The Pharisees and the Sadducees were constantly being rebuked by Jesus because of their traditions and man made doctrines. When we use doctrine to excuse our self from obeying the Word of God we are doing what the Pharisees and Sadducees did in the days of Jesus. The LORD rebuked them for this more than any other thing. Are there any traditions and doctrines that you place above the Word of God? God's command is that we walk in love. Will you crucify anyone that crosses your traditions or your man made doctrines? If so you have strained out a gnat and swallowed a camel.
The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us. The Word is Jesus, and Jesus is the Word. You cannot separate the Word of God from Jesus, you cannot separate Jesus from the Word of God. Whatever Jesus is, the Word is to us. Whatever the Word of God is to us, Jesus is to us. When you read the Word of God you are listening to God. You cannot accept Jesus, and yet reject the Word. Why? Because Jesus is the Word of God. If you reject the Word of God you have rejected Jesus. You cannot reject Jesus without rejecting the Word of God.
Are there parts of the Word of God that you are uncomfortable with? Are there parts of the Word of God that you don't believe? I was talking to a young man once. I quoted to him a direct passage from the Word of God written in red. He responded by saying, "We don't believe that way." I said to him, do you see these Words in the Bible that they are written in red. He said, "Yes, they are in red." I said, "Do you know what red print means?" He said, "Does that mean Jesus said it?" I said "Yes, Jesus said these words. Are you saying that your group does not believe these words that Jesus spoke, you do not accept them as truth?" He said the same thing he did from the beginning, "We don't believe that way." Then he misquoted the Apostle Paul, and stretched what was written by Paul out of context and said, "We believe what the Apostles taught." I just stood there shaking my head.
When we reject the Word of God we are rejecting Jesus. Jesus is the Word of God. What I showed the young man gave him something to think about. He had believed what his group had taught, and had not studied any further in the bible. This was the FIRST time that he realized that what he believed did not line up with what Jesus taught. We have people today in America and around the world that are just blindly following a set of rules and traditions and doctrines that are the opinions of men instead of the Word of God. If your group teaches things contrary to what Jesus taught, guess who is wrong. Here's a hint, it ain't Jesus that is wrong.
Mark 7:7 But in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
A lady came into our food pantry to get food. As we were getting her food bagged up she looked at Pastor Bob and said, "Where does it say in the Bible that once you are saved, you are always saved." Pastor Bob looked at her and said, "You won't find that passage in the Bible, you won't find anything remotely like it either." She was just shocked. She said, "Oh, I know it is in there, I just can't find it." In fact it is NOT in the Bible, but it has been taught from pulpits around America as if it is a passage in the Bible. There are however passages that state just the CONTRARY as a direct quote.
Romans 11: 17-22
17And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them partake of the root and fatness of the olive tree;
18Boast not against the branches. But if you boast, you bear not the root, but the root you.
19You will say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.
20Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Be not arrogant, but fear:
21For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also not spare you.
22Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in his goodness: otherwise you also shall be cut off
We must continue in his goodness because we were grafted in when Israel was cut off, and if we do not continue in his goodness, we also shall be cut off. This is not talking about someone that never got saved in the first place. This is talking about people who have been grafted in. Does your group tell you that you have eternal security? Are you grafted into the vine? Romans 11:22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in his goodness: otherwise you also shall be cut off This is not man's interpretation of the Word of God, that was a direct QUOTE from the Word of God. The words eternal security, once saved always saved, the promise that we will never lose our salvation...none of those words are in the Bible as a direct quote. All of those DOCTRINES are men's interpretation of Scriptures. Are you going to believe an interpretation of what man thinks about the Scripture, or are you going to believe a direct quote by the Apostle Paul from the book of Romans?
The lady in the pantry told us all that she had searched all morning to find the scripture that said once you were saved that you could never lose it. She said, "I can't find it but I know it is in there, I have heard that preached all my life." She heard this all her life and she WAITS until she is elderly before she starts looking to see if this is a scripture from the Bible? This doctrine is widely believed in America, yet, it is not a direct quote from the Bible but a doctrine that men came up with by placing various verses side by side and reasoning amongst themselves what these verses truly mean. In other words, a man made doctrine!
Here are more scriptures that are direct quotes from the Bible, not men's interpretation, quotes from the Bible that let us know that it is possible to fall away from grace when we do not obey the Will of God.
Galatians 5: 1-4
1Stand fast therefore in the liberty with which Christ has made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
2Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if you be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.
3For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.
4Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; you are fallen from grace.
This is talking to those who were in the liberty of Christ, made free. He said be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Then he says if they trust in circumcision which is of the law they are fallen from grace. This is not talking about someone that never received grace. This is talking about someone that had received it, been made free by Christ, and returned to the law, and then FELL from GRACE. This Scripture says that we can fall from grace. How can you fall from something that you never received?
Colossians 1: 21-23 21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now has he reconciled 22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and blameless and unreproveable in his sight: 23 If you continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which you have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;
Once again this is talking to the believer. He is saying that the we would be presented HOLY, BLAMELESS, UNREPROVEABLE in his sight. But there is a condition on being presented that way. The Scripture goes on to say IF YOU CONTINUE IN THE FAITH...GROUNDED and SETTLED and be not MOVED AWAY from the hope of the gospel. Why would he say and BE NOT MOVED AWAY from the hope of the gospel if once we got saved, we were always saved. Why say this if we are eternally secure and no matter what we do we can never lose it. This was said in the Scripture because Paul did not believe in once saved always saved. If he had believed that doctrine, he would have never said here IF you CONTINUE in the FAITH...and again he says that we can be MOVED AWAY from the hope of the gospel.
Hebrews 3: 12-14 12Take heed, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 13But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end;
All of these scriptures are talking to the believer, they are not talking to the lost. Just because a scripture in the Bible says that a believer shall have eternal life, does not mean that one cannot stop believing. Also, there are many scriptures that say those who do not produce fruit will be cut off. There are also Scriptures that say that those who do not do the will of the God will perish. I challenge everyone to study them for YOURSELF. All of the above Scriptures indicate we must CONTINUE in the faith to receive eternal life. Why would there be an emphasis on continuing in the faith if it were not possible to fail to continue in the faith?
People believe things that are contrary to direct quotes from the Scripture because they have been taught the doctrines of men. Paul urged everyone to study the Scriptures for themselves. Look at the doctrines you believe. Do they line up with direct quotes from the Bible or do you have to explain away direct quotes from the Bible to stick with the doctrine that you believe? Food for thought!
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