God is not the author of confusion!

June 16th, 2017

1 Corinthians 14:33 (KJV) “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.”

So why all the separation, disunity and confusion in fellowships today?

Last week we read John 16:13-15, concerning truth and the Holy Spirits workings in the believer.  i read “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.”  John 16:13-15.  Is there more than one truth?  “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6.  Again i read “And the Word (from John 1:1 and Colossians 1:15-19) was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we (Peter, James & John) beheld his glory,(Transfiguration of Matt 17:1-9)  the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” John 1:14. 

Sidebar:  When was Jesus made “the only begotten of the Father”?  Was it at birth? Was it at His baptism? At the transfiguration?   Maybe at the crucifixion; or maybe at the resurrection? When was Jesus begotten of the Father?    

So is there more than one truth?  “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.”  Ephesians 4:1-7.  In review then, God’s Word is truth, Jesus is full of grace and truth; Jesus is the image of God, God in flesh (Matt 1:23); there is only “ONE”:  one God, Father, Spirit, Lord, body, faith, hope, baptism.  So if i am to believe what scripture says and i do, how is there more than one taught in our fellowships?  Does scripture answer these questions? yes, but it takes time in prayer;  “If any of you lack  wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.  But (but, implies an opposite, a flip side: there’s a requirement) let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” James 1:5-8.  There is a way to ask; “But let him ask in faith”.     “From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” James 4:1-3.  All true, thou written to the twelve tribes scattered: we today in this time can glean truths that remain pertinent.  

i believe there are three reasons one’s faith waivers; “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt (gifted) to every man the measure of faith.”  (that measure of faith to believe truth is depressed by allowing:)  “the god of this world hath blinded (deceived) the minds of them which believe not (looking for a way to validate their wanting to not believe: i.e. their lusts), lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them (Jo 3:19).”  2 Corinthians 4:4.  Then to further complicate matters will not “ present your (their) bodies a living sacrifice (by praying, reading His Word, meditating, being an ambassador), holy (not fully committed to what we say we believe), acceptable (agreeing with God’s proclaimed truth) unto God, which is your reasonable service (to the one who thinks they have to do something).  And be not conformed to this world (a way of thinking, in opposing God’s delivered truths): but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, (by allowing God’s truths to permeate our newly created minds, in Christ Jesus(having mind of Christ 1Cor 2:16b) that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Romans 12:1-2

         #1 “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is (believing that He is and all that He says is truth to be believed)  and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Hebrews 11:6 The first absolute, how can God reward if one doesn’t believe that He is and is that truth.  Believing that God is; but, is it God presented in the Bible,  or a god in one’s mind that appeases their conscience (2 Cor 4:1-4).  The distinction has eternal consequences:  “make your calling and election sure:”  2 Peter 1:10: although written by a Jew to the Jews, is necessary for us to consider, again “precept upon precept” (Isa 28); and “rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim 2) .  

         #2:  one must agree with God in that “all have sinned”,  and “for as in Adam all die” (1 Cor 15:22a), in that we need life, not forgiveness, because forgiveness is provided only in Christ (Eph 1:7, Col 1:14).  “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God which is by *** faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;”  Romans 3:21-25.  (second absolute: agreeing with God, that) “for all have sinned”.  

*** As also seen in “I live by the faith of the Son of God,” Galatians 2:20b.  Now also here “which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe” Romans 3:22. How does your version read?  of or in.  Not semantics, but a proper rendering and understandings of definitions: excuse me, understandings in definitions; now i’m confused: ludicrous.   Galatians 2:16, of and in are used in the same verse.  In Romans 3:21-26 is all the same sentence and of and in are both used in the same thought. Semantics then?  no just an excuse to justify and refute truth, not believing!!!

         #3  “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.” Hebrews 9:22  In times past there was a song entitled “Nothing But The Blood”  its lyrics have, sadly, i think have been lost to “political correctness” in most fellowships.

                            

Back to the title verse for this SOTW:  where does this confusion come from.  i believe it is from the blinding (deceitfulness) of satan.  As present humanity nears its reckoning, God has allowed more darkness to prevail and gives us a warning:  “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins (rejecting the death, burial and resurrection: the gospel, “the enemies of the cross of Christ” Philippians 3:18b) led away with divers lusts, ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. (through unbelief)”  2 Timothy 3:1-7.  

What was Eve’s motivation for taking what was forbidden?  “For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.”  Genesis 3:5.  i believe that the knowledge mankind received as a result of their unbelief is what we call conscience.  They chose for mankind, to have the ability to determine good and evil, right and wrong,  no different today.  Today we choose what denomination we like, what version we like, we choose what we like.  What satan failed to mention in his presentation was the whole truth.  Man wasn’t created with omniscience abilities, only God is omniscience.  Not being omniscience, not having all knowledge, but the knowledge of good and evil only, humanity makes grievous errors, again rejecting faith.  Why did Adam eat? Adam had been told directly by God not too, so why.  i believe Adam allowed confusion to cut in.  God had said:  “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Genesis 2:17.   But (this but allowed entrance of the lie) there she was, standing, speaking and offering the forbidden: Adam not being omniscience, (rationalized) didn’t understand what death God had spoken of, “(for we walk by faith, not by sight:)” 2 Corinthians 5:7).  We have no excuse today for we have the completed Word of God; Paul writing; “whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;” Colossians 2:25, this thought continues to verse 29.  But the word i want to address here is “Fulfill”.  Strong #4137:  “from 4134; to make replete”  then to define; continue to “#4137 (IV) (B) Of a business or work, to accomplish, finish, complete”  referencing Colossians 1:25.  When Paul had concluded 2 Timothy; God by the Holy Spirit has finished His Word to the Church.    

sidebar:  it is often taught that we, humanity are created in the image of God.  Only Adam & Eve were created in Gods image (Gen 1:27);  in that creation, man is an eternal being. After the fall of mankind i read that:  “And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat (had a son born unto him, Adam) a son in his (Adam’s) own likeness, after his (Adam’s) image; and called his name Seth:”  Genesis 5:3.  But now when by faith i believe the gospel as given in scripture:  “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”  1 Corinthians 15:4.  When i believe am “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”  2 Corinthians 5:17.  

i may be wrong, you may be wrong, we both can be wrong; but the Holy Spirit is never wrong.  i need to agree with the Holy Spirit, you also, i pray, will agree with the Holy Spirit. When we both agree with the Holy Spirit, we will agree with each other.  Man wants to leave the Holy Spirit out of the equation, and when we do: look at the so called church, i prefer calling them fellowships; look at the mess were in.  When, not if;  a difference occurs why don’t we come together and converse, study out, what sayeth the scriptures?   “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.”  1 Corinthians 14:33. But what do we do “For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.”  Galatians 5:14-16.

Its not the words on the page, the ink that is used, its not the binding or the publisher that makes it God’s Word it is the Holy Spirit using God’s Word’s to show us truth. “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”  1 Corinthians 2:14.  It’s each individuals responsibility to “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15.  Studying not to impress God but to know why one is approved unto God.  Without faith, confusion follows.

“Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:  The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,  And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,  Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:  And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,  Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.” In Jesus’s name Amen