7/2/18

General versus Specific Authority by Trevor Bowen

http://insearchoftruth.org/articles/generic_versus_specific_authority.html

General versus Specific Authority

Bible Authority

Introduction

The terms general and specific authority refer to a concept that applies to all of God's instructions.  Whenever anything is authorized in the Bible, it usually contains some generalinstructions and some specific instructions.  These terms simply refer to this distinction.  Sometimes God gives very specific instructions, and sometimes He gives general instructions, leaving the details to our best judgment.
Understanding this difference is key to successfully determining authority for all things.  It is the final piece to this part of our search.  Once it is completed, we will be properly equipped for pouring over the pages of God's will and solving complex questions that would have otherwise remained unanswered.

Examples of General Authority

The best way to illustrate proper use of general authority is to consider some Bible examples.  Perhaps the easiest example to consider would be the Lord's delivery of the Great Commission to his apostles:
"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.  Amen"  (Matthew 28:19-20)
Jesus' commands both to "Go" and to "Teach" illustrate this principle of general authority.  Both command to do something, but many of the details are left to us.  For example, we are to "go", but it does not say how.  Therefore, we can walk, ride a camel, fly in a plane, or sail in a boat, and all of these would be authorized.  General authority includes authority for anything that falls within the general instruction.  Of course, care would need to be taken to not violate another of God's commands.  "Teach" also instructs what to do, but there is not specific mention of how to accomplish this.  We could teach publicly in the streets, privately in the home, or in groups and classes.  All of these are still teaching and, therefore, are authorized by the general instruction to teach.  Moreover, no man has the authority bind one of these methods.  Binding where God has not bound constitutes "adding to" His Word, which is a serious transgression, condemned by the Bible.
Now let's apply this principle towards a more difficult question, church buildings.  They are nowhere mentioned in the Scripture.  How do we get authority for church buildings?  First, let's examine a scripture about the mission of the church:
"And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ."  (Ephesians 4:11-12)
From this passage we learn, among other things, that the church is to "equip the saints".  This implies teaching, encouraging, and admonishing within the local church.  But, how is this accomplished?
"And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the day approaching."  (Hebrews 10:25)
So, how is this "equipping of the saints accomplished?  Through the "exhorting one another" that is derived from "assembling together".  Moreover, this is exactly what we find in the New Testament examples.  Saints gathered together to worship God and exhort one another (Acts 2:42-47; 20:7).
From these commands and examples, we have established God's general authority to "equip the saints" and a small part of this is "assembling together."  The instruction is general to some extent.  He does not say how, where, or the time of day.  Therefore, local churches have authority to operate within the boundaries of this general instruction.  If they choose to meet in people's houses, in a rented building, or in their own building, it makes no difference.  All of these fall within God's generic instructions to "equip" and to "assemble".  Therefore, we have general authority to build a church building and assemble within it.

Examples of Specific Authority

Actually the first example that we examined also illustrates specific authority.  When the disciples were told to "go and make disciples", the exact method of "making disciples" was not left general, but rather, it was specified.  They were to "baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit".  Also, they were not allowed to teach anything they wanted.  Jesus specified what they were to teach:  "to observe all things that I have commanded you".  So, for the same instructions, we see that while some things are left general, other things are specified.  And, when something is specified, the Bible teaches that it is a sin to deviate from the specific pattern.
Now, let's use the principle of specific authority to help answer another difficult question, instrumental music.  The first concept that must be recognized for this question is the distinction between the Old and New Testaments.  From that study we learn, that Old Testament commands and examples are not authoritative for us today, since we are under a new and separate law.  Understanding this eliminates much of the confusion, yet we must still answer if God cares about using instrumental music today.
After studying the Old and New Testaments, we can observe that God, through David, gave detailed and specific instructions about how to use instruments in Old Testament worship (ordained by King David in I Chronicles 15:16-28, see also I Chronicles 23:1-5 and II Chronicles 23:18).  Yet we find no mention whatsoever of instrumental music being used in New Testament worship.  In fact, we have only the following specific instructions:
"speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord."  Ephesians 5:19
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." Colossians 3:16
Both of these passages teach that we are to make music unto the Lord, but what kind?  Does the Lord care?  Please read the passage again.  These verses specify "singing", "speaking", and "making melody in your heart."  These are the "instruments" of New Testament worship.  No where else will we find mention of any other type of music in the New Testament.  Now, if we choose to add instruments to the worship, then we become guilty of "adding to" God's Word, which sin, the Bible strongly speaks against.

