Is the whole bible, the truth? Please allow me to answer that question and
why it is so. The bible is not just a book. It is a unique library that has recorded
historical propheticness. And its comprehensive exactness proves that God
sets no man to pronounce judgment of His word. What speaks of the destiny
of nations: past, present, and future? What details events hundreds,
thousands of years before they occurred? What is written that validates
history? What described the plight of a whole people and the horrendous
circumstances of their lives in a distant land? What speaks to the conflicts of
human whims or the outcome of human ambition? Dare I say that it is the
truth of the word of God that bears witness to God? Let our inquiry be ‘what
does the scripture say.’ It is our faith that has this reality of the bible’s referent
power. This reality is a divine mystery. It is the gift of God’s self to humanity,
the invitation to encounter the Triune. The bible is the entirety of our treasure
on earth, and we are to be aware of the distinct coins of principle. These are
truths of pre-vision of future events and inspired insight into the trend of
history as a development of a single great purpose.
SOP - The Bible is written by inspired men, but it is not God's mode of
thought and expression. It is that of humanity. God, as a writer, is not
represented. Men will often say such an expression is not like God. But God
has not put Himself in words, in logic, in rhetoric, on trial in the Bible. The
writers of the Bible were God's penmen, not His pen. Look at the different
writers. {1SM 21.1}
It is not the words of the Bible that are inspired, but the men that were
inspired. Inspiration acts not on the man's words or his expressions but on
the man himself, who, under the influence of the Holy Ghost, is imbued with
thoughts. But the words receive the impress of the individual mind. The
divine mind is diffused. The divine mind and will is combined with the human
mind and will; thus the utterances of the man are the word of God.--
Manuscript 24, 1886 (written in Europe in 1886). {1SM 21.2}
SOP – The Lord speaks to human beings in imperfect speech, in order that
the degenerate senses, the dull, earthly perception, of earthly beings may
comprehend His words. Thus is shown God's condescension. He meets
fallen human beings where they are. The Bible, perfect as it is in its simplicity,
does not answer to the great ideas of God; for infinite ideas cannot be
perfectly embodied in finite vehicles of thought. Instead of the expressions
of the Bible being exaggerated, as many people suppose, the strong
expressions break down before the magnificence of the thought, though the
penman selected the most expressive language through which to convey the
truths of higher education. Sinful beings can only bear to look upon a shadow
of the brightness of heaven's glory.--Letter 121, 1901.
Have you ever been presenting the truth of the Word to someone, and
suddenly they deny it. Are we to compromise truth for the sake of unity or is
truth to be the source of our unity? Should we be divided by truth, or united
in error? How do we test everything to see if it is truth or not. Be Berean in
word, deed, and power. There are few things that so effectively undermine
the testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ in the world today, as division
among those who call themselves Christ's ones... Would you sacrifice truth
for unity? Why would we refuse to listen to the plea of the Holy Spirit? Why
refuse to reason with God to come to the same mind in the same judgement?
This evolves out of a heart that is in a right attitude toward Christ first and
foremost, and also in a right attitude to brethren and sisters in the Lord Jesus
Christ. Jesus says he came to bring division…why.
Luke 12:51
Most study the bible seeking to gain an outward possession of peace on
earth. That is a supposition embraced by those who do not reason with the
word of God. They fail to understand diverse passages of truth that unite the
old testament’s concealments, with the new testament’s revelations. But
Christ’s words show them to be mistaken, the events declare the contrary.
Because of sin, the effect of the teaching of the whole truth of the bible will
be division. The design of the gospel and its proper tendency are to unite the
people of God to one another, to knit them together in holy love, and, if all
would receive it, this would be the effect of it; but there being multitudes that
not only will not receive it, but oppose it, and have their corruptions
exasperated by it, and are enraged at those that do receive it, it proves,
though not the cause, yet the occasion of division. But when the power of
truth is taught, many are enlightened by it, and turn from the power of Satan
to God, then there is a disturbance, a noise and a shaking, for good.
