Tag / Hebrews

by Chad

Am I Following My Beliefs or God’s Truth?

Recently T.D. Jakes has come under a bit more scrutiny than usual as his statements in an interview with the Huffington Post sparked both support and outrage.

Many supporters of his statements interpret them as welcoming to the LGBT population, and some even view them as accepting and embracing–a view which sparked the outrage of those opposed to his statements.

But is there a larger issue being overlooked and overshadowed by the LGBT context of the statements?

If we consider his statement, “LGBT’s of different types and sorts have to find a place of worship that reflects what your views are and what you believe like anyone else,” and for just a moment ignore the LGBT part, this statement is still very concerning. We have a society full of people wandering from church to church, denomination to denomination, looking for affirmation of their own beliefs, right or wrong. They’re like a bunch of immature children who would rather argue about the basic principles of God and ignore the ones they don’t like because it requires sacrifice or change on their part. They want God’s blessings and protection without submitting fully to His will. This epidemic isn’t limited to the LGBT population. Far from it! This perverted form of religion that places the individual’s understanding and will above God’s Truth and will permeates American society, and does so almost completely ignored.

Hebrews 5:12 through 6:6 shows that mature Christians (real ones) are “those who have had their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” People looking for a church that “reflects what [their] views are…” aren’t looking for God’s views. There is only one Truth. There is only one Way. There is only one Life, and that is in Jesus Christ.

Jakes’ statements seem to encourage people to follow their own understandings and seek support for their own beliefs, but God’s Word tells us to follow His Holy Spirit because the ways that seem right to a man lead to death. Man can twist scripture around to support their own beliefs, but the Holy Spirit can’t be twisted or misinterpreted. That’s what Hebrews is showing us.

True Christians are those who are seeking God’s will in every aspect of their lives. God’s will supersedes their own wants, desires and needs. Good is good. Evil is evil. There are no gray areas. There is only one Truth. To that end, Paul shows us the marks of the True Christian…

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ To the contrary, ‘if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.  Romans 12:9-21 ESV

Christianity is not a set of beliefs. Christianity is the action of following Jesus Christ.

This post isn’t written to bash T.D. Jakes, I don’t know him personally, and only God can truly know what is in his heart. This post hopefully sheds light on a problem that we have all been touched by at some point, and we must all be carefully intentional as we follow God’s Spirit and not our own.

by Chad

Meat and Potatoes

I spent a few minutes studying the Bible this morning asking the Holy Spirit to clear the junk out of my mind and allow me to hear what He wanted me to hear, and I came across a few treasures. They’re treasures that lead to even greater wealths of knowledge in God.

So allow me to execute one of these treasures right here and now.

Hebrews 3:12-15 warns each of us to be careful and diligent to prevent any one of us from falling victim to an evil, unbelieving heart that will lead us to fall away from the Living God. We are instructed in verse 13 to exhort (strongly encourage or urge someone to do something) each other EVERY DAY. This is to keep us from hardening our hearts by the deceitfulness of sin. The Holy Spirit is saying, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”

This is my exhortation for you and myself today.

Stop focusing on the basics of Christianity to the point of wasting time! Why do so many people, myself included, spend years just studying and playing around with the elementary teachings of Christ? Hebrews 5:12 – 6:12 address this very issue. (Read it) For many of us it is far past time to move on from basic Christianity and on to answering the call that God has placed on our lives! The message of salvation, repentance from dead works, faith in God, how to live, healing, prayer, etc… All of these have been clearly written about in God’s Word. The author of Hebrews (likely Paul) calls these things the “elementary doctrine of Christ.” Learn it quickly and move on to the meat and potatoes that God has for you.

If you’re wondering what God has in store for the mature, you’ll find it in verse 14. It is the very embodiment of living a Spirit filled life. Those who recognize that the Holy Spirit is living in them and follow him accordingly are the ones who “have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.”

So what does all of this mean? God’s Word is showing us that spiritual maturity goes beyond basic knowledge of the Bible and into a life where the Holy Spirit, not just the Bible, becomes our guide. God’s Word is the starting point for our spiritual growth. It is full of the milk that we need to begin growing, but we can’t stop there. God’s Word leads us to the Holy Spirit and teaches us to live and follow the Spirit. Use the Bible and the Holy Spirit to train your powers of discernment constantly to distinguish good from evil. Like it or not, if you want to grow strong in your faith and abilities in God, you have to move on from the milk of just reading the Bible and on to the solid food of conversations with the Holy Spirit.

Meat and potatoes.