Conclusion

Let us be careful to stay true to our course and goal, to do God's will in God's way.  This may mean tearing down the transgressing traditions of men, just as Jesus and His prophets taught.  Whatever we do let us make sure that is in "the name of the Lord" and we are neither "adding to" or "taking away" from God's Word by teaching doctrines of men.  Part of this requires understanding that God issues commands that are both specific and general in nature.  Moreover, we must recognize the general and allow for different judgments within the authorized scope, but we must also observe the specific and and be diligent to carefully adhere to God's specific pattern.  By carefully observing God's general and specific authority, we will be better equipped to properly understand and apply God's Word.

Series Conclusion

We hope that you have enjoyed examining the many scriptures that were found in each of these articles about properly interpreting the Bible.  And, we hope that they will be beneficial to you and your search for truth.  If you are not comfortable with some of the conclusions that are found here, or on any other portion of this website, please question anyone in our contact directory.  However, if you agree with most of what's found here, then we would encourage you to continue your search by using your tools of study to establish God's pattern on how we can be saved.
Often, people have many questions concerning the proper interpretation of Scriptures. We have some additional articles devoted to answering specific objections raised in opposition to a careful study of God’s Word and obedience to Him:
Otherwise, please proceed to a study of God's Plan for Salvation
Trevor Bowen