Ezekiel 37:7
Some will distinguish themselves for God by embracing the truth through
reasoning, and others grow angry that they do so. There will be different
sentiments in the things of God, which will occasion division; and Christ
permits it for holy ends. This division will reach into private families, and the
teaching of the word will give occasion for discord among the nearest
relations.
Luke 12:52, 53
The one that continues in unbelief will be provoked, and will avoid, hate, and
persecute the one, that by faith and obedience, studies and hears the word.
Unbelief and disobedience is self condemnation. A spirit of narrow
mindedness will break through the strongest bonds of relation and natural
affection. You want to see anger stirred…teach the truth! When you stand
for the truth, no care about how much love you show, your enemy will be
revealed. Do not let the revelation of these surprise you. Keep your self
worthy of Jesus. Seek his truth in his word. It must be our utmost priority
regardless of the cost.
Matthew 10:34
What is this sword…the word of God. All of Christ’s teachings. Truth draws
a line…a line of choice that builds in the unity of faith, the body of Christ. Truth
is never obscure. It is Jesus and the One whom he sent.
I John 5:6
And who is this Spirit?
II Corinthians 3:17
To even reason with God for the truth we must go through Jesus. And our
striving is for unity…unity of the Spirit.
John 14:6
Ephesians 4:3
If unity is not in truth, then it is in error. Babel was unity, that’s fact. But was
its unity based in truth? The truth divides and unifies.
The people called by God have the courage to always inquire further by
asking the right questions to get to the right source of what is said. We are
not to let our assumptions about what God says guide us, we are to let His
truth determine our spiritual journey. We sometimes place more emphasis
on what we want to be true rather than the truth that God has provided for
us in His Word. Are we guilty of, at times, wanting to bend God to our will
rather than having Him conform us to His? Sometimes we approach God’s
Word with our fingers in our ears shouting "no" when He wants us to learn of
Him. There is an abundance of misunderstandings about God out there. The
bible is inspired by God, and authoritative for faith and practice. To deny any
of the word of God is to deny faith and without faith, all doings are
unpleasurable to God. This is how and why God’s people are separate from
the world.
It is certainly crucially consequentially ceaselessly detemined that
we discern and distinguish truth from error, to enter into the kingdom. We
must avoid mishandling the word of God. We must learn how to hold the truth
with certainty and persuasion while affirming the clarity of scripture, for not
every doctrine is equally clear. Therefore, it always is right to speak slowly,
hear fully, and to engage entirely all discussions with instruction to show
thyself approved unto God at the forefront of our minds. That said, there are
some secondary truths which are not to be eclipsed or denied.
For they are necessary to the commitment of the primary truth.
Truth is not based upon an independent silo of thought, it must be recognized in its connection to alltruth. By God’s grace, when truth is found in one place, it will be carried in
another place. This is why as a principle of reasoning God’s thoughts after
Him, it must be recognized that the views we hold that are arrived at
through study, do interpenetrate one another. One truth is to inform us of
other truths…and rightly understood; God will preserve us from a world of
errors. No truth is minimized and all truth reminds us that we first and
foremost stand united for God, in Christ, by his word, and the eternal realities
of heaven. By this we are better equipped to discuss differences with people
and to share the gospel. God grants us wisdom to rightly divide His Word,
and separate ourselves from those who abide in error, even as we prayerfully
and compassionately attempt to draw them to truth as it is in Jesus Christ,
regardless of their current doctrinal convictions. None are above the spiritual
knowledge or the spiritual experiences of Christ as written in the word. The
spiritual's spirituality will be evidenced in humility and in unity; and carnality
will be evidenced in pride and divisiveness. Christ is not divided. Bible
believers who are born-again by the Spirit of God are able to come together
in community. Biblical balance is found in the sanctuarial truth. We must
stand and be divided, but also be united with those in Christ.
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