I am in college. It is inevitable that I will somehow, in all the hours of classes I attend, learn something. I expected that. But what I have found as I continue to grow both in years and in faith is that much more learning is done on my own accord than in the classroom. While the learning in the classroom (occasionally) can be valuable, the learning done on my own has a much greater eternal value.
The older one becomes, the more they learn. The more one learns, the more they realize that they in fact know less. It's unfortunate, but true. Has anyone ever wished that things could go back to the why they were in preschool? Ah, those were such simple times... Times when all we needed to know about our faith was summed up in such a simple tune:
Jesus loves me, this I know;
For the Bible tells me so.
So simple. So profound. Yet with everything being hurled at us every day and from every direction, those words become questioned. "Is the Bible really the Word of God?" So many things that we as "adults" are taught by the world to be facts cause us to question or doubt the essence and very foundation of our faith. If we allow ourselves to believe that the Holy Word of the Sovereign God is in the least bit imperfect, then the whole truth of that simple Sunday School song falls apart. And in turn, our entire faith is questioned.
Let me make sure that one thing is completely and 100% understood. The Bible is the perfect, Holy, unfailing and living Word of God.
Things throughout life try to derail us from the straight track that God laid out for us in Scripture. One of the biggest problems existing for the Church today is the Church. We have allowed ourselves to become divided over the most minute details. Gifts of the Holy Spirit, for example. This is a major issue out there today. Let's take the gift of tongues. Should all believers be able to speak tongues? It all boils down to what Scripture says. Let's take a look...
1 Corinthians 12
4There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.7Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,[a] and to still another the interpretation of tongues.[b] 11All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines. 12The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.
The answer is: absolutely not. We cannot choose which spiritual gift(s) we have, the Lord determines them for us. And not one can have all the gifts. The body is made up of many parts, and if one person had each gift, then that person would make up an entire body, and that simply is not Scriptural.
Do you disagree with any of that? I don't want to hear what your pastor or some speaker had to say, or what your friend told you, or what your favorite author wrote in a book. All of that comes from the flesh, not God. "All Scripture is God-breathed." Everything else is, in turn, man-breathed, and not always perfect or accurate. Back up your belief with Scripture.
Back to my original point: the more you hear from worldly sources, the more things will conflict, and the more confused you will become. When you hear something you are unsure of, look to Scripture for clarity. The more you do this, you will develop a better sense of discernment between what is from God (truth) and what is from man (lies).
But it all comes back to that simple song from Sunday School.
Luke 18
16 But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 17 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”
We are to have faith like a child. Plain and simple. Back in the day, we just accepted God's truth as the absolute truth. Why do we have such a hard time with it today?My main point I am trying to get at in all of this is that life is difficult, but heaven is sure. We may seem lost on this sea of life, but if we have the simple faith of a child, we will be found at the celestial shore when our life here on earth is done.
Thanks for reading.
3 comments:
I like it. I don't agree with all of it, but Paul calls us not to be divided by petty arguments so i shall leave it at that. Although i will say take a closer look at Acts as well.
Don't worry about doubt, it often makes you search more. You might say doubt is faith in search of more faith. Keep searching and stay with the simple part of faith. Not keeping it simple is where we tend to blow it.
what exactly are you referring to in Acts?
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