5. Scriptures, or spiritual conclusions, which when preached, disagree fundamentally with the majority of other scriptures on the same subject in the Bible, must be treated with extreme caution and placed to one side for spiritual analysis and further study.
A visitor to my website recently uttered the phrase “The scriptures activate our faith.” I must confess that I was filled with a spiritual unease as I meditated upon that concept; not only because there is a wealth of scripture at variance with that statement, but also because my experience as a scriptural counselor, disproved it. There is, like Romans chapter 10 v 17, as discussed in part 3, a mistaken belief, that the more of the scriptures that you know: the more your faith will grow and be activated. That smacks of works to me and not of grace.
Hebrews chapter 4 v 2
“For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not PROFIT ( benefit) them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.”
This verse, when read in context, is clear: faith activates the holy scriptures. Without this dynamic spiritual mixing of faith and scriptures: nothing happens: there will be no profit. Experientially, I encounter many Christians, who contact our prayer line, who know the scriptures inside out; and yet, they are not fulfilled spiritually. Their prayer requests seem to be unanswered, they constantly ask others to pray for them, their lives do not appear to have any spiritual direction other than “Church” on Sundays. They quote a multitude of scriptures regarding the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, and yet are mystified at their failure to manifest this wondrous power in their walk with our Heavenly Father.
Let us search the scriptures.
Hebrews chapter 12 v 2
“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of God.”
This spiritual faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, not our own faith, but His faith: authored and finished by Him, every microcosm of it, is gracefully given to those of us who accept Him as Lord, believe that God raised Him from the dead and that He sits, glorified, at the right hand of the Father.
We ignite this spiritual faith as we simply believe the scriptures.
Romans chapter 12 verses 1 and 2
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a LIVING sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
And be not conformed to this world: but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may PROVE what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.”
I am often asked “What is God’s will for my life?”
I believe that as we renew our minds to His scriptures; as we activate those scriptures by faith; as we begin to prove them by living according to the scriptures: then and only then can we begin to understand “….what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.” for our individual lives.
Romans chapter 1 v 17
“For therein(the gospel of Christ) is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written. The Just(the righteous) shall LIVE by faith.”
We are to be a LIVING sacrifice, not just a knowledgeable one, and we are to live, not by knowledge alone, but by activating that knowledge by the faith of our Lord Jesus, by simply believing the gospel of Christ.
1 Thessalonians 2 v 13
“For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when you received the word of God which you heard of us, you received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually works also in you that believe.”
Dr.E.W. Bullinger, whose book “How to enjoy the Bible” first encouraged me to begin rightly dividing the word of truth, was a tremendous student of the scriptures. However, his belief that the indwelling power of the gift of the Holy Spirit and the 9 manifestations thereof, listed in I Corinthians chapter 12 ceased in Acts chapter 28.
This meant that he never experienced the blessing of speaking in tongues or manifested miracles and gifts of healings in his ministry.
Why?
Because those scriptures, located in 1 Corinthians chapters 12 and 14, which are focused on spiritual matters, which incidentally he knew so intimately, did not profit him….not being mixed with faith.
Like Dr. Bullinger, there are many who know multitudes of scriptures. Unfortunately these scriptures will lie dormant unless we activate them by that spiritual faith given to us by grace. As Smith Wigglesworth constantly encouraged In all his teachings:
“Simply believe”
Philippians chapter
1 v 27
“Only let your conversation(the Greek word politeuomai meaning: our behaviour or lifestyle) be as it becomes the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, (behaviour) that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.”
1 Timothy chapter 4 v 12
“Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation(lifestyle), in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”
Philippians chapter 3 v 20
“For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.”
As we study the scriptures and simply believe them and begin to change our lifestyle to become “….as of the gospel of Christ.” We begin to live a Heavenly lifestyle: we begin to live the life that our Heavenly Father wills for us.
John chapter 8 verses 31, 32 and 36.
