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LLM’s FIFTH RULE: TRY THE SPIRITS

It is the duty of every Christian to obey 1 John 4:1. Read this verse very carefully: “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”

So many times we hear this ques­tion: “Why is it that spiritual or religious men, who use the same Bible and claim to be led by the same Holy Spirit, give different in­terpretations to the same Bible doc­trines?”

It is the duty of every Christian to obey 1 John 4:1. Read this verse very carefully: “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”

So many times we hear this ques­tion: “Why is it that spiritual or religious men, who use the same Bible and claim to be led by the same Holy Spirit, give different in­terpretations to the same Bible doc­trines?”

FIRST, the Holy Spirit is inerrant and in­fallible as a teacher, and He never teaches anything contrary to sound doctrine. We are sure that many Christians, who THINK they have been taught by the Holy Spirit, have not been. SECOND, there are no contradictions and incon­sistencies in God’s Book. SEEMING contradictions and inconsistencies may be found if the truth of God is not rightly divided (see LLM’s FIRST RULE). The first simple principle of Bible study is to study Scripture in the light of its immed­iate context; then to know the particular people to whom the particu­lar Scripture is addressed; under what covenant God is dealing with them, and by all means recognize the Divine Dispensation under which the people addressed are living. Re­member this question: “What saith the Scripture?” Romans 4:3. Also this important verse: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for re­proof, for correction, for instruc­tion in righteousness.” 2 Timothy 3:16.

The Holy Spirit does not lead any Bible student contrary to the exact truth; and for the spiritual understanding, interpretation, and application, of the Scriptures, believ­ers must recognize and obey 2 Timothy 2:15: “rightly dividing,” or “correctly dissecting” the Word of Truth. (Once again, see LLM’s FIRST RULE)

The intelligent, spiritual, student of the Word will search the Scrip­tures…Dispensationally; then Doctrin­ally; and will not forget the prac­tical application, being doers of the Word and not hearers only. God has ordained the good works in which members of the Body of Christ should walk. Ephesians 2:10.

Members of the Body of Christ should obey Ephesians 4:1, “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called.”

Now, in order to walk worthy of the calling wherewith we are called, surely we must know our calling!

SOME of Israel’s walk and calling MAY be included in the walk and calling of members of the Body of Christ. But much of Israel’s walk and calling has NO PLACE in the spiritual program of believers under this present Dispensation of the Grace of God, The Dispensation of the Mystery. Ephesians 3:1-11. Before the Scriptures were com­pleted, certain members of the Body had the gift of discerning of spirits. 1 Corinthians 12:10, “To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpreta­tion of tongues.” This was a spec­ial gift of the Spirit for special saints. This special gift is not to be found today. But every teacher of the Word of God is supposed to be a faithful steward of the Mysteries of God.

1 CORINTHIANS 4:1-2, “Let a man so account of us, as of the Ministers of Christ, and stew­ards of the Mysteries of God.”

Moreover it is required in stew­ards, that a man be found faithful. Every such steward should be able to try the spirits and teach others to try the spirits, by rightly dividing the Word of truth, which includes the study of all other Scriptures in the light of the Divine truth committed to the Apostle Paul. Such a steward will find Ephe­sians, Colossians, Philippians, and 2 Timothy the golden key for the correct understanding and interpre­tation and application of all Divine truth in the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, under this present Dispensation of the Grace of God, The Dispensation of the Mystery.

In trying the spirits, or applying the Scriptural test to the creed and doctrines of some particular re­ligious organization or society, it should be a very simple matter to determine whether or not the teach­ings and practices are Scripturally Christian. Only four Scriptures need to be used to test whether or not the foundation of the movement is doctrinally sound; that is, whether those identified with the movement are building upon the Rock or upon the sands.

The first of these Scriptures has been called “the heart of Chris­tianity, “Who hath saved us, and called as with an Holy Calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and Grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, Who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” 2 TIMOTHY 1:9-10

The second of these Scriptures has been called “the greatest story of the ages”. “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God. But made Himself of no refutation, and took upon Him the form of a serv­ant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obed­ient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly ex­alted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things in earth, and things under the earth: And that every tongue should con­fess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” PHILIPPIANS 2:5-11

The third of the Scriptures has been called “the gospel without re­ligion”, “But God, Who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace are ye saved); And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come He might shew the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 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 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath ordained that we should walk in them.” EPHESIANS 2:4-10

And number Four, “But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For He is our peace, Who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us: Having abolished in His flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances, for to make in Himself of twain One New Man, so making peace; And that He might reconcile both unto God in one Body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through Him we both have ac­cess by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strang­ers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God.” EPHESIANS 2:13-19

A company of religious people, united or organized for religious, worship, to carry on a religious program and propagate a religious message, may designate itself “Chris­tian,” because the religious people of that organization have incorporated in their “church” creed some spiritual truth or moral philosophy selected from the Bible. But if the “church” creed of the organization includes, with its Christian ethics, some of the religious beliefs of non-­Christian religions, and excludes some of the fundamental truths of Christianity, such as the eternal Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, the efficacy and need of Faith in His sacrificial death and bodily resur­rection, the Bible doctrine of Salva­tion by Grace through the power of the Holy Spirit and the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ, the mixed religion of that company of people is not Bible Christianity. It may be “Christian agnosticism” or “Christian paganism.” So look out!

We might use, as an example of the above, the Bahai movement. They boast of their liberal religious views and their very broad doctrinal platform, presenting for the faith and prac­tice of their communicants a MIXTURE of about nine of the leading religions of the world. Imagine a citizen of the United States trying to be a loyal patriot while accept­ing for his belief and practice a mixture of the political philosophies of Iran, Russia, China, Turkey, Pakistan, and France, with our own national constitution. Not that that is not being tried today!

Apart from the deceiving power of Satan, it is difficult to account for the faulty reasoning and spir­itual ignorance and inconsistent ac­tions of religious people who affil­iate themselves with a religious sect or group, and seem perfectly satis­fied to zealously work and worship under the delusion that they are Christians, while they openly ac­knowledge that they are not con­cerned as to what they believe, but, as to how they live. They say Christianity is not a creed, but a life.

It is difficult to understand how any sane person can respect the Christ of Bible Christianity and claim to be His, and yet wholly ignore and disobey His plain teach­ings as to the absolute necessity of a definite Faith in His eternal Deity and His EXCLUSIVE redemptive work before the sinner begins to live. Note these words of Yâ-hwéh Yâhuwshúa`, The LORD Jesus Christ:

“I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am He, ye shall die in your sins.” JOHN 8:24

Note again these plain but solemn words:

“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life: but the wrath of God abideth on Him.” JOHN 3:36

“He that believeth on Him is not con­demned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only be­gotten Son of God.” JOHN 3:18 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation: but is passed from death unto life.” JOHN 5:24

GOD’S ONE GOSPEL for the DISPENSATION OF GRACE

“But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” 2 COR. 4:3-4

As God has but one Church, The Body of Christ, The Mystery, in this Dispensation of Grace, He has but ONE saving Gospel. Salvation is by God’s Grace and through The Faith in the death and resurrection of Yâ-hwéh Yâhuwshúa`, The LORD Jesus Christ. Then there are many blessings in Christ for the redeemed sinner! Amen!

So There You Have It!!!

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Last updated 307 days ago by Lion and Lamb Ministry