Tune Up Your Spiritual Defenses by Ben Fronczek

http://granvillenychurchofchrist.org/?p=696


Tune Up Your Spiritual Defenses

Tune Up Your Spiritual Defenses  (part 4) 
Bible Reading: Ephesians 6:10-18 “ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.”
True Story:   Sunrise was dawning when Los Angeles motorcycle police officer Bob Vernon saw a red pickup truck speed through a stop sign. This guy must be late to work, he thought to himself. He turned on his emergency lights and radioed that he was in pursuit. The pickup pulled over, and the officer approached.
“Meanwhile in the truck, the driver thought, The cops already know! He was scared. He rested his hand on the same gun he had used a few moments before to rob a twenty-four-hour market. The sack of stolen money was beside him on the seat.
“The officer said, ‘Good morning, sir, may I see your…’
“He never finished the sentence. The driver shoved his gun toward the policeman’s chest and fired from just inches away. The cop was knocked flat seven feet away.
“A few seconds later, to the shock of the criminal, the officer stood up, pulled his service revolver, and fired twice. The first bullet went through the open window and smashed the windshield. The second tore through the door and ripped into the driver’s left leg.
“Don’t shoot! The thief screamed, throwing the gun and sack of money out the pickup window.
“What saved the policeman’s life was dozens of layers of Kevlar, the super strong fabric used for bulletproof vests. Only three-eighths of an inch thick, Kevlar can stop bullets cold.” (From the Encourager, by Charles Mylander )
As you know, this a dangerous world which we live in.
In 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 the apostle Paul writes, “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. 14 Do everything in love.”
Do you think the Apostle Paul understood something about the problems, trials and temptations that Christians have to deal with in this world.   I believe he did.
Just like that police officer, I believe that Paul knew that we need to be prepared for those surprise attacks that could knock us down or leave us  bleeding spiritually.
In our scripture reading which was read today (Eph 6:10-18) the Apostle Paul made it clear that we not only have to be on guard and stand firm, he also makes it clear here that there is a battle taking place on a spiritual level. And he warned those early Christians to prepare themselves for potential attacks just like that police officer who was wise enough to prepare himself for a potential attack that day.
It seems like not many of the Lord’s people know that we are in a war.  I read a verse that just absolutely amazed me. Revelation 12:7 says, “There was war in heaven.” We think about Heaven as a place of forever peace, but we learn about a war that was there.
If a spiritual war can take place in the unseen realm of Heaven then doesn’t it stand to reason that on this earth Christians are going to be engaged in some kind of warfare as well?
God tells every Christian to, ‘Put on the armor.’ Why armor? Because we are in a battle. A spiritual war is going on, so Paul writes, “Put on the whole armor of God so that you can take your stand against the wiles or schemes of the devil.”
It is therefore critically important that we maintain or even tune up our spiritual defenses. And that’s what this lesson is about today.
Take note of what Paul wrote there in Ephesians 6:12: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” This is not a battle against people. This is not a battle against mere human beings. We are in a warfare against  supernatural forces of evil.
What is that battle all about? It is about who shall have the supremacy, Christ or Satan. It is a struggle for the souls of men. It is a battle to keep people out of Hell. It is a struggle to get people saved. It is a war, a conflict until the end.
And every one of us is engaged in it whether we realize it or not.
This reality ought to keep us from folding our hands and taking it easy. It ought to make us sit up and take notices. But far too many of us have let our guard down.
And while the Christian church and the people of God are taking it easy and ignoring this reality, the forces of evil are at work as never before. Radical Islamic behavior, terrorism, Atheism,  liberalism, ritualism, greed,  legalism and intellectualism are at work, while the church goes around oblivious to what’s happening.   God help us to realize we are in a war, in a battle.
But We Do Have Some Defenses and some Weapons   The Lord didn’t leave us without a way to defend our self and something to fight with. In Eph. 6 here, I read about the 5 pieces of armor for defense, and two weapons to fight with, and win with.
The weapons of our warfare are not physical but spiritual. They have spiritual powers!
It is amazing, astounding, how little the average Christian understands and takes advantage of this armor and these weapons the Lord has given us.
SO WHAT DO WE HAVE TO PROTECT US?  And what do we need to do to maintain or tune up of defenses ?                        
#1. FIRST AND FOREMOST WE MUST TURN TO GOD FOR VICTORY. 
a.   Time and time again, the Bible instructs us to rely upon God to deliver us from our enemy.
● In (Mt. 6:13), Jesus taught His Disciples how to pray. And one part of that prayer says, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”
Who can deliver us from the evil one according to this verse?
Our Father in heaven!
●In (James 4:7), the Holy Spirit inspired James to write, “Submit  yourselves, then to God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.”
So, before we can resist the Devil, we must submit to and trust in God!
● And here in (Eph. 6:10-11), the Bible says, “Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the Devil’s schemes.”
It is clear from these and others that if we want a good defense against Satan and his schemes, we must rely upon God. We can’t do it without Him!
Here in Ephesians 6, the Bible instructs every Christian to put on the full armor of who?     Of God!       Only God can shield us from the deadly bullets that Satan fires at us.
When you are under spiritual attack, meaning that you are being tempted to sin, or an evil thought crosses your mind tempting you to do wrong, the first thing you need to do is go to God in prayer and ask Him to help you to defeat it.
  1.  If you are angry, and are about to say something ugly, go to God in prayer and ask Him for help.
