The Biblical God of creation wants all, regardless of economic or social status to understand HIS word(s), to gain the discernment that ONLY comes FROM and THROUGH His Spirit’s indwelling, empowering and sustaining believers when we walk in Him and His ways. That’s ALL of grace and has NOTHING to do with who we are, and is only a small part of what His grace does and helps us to see and understand.
There is NO degree, educational system nor denominational ascendancy or hierarchy that can help you gain or earn God’s Grace, discernment or obtain more of it!
ALL who believe can have eternal life, and ALL who believe can have understanding. I am curious to know (and this is more of a question for self reflection, not reply)if those who are Jesus’ Words Only or of some similar belief, would view the Bible differently if they understood it as having One author, the Holy Spirit? How would change their initial perception and how they spiritually approached the Bible? What would happen if they decided (because it is a decision) to look for HIS SPIRITUAL hand, HIS authorship, HIS pen, HIS thread (very much like the “scarlet thread of redemption”) that runs through the Bible instead of the human hands that were used to pen it?
What would happen if those who believed in “Jesus’ Words Only”, sought to seek and glorify the divine wisdom and inspiration that runs deep through the Bible, rather than the limited “wisdom” that runs through their own minds and doctrine, that puffs up, exalts self and gives them senses of accomplishment?
I can not say where people’s journeys began. They may have started with the best of intentions, being spiritually sound or in the flesh. Maybe they started off with a bone to pick with overall Christian doctrine, therefore, just like Jewish doctrine teaches, if you character assassinate Paul, the authority and authorship of the biblical writings attributed to him, you can allow Satan to put doubt into the mind of Christians (while simultaneously deterring seekers and empowering atheists and those who hate Christ and Christians), the validity of ALL New Testament doctrine.
But that only works if you idolize the human authors and not the REAL hand behind them. The divine inspiration that moved their spirits to ministry, lives of holiness and pen.
1 Corinthians 3:4-7
For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? 5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? 6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
What I can say is that there is a discernible spirit, a worldly one of pride and arrogance that runs through the authors and proponents of the Jesus Only types.
I have sadly witnessed it time and again.
Too many times in my over thirty year walk with Christ have I seen Christian authors, Evangelists, Ministers, Pastors, Preachers and those operating in the prophetic, some who I may have looked up to and admired at some point in time, who start off in the Spirit only to allow the devil to seep in through pride and/or some other fleshly desire.
What used to be preached or written in love for Christ and the truth of God’s word and/or love for the spirit and life of believers, become laced and entangled with arrogance. The pride in what “they accomplished” swells their spirit and exalts them, rather than swelling the Spirit of God, exalting Him. Dark narcissistic hearts and mindsets takes hold, blinding them to any truth that may seem to contradict their knowledge what they hold dear.
It is for this reason we see and understand the importance and ABSOLUTE necessity of staying grounded in His word and Spirit. Our salvation, perception and how we navigate this life depends on it. The Holy Spirit instructs us through Paul when we read :
1 Corinthians 2:4-8
And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: 5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. 6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: 8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
What’s so ironic and important to note is one of the ways Satan was able to use the Jewish leaders to whip the Jews into a frenzy, condemning and crucifying Christ, was through THEIR wisdom, which was centered around their worldly sense of accomplishments, culminating in arrogance and hatred. Not only was it because of their pride in who they were Nationally (Christ countered this: Matthew 3:9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.), and who they were socially, which Christ STRONGLY addresses as well in Matthew 23:1-36 , in which he says:
Matthew 23:27-28
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. 28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
We still see the sin of what Christ condemned with the Jews playing out in the world today, especially within Israel and America! The subjugation of peoples based on a propagation of propaganda, false notions and outright lies and deceptions of who the people of God are? Neither riches nor poverty, race, education or lack of one will give you standing with God, nor take it away.
Our identity, meaning, sense of self and perception is because of who God says we are, not man, so it should be on HIM we depend for strength and esteem. Our understanding of scripture and who He is, is also through Him and not our own merit.
Acts 10:34-35
Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: 35 But in every nation that fears him, and work righteousness, is accepted with him.
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