Sunday, January 22, 2006
Matt. 7:
21. "Not everyone who says to Me, `Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.
22. "Many will say to Me on that day, `Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?'
23. "And then I will declare to them, `I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.'
Luke 6:
46. "And why do you call Me, `Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?
We have been warned to watch out for false prophets coming in sheep’s clothing and we are told to enter the narrow gate in which again He gives us direction as He says that he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter the kingdom. It is not easy but it is simple. You must know scripture so you may discern right doctrine from wrong. Discernment is not cultivated overnight but by diligent study in the word over time. It is also beneficial to surround yourself with godly people/mentors who are never satisfied with their present knowledge of scripture but want to know God, and this man Jesus Christ, more intimately. And, when you find yourself of old age you will not gloat as a knowledgeable theologian but marvel at the relationship that you have with your eternal Lord and wonder why on earth would He have a relationship with a depraved sinner like me?
We are warned about self-deception but how can we recognize that we are a victim of it? As in the paragraph above we see that some have come to believe in an experience; saying the sinner’s prayer or some formula that they have recited as a profession of faith. Others have gone to a church meeting where they have had some kind of spiritual experience that moved them to raise their hand, walk an aisle, or fill out a registration card. Don Carson in his book, Jesus Sermon on the Mount, writes:
There are several ways to become self-deluded about spiritual things. For example, it is possible to enjoy some sort of unique experience and live in its glow at the expense of ongoing spiritual experience and sustained practical obedience. I heard of a man who enjoyed what he took to be a special outpouring of God’s blessing upon him. He felt himself transported with Paul to the third heaven. So momentous was the event that he wrote it all up in paper to which he gave the title, “My Experience.” The months slipped past, and he became indifferent to spiritual things. At first he preserved the form, and hauled out his manuscript to show various visitors. But as months turned into years, even the form of godliness was abandoned, and his experience lay forgotten in a dusty drawer. Many years later a minister came calling. The man, thinking to impress his visitor, called upstairs to his wife, asking her to bring down “My Experience.” She rummaged around until she found the tattered document, and replied, “I’m sorry, dear, but your experience is rather moth-eaten.”
21. "Not everyone who says to Me, `Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.
22. "Many will say to Me on that day, `Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?'
23. "And then I will declare to them, `I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.'
Luke 6:
46. "And why do you call Me, `Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?
We have been warned to watch out for false prophets coming in sheep’s clothing and we are told to enter the narrow gate in which again He gives us direction as He says that he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter the kingdom. It is not easy but it is simple. You must know scripture so you may discern right doctrine from wrong. Discernment is not cultivated overnight but by diligent study in the word over time. It is also beneficial to surround yourself with godly people/mentors who are never satisfied with their present knowledge of scripture but want to know God, and this man Jesus Christ, more intimately. And, when you find yourself of old age you will not gloat as a knowledgeable theologian but marvel at the relationship that you have with your eternal Lord and wonder why on earth would He have a relationship with a depraved sinner like me?
We are warned about self-deception but how can we recognize that we are a victim of it? As in the paragraph above we see that some have come to believe in an experience; saying the sinner’s prayer or some formula that they have recited as a profession of faith. Others have gone to a church meeting where they have had some kind of spiritual experience that moved them to raise their hand, walk an aisle, or fill out a registration card. Don Carson in his book, Jesus Sermon on the Mount, writes:
There are several ways to become self-deluded about spiritual things. For example, it is possible to enjoy some sort of unique experience and live in its glow at the expense of ongoing spiritual experience and sustained practical obedience. I heard of a man who enjoyed what he took to be a special outpouring of God’s blessing upon him. He felt himself transported with Paul to the third heaven. So momentous was the event that he wrote it all up in paper to which he gave the title, “My Experience.” The months slipped past, and he became indifferent to spiritual things. At first he preserved the form, and hauled out his manuscript to show various visitors. But as months turned into years, even the form of godliness was abandoned, and his experience lay forgotten in a dusty drawer. Many years later a minister came calling. The man, thinking to impress his visitor, called upstairs to his wife, asking her to bring down “My Experience.” She rummaged around until she found the tattered document, and replied, “I’m sorry, dear, but your experience is rather moth-eaten.”
# posted by Castusfumus : 2:38 PM
