The Scriptures - The Authority of Every Doctrine

[Alan]

The Scriptures – The Authority of Every Doctrine

 

“And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished into all good works.” 2 Timothy 3:15-17

 

The Old and New Testament scriptures were written by the direct inspiration of God for instruction in every doctrine that we believe in order to make the man of God perfect; complete or mature in the sight of God.

 

The Old Testament, including the Law, is for the whole world and is for the instruction of the righteousness of God, personal holiness in the saint (either Testament), and the foundation of every doctrine.

 

In a direct reference to the chosen sons of Israel, Psalm 67 teaches us, “God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; Selah. That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations. Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously and govern the nations upon earth. Selah. Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us. God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.” Psalm 67

 

God is going to use the Law, Commandments, Precepts, and Statutes, to judge all nations. The Law, Commandments, Precepts, and Statutes of the Old Testament were given so men might be saved and fear God. And, in the literal Millennial Reign of Christ, Revelation 20:3-10, the whole earth will yield its increase due to the instruction of Christ through the Law, the instruction of the priests in the Millennial Temple as described by Ezekiel in chapter 40-48. And the fulfillment of the prophesies of Isaiah chapter 35, 65:18-25, Zechariah chapter 14 and other Old Testament prophets.

 

Besides the Law, the Old Testament scriptures contain; Precepts, Judgments, Statutes, and Commandments. The New Testament also contains; Precepts, Judgments, Statutes, and Commandments. The Law is only one of several forms for instruction, doctrine, correction, and reproof by God in the Old Testament. If a saint wants to remain spiritually immature he will not listen to the reproofs of the Law.

 

When a person hollers, ‘legalism,’ a man-made, indistinct term, or, ‘we are not under the Law,‘ it is almost always a hypocritical and pious attitude to hide the desire to commit open sin, hatred of hard preaching, slandering a pastor, the acceptance of corrupt doctrine, the corrupt teaching that the ‘Church’ has replaced ‘Israel,’ and the hatred of the Old Testament Law, Precepts, Judgments, Statutes and Commandments. Proverbs 10:18, “He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool .” In the sight of God, a fool ( a lost fool or a saved fool )hides sins, and hatred, through lying and slander.

 

It also reveals that the individual is not ‘approved’ of God and does not have the spiritual ability to ‘rightly’ divide the scriptures. “Study to shew thyself approved unto God a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15 All heretics, cultists, Charismatic’s, Popes, Calvinists, immature saints, denominational leaders, can ‘divide’ the scriptures but are unable to ‘rightly’ divide the scriptures. The confusion in the church is, partly, due to corrupt beliefs.

 

We are not under the Law for Salvation, but the Law is our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ and to Learn the Holiness and Righteousness of Christ and coming Glory of His Kingdom with the nation of Israel as foretold by the Prophets.

 

According to the Lord Jesus Christ, those brethren who do not listen to, or love the Law, and the rest of the Old Testament, do not know the Work of the Lord Jesus and are Foolish and have a Heart PrOBlem.

 

“Then he [the Risen Lord Jesus] said into them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures concerning himself.” Luke 24:25-27

 

If a saint truly desires to have a close relationship with the Lord Jesus, he will begin a detailed study of the Old Testament Law and the Prophets. Then he will have a fuller understanding, and appreciation, of the work, character, and grace of the Lord Jesus.

[John81]

We tend to spend far too little time in the Word. Most professing Christians spend exceedingly little (sometimes none at all!) time in the Word. Then so many wonder why so many churches are a mess, Christians lives are a mess, pastors are ineffective, frustrated, troubled.

No matter how much time I devote in any given day to the Word I find myself feeling it wasn't enough and I'm humbled by the Word (in which we read of the Apostles declaring they were devoting their time to the Word and prayer) as well as accounts of men used mightily of God who would almost daily spend many hours in the Word and prayer. Amazing to think of men of God rising early, or staying up late, reading the Word by candlelight for hours and spending further hours in fervent prayer.

Here in America we have plenty of bright light day and night and the country is saturated with Bibles and yet we are a very biblically illiterate people.