At a Thursday night bible study we've been making our way through 1 john and at the time of my writing this, we just went through chapter 4. It starts off with this:
"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world."
After we spent some time ripping into a popular greasy mulleted Caucasian television pastor who often dawns a plastered smile beneath his beady alligator eyes I began thinking about the greater body. God gave us feelings and those feelings reflect attributes of His nature and personality, but they are not the bedrock upon which decision making is to be built upon. There is this mentality that permeates the church in, well America for sure, I don't know about everywhere else. The idea that Faith in God/ Christianity is all about the individual and that isn't what the scriptures show in full context.
Yes, Christ died to redeem you personally from your sins. Yes, you must have a personal relationship with the Father through Him by the Holy Spirit. However there is this idea that as we are the recipient of so much love and adoration by God that we are some how exalted into a place where our ideas; concepts, and own standards of what we think is right is lifted up above God's ways and word.
Creepy greasy tv pastors wife was even on tv once telling people:
""I just want to encourage every one of us to realize when we obey God, we're not doing it for God—I mean, that's one way to look at it—we're doing it for ourselves, because God takes pleasure when we're happy. That's the thing that gives Him the greatest joy. So, I want you to know this morning: Just do good for your own self. Do good because God wants you to be happy. When you come to church, when you worship Him, you're not doing it for God really. You're doing it for yourself, because that's what makes God happy.
For those who do not know the Word of God, this has the appearance of being right. It's shiny. God is love after all and we being the recipient of his love only wants us to be happy right?
Actually wrong. What God wants for you and I and everyone in the history of ever, is that we would be Holy. That we would be like Him instead of our own selfish selves. That instead of listening to our own flesh, we'd seek out what His will is, and His word. Here is the scripture that directly refutes what greasy pastors wife said
2 tim 2
But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such peopleThis is the heart of what "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world" means.
Where did sin start? "The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate"- Gen 3
It started with feelings that were swaying people into actions that are contrary to the ACTUAL Word of God
"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world."
After we spent some time ripping into a popular greasy mulleted Caucasian television pastor who often dawns a plastered smile beneath his beady alligator eyes I began thinking about the greater body. God gave us feelings and those feelings reflect attributes of His nature and personality, but they are not the bedrock upon which decision making is to be built upon. There is this mentality that permeates the church in, well America for sure, I don't know about everywhere else. The idea that Faith in God/ Christianity is all about the individual and that isn't what the scriptures show in full context.
Yes, Christ died to redeem you personally from your sins. Yes, you must have a personal relationship with the Father through Him by the Holy Spirit. However there is this idea that as we are the recipient of so much love and adoration by God that we are some how exalted into a place where our ideas; concepts, and own standards of what we think is right is lifted up above God's ways and word.
Creepy greasy tv pastors wife was even on tv once telling people:
""I just want to encourage every one of us to realize when we obey God, we're not doing it for God—I mean, that's one way to look at it—we're doing it for ourselves, because God takes pleasure when we're happy. That's the thing that gives Him the greatest joy. So, I want you to know this morning: Just do good for your own self. Do good because God wants you to be happy. When you come to church, when you worship Him, you're not doing it for God really. You're doing it for yourself, because that's what makes God happy.
For those who do not know the Word of God, this has the appearance of being right. It's shiny. God is love after all and we being the recipient of his love only wants us to be happy right?
Actually wrong. What God wants for you and I and everyone in the history of ever, is that we would be Holy. That we would be like Him instead of our own selfish selves. That instead of listening to our own flesh, we'd seek out what His will is, and His word. Here is the scripture that directly refutes what greasy pastors wife said
2 tim 2
But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such peopleThis is the heart of what "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world" means.
Where did sin start? "The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate"- Gen 3
It started with feelings that were swaying people into actions that are contrary to the ACTUAL Word of God
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