Fact or Fiction Choose Liberty or Bondage
FACT OR FICTION
Choose - Liberty or Bondage?
THE PROBLEM
Today in the "church world" there are many who are leading the people of God astray.
In churches, on TV and on websites there is an amazing amount of material that professes to be Christian that just totally fails the scripture test. It is FALSE.
Usually this is coming from those who profess to be something they are not, fulfilling such scripture as Jude 17-19 and 2Timothy 3:1-5
Jude 17 But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: 18 how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. 19 These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.
2 Timothy3:1 Perilous Times and Perilous Men
But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! 6 For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8 Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; 9 but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was.
Scripture clearly warns us that we MUST be aware and beware of these false teachers, false apostles, false christs, false christians etc. We are also warned about sects, divisions, factions and the like. Those of the TRUE body of Christ must, as scripture teaches us, and as the Bereans are commended for doing, examine all things to see if they be of God. The Ephesians are commended in revelation for having examined those false ones and exposing them for what they really are, liars, cheats, thieves and usurpers.
Rev 2:2
2 "I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars;
We can do no less if we are to become all that God desires for us to be. As followers of Christ we need to have relationships with other Christians, but we cannot have the same relationship to others who only profess to be Christians. It is up to you as an individual to know those among whom you labor, as light and darkness cannot fellowship. Lest the light be extinguished.
This study is designed to help the true believer in learning to understand the proper function of the body of Christ and to discern by scripture and the Holy Spirit, if one is sent by God or by another. We must be careful with whom we fellowship so we will not be led astray as so many are these days.
This study is not intended to be the complete and final word on this subject. for to assume so would be absurd. It is designed to whet your appetite so that you will "take your liberty" and look for yourself at what the scriptures have to say about these important things. MY BRETHREN I WOULD NOT HAVE YOU IGNORANT ABOUT THESE THINGS.
THE SOLUTION
There is a simple solution to this serious problem. We must develop and learn how to use our God given discernment and we must learn how to judge from scripture by the Holy Spirit and then expose this abundance of error. The bible clearly says to "test all things to see if they be of God", and gives us instruction in how we are to do this..
If we learn what the scriptures have to teach us about this we will not have to be concerned about following false teachers, false apostles, denominations of men, etc, as we will know these things have no part in the body of Christ and we will discern them before they can entrap us.
Rom 16:17-18
Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. 18 For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple.
1 Cor 3:2-4
3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? 4 For when one says, "I am of Paul," and another, "I am of Apollos," are you not carnal?
Scripture is very clear about what we will see in those things that are false. BUT we must always be led by the Holy Spirit. There is NO ROOM for self righteousness or judgemental attitudes, only discerning by the Holy Spirit.
We Must Overcome and Cast aside False Teaching we have Received
Many have been taught that they are not to judge, that they cannot even ask about something that seems to them to be scripturally questionable. That they are not to touch God's anointed and so forth. From experience I can tell you that it's a relatively small number that are truly God's anointed. And while it is true you are not to “falsely accuse or attack” God's anointed (or anyone else), one that is truly God's anointed will be open to any thing you have to ask or say and will not take it as a personal attack as some do. You may not like his response but it will be scriptural and correct I can assure you. And if you have a valid comment or correction he will thank you. He needs us as we need him.
I will address discernment and judging according to scripture in detail in another article.
But right now you need to put aside what you believe about these two things and get out your concordance and bible and study to see what scripture really says about these things.
I will give you a hint. When there was error that continued and was not repented of and corrected-- they named names-PUBLICLY.
Who am I to Believe?
No One! Thats right you are not to believe anything no matter who teaches it-Until –you have studied it out in scripture with the help of the Holy Spirit(bible says He will reveal all truth)and are convinced beyond all doubt that it is scriptural truth. Otherwise until you are convinced just dont make up your mind until you are convinced you have truth. There is nothing wrong with saying I am not yet sure what the truth about that is. And it is certainly better and less embarrasing than having to come back and say 'i changed my mind this is what I believe now”.
