good concordances. The instructions on how to use them are given in the introduction. Once you have looked up every verse on a subject, you will know all there is to know on that subject.
For example, who is Jesus Christ? Fifty verses tell us that he is the Son of God; not one says he is God the Son.
What does God reveal about holy spirit? There are 385 verses dealing with the holy spirit, “pneuma hagion” in the Greek. If we will read them, and allow God’s Word to interpret itself we will know all there is to know on the subject.
God is Spirit, and Jesus Christ said that we become God’s children by being born again of God’s spirit. Being born again of the spirit gives us an entrance into the kingdom of God and eternal life.
Another subject that is confusing to many Christians concerns the return of Christ.
If we will read the scriptures addressed to the Church we find that the Lord Jesus Christ will return for the Church and gather them together, both the dead in Christ and those who will be living will be gathered up to him in the air. You can read it for yourself in I Corinthians 15:51-54, and in I Thessalonians 4:15-18. This will be the Day of Redemption for the Church.
After the Church has been gathered unto him in the air, the Lord’s Day will begin to unfold. The Day of the Lord was foretold by the prophets.
During this period the Lord Jesus Christ will come to the earth, and he will reign until he subdues every enemy. He will send the angels to gather living Israel to their King and they will reign on earth with him for 1,000 years.
There will be two resurrections that he will carry out during this time. In the first resurrection he will raise those who were beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the Word of God, and who did not worship the beast; they will live and reign with Christ for a thousand years. See Revelation 20.
Then, at the end of the thousand years, the Lord will preside over the resurrection of the just and the unjust.
Dearly beloved, if we will allow the Word of God to interpret itself
we can find the answers we seek.
As students of God’s Word we must study to show ourselves approved unto God as workmen that do not need to be ashamed of their handling of the Word of God as we rightly divide the word of truth.
God gave us His Word so we know the truth. He would have all people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. Why not take Him up on His offer? It is available.