THE CYCLE OF DECLINE

THE CYCLE OF DECLINE!

James 1:18-25

18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:

24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

KJV

James 1:21

21 So get rid of all uncleanness and the rampant outgrowth of wickedness, and in a humble (gentle, modest) spirit receive and welcome the Word which implanted and rooted [in your hearts] contains the power to save your souls.

AMPLIFIED

           We are born again by the power of the Word of Truth. This is an obvious reference to the Bible and an explanation of the battle that rages for an authoritative text. Why are there so many versions and translations? On the one hand there is a sincere desire to understand what God wanted to communicate to man. On the other hand there is an unconscious desire to remanufacture the Word to lower God’s standards to match my behavior. I will never hold to or teach a standard higher than my own behavior! I think there is a cycle of decline.

           When my behavior begins to decline it first begins with my ignoring or abandoning the clear teaching of the Word of God. Perhaps I misunderstand it or, more likely, I decide it does not apply to me! The result is that I have become a transgressor – a rule breaker. As a transgressor, I have broken the peaceful relationship between me and the Lawgiver. I am culpable – guilty. I am unwilling to remain in this guilt for long.

           At this point repentance should be the action taken but, if I am unwilling to abandon my sin, I still try to reconcile with the rules. I change the rules! If I divorce then I redefine the portion of the Bible that speaks to that topic. I make the rules more agreeable to my sin. If I have begun to drink then I must rearrange the Bible to make my behavior acceptable. Gradually the Bible begins to be reshaped to agree with my behavior.

           If I am a teacher then my teaching begins to reflect the changes in my behavior. I am no longer comfortable teaching that my behavior is wrong so instead of changing my behavior I change my teaching. I make the Word of God to confirm my practices. All my followers will rise no higher in their devotion and obedience than my highest behavior. I have become the new law unto them. I have become a false teacher! Slowly an entire culture is transformed!

           So, how can we turn this ship around? We will not recover until we rediscover and return to the authority of Scriptures. I must no longer practice my faith on my feelings and opinions. During the reconstruction of Jerusalem under Nehemiah, a copy of the Scriptures was found. It is a lengthy portion but it is germane to our topic.

Neh 8:1-4

8:1 And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel.

2 And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month.

3 And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law.

4 And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose…

8 So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.

           If we are to reclaim our culture we must return to the understanding and practice of Biblical teaching. Whenever my behavior and my Bible disagree I must make revisions to my practice and not to the text.

Jer 15:16

16 Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.

Dear Lord, as I view myself in the mirror of Your Word, let me yield to its truth and make changes in my life. Let me not be a forgetful hearer but one who practices the truths within. AMEN