  2.  If you are about to lust over another human being, go to God in prayer.
  3.  If you are about to gossip about someone, or do anything else evil we need to…. Go to God in prayer and ask Him to give you the strength to overcome the sin. When you ask, He will help you escape that temptation.
#2. SECOND, TO DEFEAT SATAN, WE MUST FULLY COMMIT OUR SELF TO THE LORD AND THE GENUINE CHRISTIAN LIFE STYLE.  AND THEN WE MUST MAKE A COVENANT TO RESIST THAT WHICH IS EVIL.
I love what David says in Psalm 101:2-4 I believe every Christian should post it up on their refrigerator; he wrote: ”I will be careful to lead a blameless life… I will walk in my house with blameless heart. 3 I will set before my eyes no vile thing.  The deeds of faithless men I hate; they will not cling to me.  4 Men of perverse heart shall be far from me; I will have nothing to do with evil.”
I also like very much what Job said so very long ago in Job 31:1, “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl.”
What I hear these men saying and I believe what they did was to make a pact or a covenant with themselves that they would be fully committing to the Lord and His ways. And they made a commitment to themselves and to the Lord to live a blameless life. They purposely chose not to be in the presence of, nor put up with anything that was vile in God’s sight. Job even made a covenant with his own eyes not to look upon that which may have caused Him to lust.  (Now that’s being committed to the Lord)
Can you do that? Can you make a covenant with your eye not to look at anything that may cause you to sin? Can you make a covenant with your lips not to say anything that is foul, vile or unholy? Can you make a covenant with your ears not to listen to any one or anything that is unwholesome? Can you make a covenant with your hands not to use them in a way that is sinful? You can do all of these if you choose to.
I believe that when you truly make a commitment to God like that, it is stronger than bullet proof Kevlar.
But we are also told to outright resist Satan and his attacks:
– James 4:7 “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.”
Resisting Satan means opposing him, turning away from him, and having nothing  to do with him and the temptations that he throws at us.
A great passage of Scripture that we should use to resist the Devil is in Titus 2:12 which says, “say no to ungodliness and worldly passions.”
If we leave one small sin in our lives, or if we put up with an evil that the Lord detests, that leaves an open door for the Devil and he will return and cause us misery. We must be fully committed to the Lord and His ways and purposely resist Satan. And if we do, we are told that he will flee from us.
#3. THIRD, TO DEFEAT SATAN, WE CAN ALSO GO ON A SPIRITUAL OFFENSE
There are times we need to turn the tables and go after Satan. We must attack Satan when he attacks us.
THE ULTIMATE WEAPONS TO USE FOR THIS IS “THE WORD OF GOD” AND “THE POWER OF JESUS NAME.”
There is absolutely nothing in this world like these weapons. Chapter 6 of Ephesians tells us that one of our weapons is “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Can you imagine a fellow back then going off to fight and not having a sword? We are to have this sword, this weapon in our heart, in our life, and in our mind. But the average Christian does not use this weapon, the Word of God, very much, nor very effectively.
When the Devil came to tempt Jesus in the wilderness, three times from the  Old Testament, Jesus said, “It is written.… It is written.…It is written.” When Jesus met the Devil, He unsheathed His sword and met the Devil with the Word of God. It is an amazing defense for every Christian.
A Christian who does not have the habit of reading the Word of God for his own benefit is not going to be very strong. It is his primary weapon to protect himself with and overcome the foe.
Listen! God has given you the weapon of His Word and we need to get our Bibles out and open them up every day, and read. If you don’t do it, you are like a soldier without a sword.  The weapons of our warfare are not physical, but are mighty through God.
How do we use the Word of God to attack Satan?
Let’s imagine that you are being tempted to say something unkind to someone.
Before you commit the sin, you can defeat Satan by meditation on a verse like (Eph. 4:29) which says, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs.”
When you quote a Scripture, it disarms the desire and the temptation.
We need to memorize Scripture so we can defeat Satan. The Bible says in (Ps. 119:11), that we need to hide the Word of God in our hearts, so that we will not sin against Him. Whatever sin you are tempted to commit, memorize a specific verse and use it’s power to defeat Satan.
I believer that not only are we to quote Scripture to defeat Satan, but we are to use the power of Jesus’ name. There is power in the name of Jesus.
–       Believers are baptized into His name (Acts 2:38).
–       Believers are forgiven in His name (1 John 2:12).
–       Believers pray through His name (Colossians  3:17).
–       Believers have life in His name (John 20:31).
–       Believers can defeat Satan and his troops in His name.
In (Luke 10:17), we read that Jesus sent out 72 disciples to minister to the people. And after their journey they came up to Jesus and said, “Lord even the demons  submit to us in your name.”
There is power in the name of Jesus. When you are tempted, and recognize that Satan is coming after you with his full artillery, go to the Father in prayer and ask Him to help you defeat Satan & his troops in power of Jesus Name.
CONCLUSION:
Whether we believe it or not, or like it or not, we are in spiritual warfare. Our enemy is after our souls and we must be alert and ready to fight.
My challenge for you this day is to tune up your spiritual defenses.
To defeat Satan, we must do several things.
– First, we must turn to God for His power and strength.
–  Second, we must truly commit our self to God and His holy ways and consciously resist evil and the Devil’s  schemes .
– And last of all, we must go on a spiritual offensive and use the Word of God and the power of Jesus’ name in prayer.
Don’t lets Satan and his evil ways get the best of you!
Lesson material based on sermons by  Joel Curry and  James Merritt
For more lessons click on the following link: http://granvillenychurchofchrist.org/?page_id=566

