How much of truth is truth? 25%? 50%? 75%? 99.8%? No, truth is 100%, 100% of the time. Who's job is it to convince people of truth. No ones. On the contrary, after to second admonition we are instructed to reject people who who refuse truth. It's the person who hears truth responsibility to decide if what they hear is truth and if they want that truth (work out your own salvation). The ever present Holy Spirit will always confirm, and lead into all truth if people have ears to hear. The difficulty is that so many people resist truth and believe what they want, that they remove themselves for hearing truth, and Gods provision. These are not necessarily wicked people, they just resist the Holy Spirit and don't even know that they do. Speaking in tongues is simplest form of evidence of faith. Those who say, by their fruit you will know them, think that apart from the Holy Spirit that they will produce fruit of the Spirit. They get the cart before the horse, India's Gandhi had what would appear to be fruit apart from the Holy Spirit. In sequential events we should have salvation, Baptism of the Holy Spirit which endues us with power, that power first being demonstrated in speaking in tongues, the initial evidence, then growing in wisdom and truth. Apart from hearing the Holy Spirit who leads into all truth what have we learned?
Mark 16:17And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;Does speaking in tongues sound like an option or a general possibility? 1 Corinthians 14:22Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serves not for them that believe not, but for them which believe. Speaking in tongues is a sign to those who do not believe. Do not believe the whole truth. Do not believe that it is for them. Do not consider that they deceive themselves from the truth with evidence. Do not believe that tongues are important and that what they consider fruit is the evidence of the presence of the Holy Spirit. But, in the light of truth; 1 Corinthians 14:2 For he that speaks in an unknown tongue speaks not unto men, but unto God: for no man understands him; howbeit in the spirit he speaks mysteries.
4He that speaks in an unknown tongue edifies himself;.... 5I would that ye all spake with tongues 18I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all:, John 4:23 But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship him. Ephesians 4:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: 16From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplies, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, makes increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. 17This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, 18Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
God does have a format on how to come to Him, and how to receive all that he has for us. God, through Jesus, by the Holy Spirit does not lay down a list of laws or rules that we would break but simply says, learn of Me for I am meek and lowly. This, of course, becomes a law unto itself, a law of the Spirit, you come, you seek, you ask of God who will give to all who asks. If you don't ask, you don't receive. You must first believe, just as you receive salvation, believe in your heart: Hebrews 11:6But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Luke 11:13If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?. We start on a spiritual path and detour though our lack of understanding, coming to Fleshville where things make sense to our carnal understanding, replacing it for understanding the Mind of Christ. Revelation 2: 4Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. The love of the truth. Jesus is truth. John 16:7Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. 13Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 14He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. 15All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
Revelation 3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; 15I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. 17Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: 18I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. 19As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. 20Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. 21To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. 22He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Can you hear truth? Do you seek truth? Or do you say, I have fruit and goods and need nothing?
L,J,P&HG
Dave
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3 comments:
Amen, Dave.
My sheep know My voice. If you do not know the voice of God, if you cannot discern between the voice of truth and the lies (traditions) of men, how can you call yourself one of God's sheep?
It is true that God is love. But as we know, a loving Father will not allow His children to be disobedient. He alone judges your heart and chastens the ones He loves, remains silent to those He does accept. Without faith (to make Him the standard in your life, what He has to say being far more important than the approval of any man), you cannot please God.
There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus (who walk in the Truth), but we must understand that the very act of hearing from God clearly, seeking Him with everything that we are that we may hear Him clearly, is the fruit of a true son or daughter of God. There can be no other way.
Many are called but few are chosen. As many that have heard truth are called, but only those who have made it their very life to believe God will be counted as righteous in the eyes of God (as Abraham was).
Ryan
Excellent word.
I think that many have been burned and wounded and discouraged by those who speak in toungues and prophesy. I think many have witnessed misuse of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit within congregations, and have therefore come to a place where they turn away from those congregations in search of something that doesnt misuse the Holy Spirit.
Speaking strictly for myself, I feel for me that it would be denying the Holy Spirit for me to be a part of a congregation that didn't believe in the Baptism in the Holy Ghost and speaking in tounges, but that is my personal conviction. I believe that without the Holy Spirit alive and moving in me I would be dead.
God Bless
Helen B.
Amen Dave,
Its true that there is no pleasing God unless you have faith. To just be a Christian you must have faith. And if we are to have faith that God is real, and that salvation exists, then why not all of God's promises in the spirit. We must believe in God's promises 100% all the time. First the written promises, and then as we grow we must believe in the promises he speaks or reveals to us through his spirit. I pray God's will be done in all our lives, and in order for this to occur, we must humble ourselves and love truth more than anything.
God bless, Chad
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