Response to Comment Below Part 1
Peter,
I am afraid you have taken my statement a bit out of context. There is a big different between knowing God and knowing His will and having faith in God and being in His will. In that light, I stand by my statement. I am aware that the Pharisees were very educated in the Scriptures and were in frequent displays of prayer. However, as you said, it is a changed heart that needs to be present when doing these things. I believe this is what Paul is referring to when he says "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being used it is the power of God." in 1 Corinthians 1:18. We cannot emphasize enough how important it is for a Christian to read the Word of God! It is the inspired word of our Creator, and it is very necessary in knowing the nature of God and understanding His will in our lives. If we do indeed read His word with the change of heart brought on by the Holy Spirit, His word holds more than I could ever begin to express! In some countries it is not possible to read the Word in its entirity as it is here because of persecution, but as an American I am given the undeserved honor of having access to the Bible every day of my life and if I do not choose to listen to what God says to me through that Word I am not fulfilling my duty as a Christian to strive to be Christlike in every way. I was a "Christian" for many years before I came to the understanding of how important it was to read the Bible. However, when my future husband pointed out to me that I could not "give an answer" I started to read with a new passion and desire to know my Creator and Lord better. My life completely changed through the reading of His word and through humble prayer. I must disagree with you that it is not a path to knowing God more deeply. It is most definitely a path to knowing Him more deeply! If His Spirit is within you as you read the Scriptures, how can you not come to know Him more through the Word that He has given to us?
1 Thessalonians 5:16-22
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
Do not put out the Spirit's fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.
1 Timothy 1:13-14
What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you--guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.
2 Peter 1:3-9
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
James 1:23-25
Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it--he will be blessed in what he does.
Acts 18:24-28
Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately. When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. On arriving, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. For he vigorously refuted the Jews in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.
Acts 17:11
Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
2 Timothy 3:14-17
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
1 Timothy 4:11-16
Command and teach these things. Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you. Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.
Romans 15:4
For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
It is vital that we remain in the Word once we become Christians. It is by learning constantly and applying that knowledge in our daily lives that we become the mature Christians Paul talks about in Hebrews 5:11-14 We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
I am afraid you have taken my statement a bit out of context. There is a big different between knowing God and knowing His will and having faith in God and being in His will. In that light, I stand by my statement. I am aware that the Pharisees were very educated in the Scriptures and were in frequent displays of prayer. However, as you said, it is a changed heart that needs to be present when doing these things. I believe this is what Paul is referring to when he says "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being used it is the power of God." in 1 Corinthians 1:18. We cannot emphasize enough how important it is for a Christian to read the Word of God! It is the inspired word of our Creator, and it is very necessary in knowing the nature of God and understanding His will in our lives. If we do indeed read His word with the change of heart brought on by the Holy Spirit, His word holds more than I could ever begin to express! In some countries it is not possible to read the Word in its entirity as it is here because of persecution, but as an American I am given the undeserved honor of having access to the Bible every day of my life and if I do not choose to listen to what God says to me through that Word I am not fulfilling my duty as a Christian to strive to be Christlike in every way. I was a "Christian" for many years before I came to the understanding of how important it was to read the Bible. However, when my future husband pointed out to me that I could not "give an answer" I started to read with a new passion and desire to know my Creator and Lord better. My life completely changed through the reading of His word and through humble prayer. I must disagree with you that it is not a path to knowing God more deeply. It is most definitely a path to knowing Him more deeply! If His Spirit is within you as you read the Scriptures, how can you not come to know Him more through the Word that He has given to us?
1 Thessalonians 5:16-22
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
Do not put out the Spirit's fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.
1 Timothy 1:13-14
What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you--guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.
2 Peter 1:3-9
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
James 1:23-25
Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it--he will be blessed in what he does.
Acts 18:24-28
Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately. When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. On arriving, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. For he vigorously refuted the Jews in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.
Acts 17:11
Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
2 Timothy 3:14-17
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
1 Timothy 4:11-16
Command and teach these things. Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you. Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.
Romans 15:4
For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
It is vital that we remain in the Word once we become Christians. It is by learning constantly and applying that knowledge in our daily lives that we become the mature Christians Paul talks about in Hebrews 5:11-14 We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
posted by Monica at 10:40 AM
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