A LOOK at GODLY LEADERS
Those that are called to lead God's people in this hour are found to have the SCRIPTURAL qualifications of Jesus and Paul. Seminary and bible college credentials are not what is important, understanding the character of and their personal relationship with God is the key. Being "charismatic", or popular is not the measure ( look at Jesus, look at Paul), we will also be rejected and despised by many professing to be God’s people but the approval of the Holy Spirit of God is the ONLY approval that counts as the approval of man is a temporal thing and has no eternal value.
As Jesus is the personal pattern for all individuals, Paul is the example of leadership for men who will led God's people.
A few characteristics of a Godly leader are HE
Will have a clear vision of the kingdom of God
Will NOT bind people to himself, but will point them to God through Jesus Christ
Will always teach those he leads to go on with God without needing him.
Will have no desire to be seen or to take credit for what he does
Will be a man not a woman
Will NEVER teach doctrines other than those taught by Jesus and Paul.
Will ALWAYS give people the liberty to hear God themselves.
Will be there to pick them up and restore them if they fall
Will not be bound by things of man but will in ALL things be controlled by the
HolySpirit
Will have a humble spirit.
WILL be followed by the signs of Matthew 16:16-18
Will be a Servant to all
Will be available when needed
Will listen and respond appropriately
Will be open to correction by anyone and if he is wrong will quickly repent and make the necessary corrections
Of course this is not all but they are some very important qualities that he is required by God to have.
LIBERTY (God's Way)
The apostle Paul taught liberty. Liberty is the right to hear and follow (or not follow) God for yourself. We must learn to understand this liberty and how to Properly walk in it. Look at scripture, he would get a group of people converted and then leave them for a time to learn to follow the Holy Spirit for themselves. After a period of time he would come back to put things in order as prescribed by the Holy Spirit , not by what would be best to perpetuate the ministry of Paul, but by what would perpetuate the GOSPEL of the Lord Jesus Christ. He trusted God to be able to complete what HE had started. Leaders can and certainly must advise and help God's weaker vessels grow, but LEADERS CANNOT CONTROL THEM, even the Holy Spirit of God does not do that. Each person must be free to follow God as he believes God is leading him. When he falls it is the job of the Godly leaders to pick him up and help him in the way, to serve the precious people of God. Liberty is God's way.
A look at unGodly Leaders
There are many that profess to be leaders that are not. They are liars and fakes. They can be found anywhere, in the churches, on TV, on websites and other places. We must learn to recognize them and avoid becoming entrapped by them. They will take you to perdition not to the Kingdom of God.
Here are a few characteristics of an UnGodly “leader”
If you are reading these and they offend you, you probably are one.
He will have a clear vision of his/church/ministry/website
He will teach doctrines not supported by scripture
He expects you to just do what he says because
He can hear God for you better than you can
He needs to be always be seen and for all to know he is the leader
He will not have a humble spirit
He expects to be served- after all he is the leader
He expects to be believed and never questioned about his words and ways
He takes an attempt at question or correction as a personal attack
He requires an appointment to see him
I am sure most of you can add some of your own.
BONDAGE ( man's way)
A natural man cannot let God's people stumble as they learn to walk with Him. He must control what they do to conform to the way He sees God. If people will not do things the natural man's way he will pick up his toys and go his own way, trying to find others that do not hear God that will follow him. This is the why there are so many denominations, cults and factions that keep people in bondage. He thinks that as “God's man the people belong to “him”. He gathers as many followers as he can and puts them in bondage (service) to his dream. They are to remain in “his” church forever. They are expected to serve his ministry, which to him is god. If someone hears from God that it is time to go somewhere else He tries to make them stay , they are his.
Today there are millions of people in bondage to a man or a church or a denomination. This is contrary to why Jesus came. He came to set the captive free not to ensnare them into something different.
Bondage is the way of man.
It is past time for God's people to awake from their slumber. To learn what the character and nature of God is, and to understand His Word and walk fully in it.
Time to expose all that professes to be of God and is not.
And time for Christians to be the examples of Christ on this earth that we are called to be.
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