There are many zealous folks in this world who believe they have the truth. They have read the Bible. They have found what they have believed God wants them to do. Yet, many of those people have not found the whole truth. Yes, they will work hard at what they believe. Even though they will work hard, they will find out in the Judgment that they worked for nothing for they truly did not know the Lord (Matthew 7:21-23). The Jews did this too. In relation to the Jews who were zealous, but ignorant of the whole truth, Paul wrote: “Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God” (Romans 10:1-3). It should be a scary thought to all of us that it is possible to learn some truth, work diligently for what we believe, and then find out we were wrong. Such fear ought to drive us to be better students of the word of God. We should search deep for the truth to assure we have not believed something in vain (John 5:39 and Acts 17:10-11). We must take into consideration everything that God has to say on any given subject matter before we begin a practice or cling to a doctrine on that subject matter. Many times people find themselves defending a teaching without truly having ever done the research to find if they are correct or not. We can see in society how people will run with something before they have all of the information. On the internet, stories are often passed about in emails that you later find are urban legends. Businesses are sometimes attacked for supporting something grossly immoral to just later find out that someone took a small percentage of truth and fabricated the rest to start a huge outcry against something that is not happening. That same thing happens when people find one or two verses in the Bible and run out proclaiming something without all of the facts (Acts 17:22-30). Taking one part of the word of God (any incomplete portion) and teaching that is all God has to say on a matter is nothing less than lying (Genesis 3:1-7; cf. John 8:44). People are good at that today. For example, have you noticed how many people will use some passages to teach that man is saved by faith alone? Two favorites of the faith only movement are: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life… And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house” (John 3:16 and Acts 16:31). Both of the previous quoted scriptures teach salvation by faith. However, neither of the two established that salvation is by faith alone. In fact, if such were true (salvation by faith only), that would totally contradict many other scriptures. For example, the word of God teaches that we are saved by endurance (Matthew 10:22), hope (Romans 8:24), the gospel (Romans 1:16), grace (Acts 15:11), calling on the name of the Lord (Acts 2:21; cf. Acts 22:16), baptism (I Peter 3: 21), the name of Christ (Acts 4:10-12), confession (Romans 10:10), repentance (II Corinthians 7:10), knowledge of the scriptures (II Timothy 3:15-17), and on we could go. The point is this, there is much more to salvation than just believing that God is (James 2:14-26). There are other doctrines being taught that rely on just partial truths and all lies. Similar to the faith only doctrine, there is the faith and grace alone doctrine. Some misapply what is truly taught in some scriptures to come up with an absurd doctrine. For example, some use Paul’s writing to the brethren in Ephesus in which he wrote: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Through those two verses some deny that we must do any works to have Heaven as our home. They miss the point that Paul is making. Paul is teaching that we did nothing to earn salvation that comes from God. God owes us nothing. However, Paul cannot be teaching that all we have to do to be saved is accept grace and have faith. Why? That would contradict many other Scriptures (many of which have already been stated above). In fact, if you looked one verse later in Ephesians chapter two you’d notice that works are expected of Christians (Ephesians 2:10). Solomon wrote: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14). Solomon and Paul are consistent with each other. We will be judged based on our WORKS (Matthew 16:27, II Corinthians 5: 10, and Galatians 6:7-8). Works are commanded of the Lord (Matthew 5:16). By all means, we cannot work our way into Heaven. That is why we need Christ (II Timothy 1:10). Christ’s death for us does not remove our instructions from God to obey Him and DO (doing is working) what He instructs us to DO. Jesus affirmed such Himself (Matthew 7:21 and John 14: 15). Others like to pervert verses such as this one: “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come” (I Corinthians 11:26). Those ignorant like to say that this scripture authorizes Christians to partake of the Lord’s Supper as often as they want to. Is that what Paul said? No, it is not. Paul is establishing no order of frequency, but that we are to remember the Lord’s death (contextual point vs. 23ff.) and every time we do so we show His death until He comes. The “as often” is not a point of authority to do with it as we will. The “as often” is described in Acts 20:7 wherein Luke recorded “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread…” The time set aside on the first day of the week, in which a local congregation assembles together to partake of the Lord’s Supper, is the “as often” of I Corinthians 11:26. Some like to deny the commands to repent (Acts 3:19, and Acts 26:20), by suggesting that God accepts all men as sinners through perverting texts like I Timothy 1:15. Sin is transgression of God’s Law (I John 3:4). If God accepted man in sin, without change, why even have a law? Why have epistles correcting Christians? Why warn about falling away if Christians cannot (I Corinthians 10:12, Galatians 5:4, and Revelation 3:19). The simple truth is: Jesus did come into the world to save sinners. Such is why he died so that His blood could remit our sins (Matthew 26:28 and Revelation 1:5). Still yet, the same Jesus who died for us COMMANDS us to repent or we will perish (Luke 13:3; 5). In this article we have examined just a tiny sample of the danger of being a one verse student of the scriptures. We can easily be mistaken on a point of truth if we do not fully understand what God desires on a subject matter. One scripture just may not be the whole picture. Students of the inspired text have to be able to reason (Hebrews 5:14). Too many are looking for justification of their beliefs and they will find them through perversion of the text. If one Scripture does not line up with others, it is you who have mistaken rather than God. We have to remember that the New Testament alone is made up of 27 different books which TOGETHER is one doctrine. If we do not abide in that doctrine, we do not have the Father or the Son (II John 9). Being an accurate student is necessary for our salvation (II Peter 3:16-18). |
| Volume VII ~ Issue XVI ~ January 14th, 2007 |
Words of Truth Weekly - Online Edition
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What must one do to be saved (Acts 2:37)? Hear and believe the Gospel (Mark 16:15-16 & Romans 10:17), repent
of their sins (Acts 3:19), confess Christ (Acts 8:37), and be baptized (immersed) for the remission of sins into the
church of Christ (Acts 2:38, I Corinthians 12:12-13, and Romans 6:1-6). One must then remain faithful (Rev. 2:10).
of their sins (Acts 3:19), confess Christ (Acts 8:37), and be baptized (immersed) for the remission of sins into the
church of Christ (Acts 2:38, I Corinthians 12:12-13, and Romans 6:1-6). One must then remain faithful (Rev. 2:10).
| Edited by: Brian A. Yeager |
| The Danger of Being a One Verse Student By: Brian A. Yeager |
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| One Verse Whoppers |