Saturday, April
22, 2023
THE CYCLE OF DECLINE!
Rom 1:21
21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God,
neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish
heart was darkened. 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 presumed desire to understand what God
wanted to communicate to man. On the other hand, there may be 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 changed 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 the content of my teaching. I make the Word of God confirm
to 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 based
upon my feelings and opinions. During the reconstruction of
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