“Then said Jesus to those Jews that believed on Him. If you continue( the Greek word meno: meaning to dwell, abide or stay) in my word, then are you my disciples indeed;
And you shall know (the Greek word ginosko meaning to know by experience) the truth, and the truth shall make you free. If the son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.”
We have been liberated, spiritually, by the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus: by His crucifiction, His resurrection, His ascension and by His glorification at the right hand of the Father. To experience that freedom, in our daily walk with our Heavenly Father, we are to know His scriptures; and yet knowing the scriptures alone will not set us free in our daily walk.
Our Lord Jesus teaches us that to be free INDEED we are to continue, dwell, abide and stay in His words i.e. to live His gospel, not only on Sundays, but also 7 days a week, 52 weeks of the year. It will not be an easy task but that is the Father’s will for us.
So to summarize. What are my objections to this doctrine of “The scriptures activate our faith.”
1. I find it extremely difficult to reconcile this doctrine with the rightly divided word of truth. I agree that we must study and meditate upon His holy scriptures but I believe this doctrine encourages believers to procrastinate and wait for our Heavenly Father to somehow activate our faith.
Like Romans chapter 10 v 17, the implication is that as we HEAR and HEAR the word of God
only, our faith, supposedly, COMES. It is as if people are waiting for the Father to move and are somehow expecting Him to build our faith for us.
Our Heavenly Father moved some 2,000 years ago, when He sent His only begotten son, as a sacrifice, to wash away our sins and to make available the gift of the holy spirit.
Now it is up to us to move accordingly: to activate His scriptures. We have all the spiritual faith of our Lord Jesus Christ; but to activate that spiritual faith we must simply believe.
2. As Christians, we live in a time of unparalleled access to biblical teaching: between the Internet, satellite TV and local churches there is an inexhaustible supply: some rightly divided, some not.
It is interesting to note John chapter 14 v 12.
“Verily, Verily, I say unto you, he that BELIEVES on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and GREATER works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.”
If this doctrine of “The scriptures activate our faith.” is true; surely we should be seeing in our Churches the signs, wonders and miracles that we witness in the ministry of our Lord Jesus.
Please remember He simply states “…he that believes on me” He is not speaking to ministry leaders, pastors and their wives and the elders of the churches: simply those who believe on Him.
3. 1 Corinthians 8 verse 1
“…..we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up(the Greek word phusioo meaning: to self inflate, to make proud/haughty) but charity edifies.”
I believe that this doctrine, which implies that our faith is activated by scriptures alone, encourages pride and self inflation.
What makes me come to that conclusion?
Well, I tend to deal with it quite regularly on our prayer line, in meetings that I attend and in face to face counseling sessions.
I am asked for assistance, yet when I dare to suggest that we need to simply believe the scriptures and that we need to change our lifestyle to be “… as the gospel of Christ” if we desire to build a healthy relationship with our Heavenly Father; many become seriously offended, claiming that they know volumes of scriptures and expect to sit back and wait for the the Father to activate their faith.
The prospect of having to change one’s lifestyle, for some, is a path they do not wish to tread.
The next question usually is: “who are you to be offering this advice and what qualifications do you possess?
To those believers I simply say “Thank you for contacting me, I can’t help you. Godspeed and blessings upon your life. Please contact me again if you have a change of heart.”
Thankfully for every 9 that do not desire to make these changes there is one that will listen and implement my scriptural counsel in their walk.
Praise the Lord.
It makes my labours worthwhile.🙌🙌🙌
So, there we have it. When rightly dividing the word of truth regarding scriptures or doctrines proclaimed, that disagree fundamentally with the majority of other scriptures on the same subject in the Bible; we must treat them with extreme caution and place them aside for spiritual analysis and further study.
This we have truthfully attempted in this sharing.
Accordingly, I pray that this encourages you all.
Part 5 will follow in a few weeks time. It will be the final installment, and ranks, in spiritual importance, just behind asking the Holy Spirit for assistance as we rightly divide the word of truth. I look forward to sharing it with you.
Blessings.