A lone voice on another christain site . i found this .
Sept 28, 2018 18:43:51 GMT -5
2fw8212a and Cletus like this
Post by frienduff on Sept 28, 2018 18:43:51 GMT -5
them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. (1 Corinthians 2:6-13 NASB)
So many of today’s preachers and Bible teachers are relying on human wisdom over and above the wisdom of God. “Bible studies” are often studies of books written by mere humans with select scriptures intermingled between the thoughts of these human authors. Scriptures are often taken out of context or are conformed to the thoughts of man rather than man (humans) being conformed to the thinking (mind) of God.
Marketing books are replacing the Holy Spirit as the guidance of the church. Many feel good highly repetitive songs are replacing hymns and spiritual songs which are deep in the truths of scripture and its application to our daily lives. Sermons are often “canned,” because they are borrowed from others or are found on the internet already prepared, so they lack the power of the Holy Spirit in them, because they came from man, not from the Spirit.
It becomes really obvious that many of these sermons originated in the mind of man, and not of God, if you watch (listen to) a variety of them from various preachers, for you will begin to notice common elements among the messages themselves that are humanistic, plus you will notice common preaching techniques among the preachers, which are also of man. And, what should become really apparent is how the sermons are often geared more to entertain the people and to appeal to their human flesh.
You won’t hear many of these pastors preaching the cross of Christ in the life of the believer in Jesus in the sense of our need to die with Christ to sin and live with him to righteousness as part of the faith which saves us. For, those who are truly teaching what Jesus taught will not have people coming to hear them preach by the droves, at least not here in America. Or, if the people do come initially, once the “hard” teaching becomes apparent, they will desert only to find for themselves preachers who will tickle their itching ears by telling them what their flesh wants to hear.
Discerning the spirits or The Spirit
But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:14-16 NASB)
So many people are fleshly minded, even many who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ. In our sin nature, this is how we are, but if we believe in Jesus Christ, we are to no longer be that way. For, the Spirit is now living within us, thus we have the mind of Christ, and we should be able to discern the difference between what is of the flesh and what is of the Spirit. Yet, I do know that this is also part of our process of sanctification, too.
If we have Christ living within us, though, because we have died with Christ to sin, and we have been resurrected with Christ to newness of life in him, then we should have the mind of Christ. Thus, we should be accepting of the things of the Spirit, not rejecting of them because they conflict with our flesh. We should not be looking for loop-holes to excuse away our sinful behaviors, but we should desire to submit to Jesus Christ with our lives.
I see so many people who claim Jesus as Savior, though, live just like the world, and have little regard for the commands of their Lord or for holiness and purity and integrity being lived out through their lives. And, yet they will say that they look forward to the day when they get to go to heaven, but it is usually in the context of reuniting with some deceased loved one more so than it has anything to do with being with our Lord face to face.
Thus, they appear to be living more in their natural man state than in the Spirit, which then brings into question whether or not they were really ever in the Spirit of God. For, if they were, they should have the mind of Christ within them, and they should be able to spiritually discern the things of God. But, many do not even seem to have a consciousness of what pleases the Spirit and what does not, but they still live according to the flesh.
So, if that is where you are today, then please know what the Bible says about that. For, Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. If we, after having made a profession of Christ as Savior, still live according to our flesh, and not according to the Spirit, then we will die in our sins, not have the hope of eternal life with God (See: Lu. 9:23-25; Rom. 8:1-17; Eph. 4:17-24; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; Gal. 5:19-21; Gal. 6:7-8).
So many of today’s preachers and Bible teachers are relying on human wisdom over and above the wisdom of God. “Bible studies” are often studies of books written by mere humans with select scriptures intermingled between the thoughts of these human authors. Scriptures are often taken out of context or are conformed to the thoughts of man rather than man (humans) being conformed to the thinking (mind) of God.
Marketing books are replacing the Holy Spirit as the guidance of the church. Many feel good highly repetitive songs are replacing hymns and spiritual songs which are deep in the truths of scripture and its application to our daily lives. Sermons are often “canned,” because they are borrowed from others or are found on the internet already prepared, so they lack the power of the Holy Spirit in them, because they came from man, not from the Spirit.
It becomes really obvious that many of these sermons originated in the mind of man, and not of God, if you watch (listen to) a variety of them from various preachers, for you will begin to notice common elements among the messages themselves that are humanistic, plus you will notice common preaching techniques among the preachers, which are also of man. And, what should become really apparent is how the sermons are often geared more to entertain the people and to appeal to their human flesh.
You won’t hear many of these pastors preaching the cross of Christ in the life of the believer in Jesus in the sense of our need to die with Christ to sin and live with him to righteousness as part of the faith which saves us. For, those who are truly teaching what Jesus taught will not have people coming to hear them preach by the droves, at least not here in America. Or, if the people do come initially, once the “hard” teaching becomes apparent, they will desert only to find for themselves preachers who will tickle their itching ears by telling them what their flesh wants to hear.
Discerning the spirits or The Spirit
But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:14-16 NASB)
So many people are fleshly minded, even many who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ. In our sin nature, this is how we are, but if we believe in Jesus Christ, we are to no longer be that way. For, the Spirit is now living within us, thus we have the mind of Christ, and we should be able to discern the difference between what is of the flesh and what is of the Spirit. Yet, I do know that this is also part of our process of sanctification, too.
If we have Christ living within us, though, because we have died with Christ to sin, and we have been resurrected with Christ to newness of life in him, then we should have the mind of Christ. Thus, we should be accepting of the things of the Spirit, not rejecting of them because they conflict with our flesh. We should not be looking for loop-holes to excuse away our sinful behaviors, but we should desire to submit to Jesus Christ with our lives.
I see so many people who claim Jesus as Savior, though, live just like the world, and have little regard for the commands of their Lord or for holiness and purity and integrity being lived out through their lives. And, yet they will say that they look forward to the day when they get to go to heaven, but it is usually in the context of reuniting with some deceased loved one more so than it has anything to do with being with our Lord face to face.
Thus, they appear to be living more in their natural man state than in the Spirit, which then brings into question whether or not they were really ever in the Spirit of God. For, if they were, they should have the mind of Christ within them, and they should be able to spiritually discern the things of God. But, many do not even seem to have a consciousness of what pleases the Spirit and what does not, but they still live according to the flesh.
So, if that is where you are today, then please know what the Bible says about that. For, Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. If we, after having made a profession of Christ as Savior, still live according to our flesh, and not according to the Spirit, then we will die in our sins, not have the hope of eternal life with God (See: Lu. 9:23-25; Rom. 8:1-17; Eph. 4:17-24; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; Gal. 5:19-21; Gal. 6:7-8).