Isaiah Roman

Faith and Belief 4

It is the sincere intent and purpose of this series to place emphasis on the pure Word, “the faith once delivered unto the saints,” (Jude 1: 3) not the novel notions of man.  Those portions that are not pure scripture are an attempt to connect that which is in an understandable format comparing scripture with scripture.

The more the servant of God holds to the pure word the less margin there is for error.  It was entered upon with a fervent prayer before God to guide the reader into His truth.  Where the reader deems it probable this has failed; look to the scripture references, they are frequent and ample, and judge.  If indeed there has been an error , it is an error of the head not the heart and the author bears the full responsibility.

Sunday school children, in what seems now, the dim, dark past were taught to believe “the Bible in its present form of sixty six books given by verbal plenary inspiration of the Holy Spirit

[copied down by some fifty different men] is fully sufficient for faith and practice.”  God in the person of the Holy Spirit is the Author.  So it was in the beginning.  Time passed and the church progressed (?).

The book which came to be so highly revered is frequently purchased but now seldom read.  Whether this is done out of ignorance, laziness or fear of entering upon error is not known.  Large numbers of church members are woefully unschooled in the Word.  Christians for the most part look to “holy men” to parse it for them word by word while adding many of their own words to its content.

There are creatures in the world that pre-chew food and feed it to their young until they are able to forage and consume their own.  Many that name the name of Christ consume a pre-chewed diet of spiritual food.  They have not and perhaps see no need to obtain strength enough to chew their own meat.   To each his own, it is difficult to mature in the faith on second hand spiritual food.

Secondly they were taught even a castaway alone on a desert island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, could read a Bible and with the help of God in the person of the Holy Spirit find salvation.  Through its pages God could and would manifest Himself to that unfortunate shipwreck victim.  Such is the power of the Word of God and His Holy spirit.  The love of God manifests itself first as grace (unearned merit), mercy and forgiveness.  Without the grace of God it would be impossible to know Him.

Many a person has made a ship wreck of his life and called out in utter helplessness to God and has received help.

This is not an attempt to cast aspersions, criticize anyone or to teach this as the only or even perhaps the best way; but, to amplify the great abundant love, power, glory, grace and promise of God.  He left nothing to chance for Adam’s lost and dying race.  Those that diligently seek God shall find Him!

Thirdly they were taught an effective, logical work ethic.  “Any thing worth having was worth all the effort necessary to secure it.”  Modern society shuns with disdain physical or manual labor unless all else fails.  A person who must earn the food he needs by the “sweat of his face” (Genesis 3:19) is looked down upon as a less intelligent person or one lower down the evolutionary chain.   A billion dollar industry has been built on this premise.  Health clubs, where physical exercise is practiced, have come into existence to reclaim the health of those who worked all their lives to arrive at a position where it wasn’t necessary to work hard.

Living a life that is useful or prosperous to the will of God is neither humanly easy nor is it possible where one is only desirous of “getting by.”  The human will must be exercised to do all that is necessary to please God.  It becomes foolishly simple when one turns his life over to God.  Every thing begins with ordering the human will to do the  divine will of God!

“I [beg you urgently] therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  And be not conformed to this world: but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12: 1-2).