Be the Example by Alfred Shannon Jr.

https://biblicalproof.wordpress.com/2011/04/page/5/

Be the Example

If God were like us, would we obey him? If we were like a sinner, should anyone follow us? Be like God, be like Christ, be like the Word, and be the example.
Rom 2:21,22; 1 Cor 4:16; 1 Cor 11:1; 1 Thess 1:6; 2 Thess 3:9; Philip 3:17; 2 Tim 2:2

We serve the living God by Roy Davison

http://www.oldpaths.com/Archive/Davison/Roy/Allen/1940/living.html

We serve the living God

We "serve the living and true God" (1 Thessalonians 1:9), "the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them" (Acts 14:15).
Life is found only on earth. In the dark middle ages, atheistic alchemists believed in the spontaneous generation of life. Pasteur disproved their theory, and one of the basic scientific principles of modern biology is that all life comes from life.
The theory of evolution, by the way, is simply a new form of the old alchemist theory, which pushes the supposed spontaneous generation of life back in time beyond the reach of empirical research. Darwin developed his theory a few years after Pasteur proved the old form to be false.
The empirical scientific evidence is unanimous: life comes from life. Which proposition then is more plausible: that life originally came from dead matter or from a living source?
No explanation is more plausible than the Biblical explanation. The living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them, is the origin of life on earth. "Then God said, 'Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures' ... So God created ... every living thing that moves" (Genesis 1:20,21). "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being" (Genesis 2:7).
The living God is the origin of human life. "God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them" (Genesis 1:27).
We do not bow down before a marble statue, a lifeless image that cannot see, hear, feel or think. Nor do we worship nature or man. We worship the true and living God who created us, who watches over us, who loves us, who hears our prayers, and who intervenes.
"The Lord is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King. At His wrath the earth will tremble, and the nations will not be able to endure His indignation" (Jeremiah 10:10).
After Daniel was saved from the lions, the Persian king, Darius, wrote: "To all peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you. I make a decree that in every dominion of my kingdom men must tremble and fear before the God of Daniel. For He is the living God, and steadfast forever; His kingdom is the one which shall not be destroyed, and His dominion shall endure to the end. He delivers and rescues, and He works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions" (Daniel 6:25-27).
The living God has spoken to man.
When the old covenant was given, the people "heard the voice of the living God speaking from the midst of the fire" (Deuteronomy 5:26).
When Jesus came as Savior of the world, the voice of God was heard: "And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased'" (Matthew 3:17). Peter, James and John heard the voice of God when Jesus was transfigured. "Behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!'" (Matthew 17:5).
Peter testifies in his second letter: "We did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.' And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit" (2 Peter 1:16-21).
The living God has spoken to man. The message is preserved in prophetic writings. Private interpretation of Scripture is not allowed because God's word has a fixed meaning that man can understand. Jeremiah warned the people: "You have perverted the words of the living God" (Jeremiah 23:36). God tells them, "Therefore behold, I, even I, will utterly forget you and forsake you" (Jeremiah 23:39). If we refuse to listen to the living God why should He listen to us?
Peter speaks of untaught and unstable people who twist the Scriptures to their own destruction (2 Peter 3:16). We may not pervert or twist the words of the living God. We bow our heads when we talk to God in prayer. We should be even more reverent when God talks to us, when the holy Scriptures are being read.
We will be judged by the living word. "The word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account" (Hebrews 4:12,13).
The living God has revealed Himself in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ. "No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him" (John 1:18). The confession of Peter is the confession of all Christians: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:16). "We have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (John 6:69).
Through Christ, both Jews and Gentiles can become "sons of the living God" (Romans 9:26 // Hosea 1:10). "We trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe" (1 Timothy 4:10). We do not "trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy" (1 Timothy 6:17). The blood of Christ cleanses our "conscience from dead works to serve the living God" (Hebrews 9:14).
This purification enables Christians to be "the temple of the living God" (2 Corinthians 6:16).
We are "in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth" (1 Timothy 3:15).
We have "the seal of the living God" (Revelation 7:2). He has "sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee" (2 Corinthians 1:22). "You were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise" (Ephesians 1:13). "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption" (Ephesians 4:30).
We "have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven" (Hebrews 12:22,23).
We serve the living and true God, the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them. He created us in His own image and, like the Psalmist, we long for our Father. "My soul thirsts for God, for the living God" (Psalm 42:2). "My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God" (Psalm 84:2).
Roy Davison
The Scripture quotations in this article are from
The New King James Version. ©1979,1980,1982,
Thomas Nelson Inc., Publishers unless indicated otherwise.
Permission for reference use has been granted.

Published in The Old Paths Archive
(http://www.oldpaths.com)

The merging of the mind and the heart with action by Gary Rose


This little saying, is complex. An unnecessary complexity which is the tendency of human beings.   There are some among us that are blessed with something more than average intelligence. They like to think, and  THINK and THINK!    In other words, many humans overthink what should be straightforward.  Don't agree with me- OK, then  I will use this opportunity to remind you of the affordable healthcare act- AKA as Obamacare. Thousands of pages, so hard to understand that the leadership in congress encouraged congress to pass it without reading it.

 And its not just lawmakers, ancient Israel had that problem too. The Law given to Moses (and then to Israel)  demanded a lot of the faithful. Literally, hundreds of laws. And what did Israel do? They added  additional laws of their own in order to prevent anyone from breaking God's laws. I have hear it referred to as putting a hedge around the law.

What did God do about this?    God's prophet Jeremiah says...
Jeremiah, Chapter 31 (World   English   Bible)
 31 Behold, the days come, says Yahweh, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:  32 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they broke, although I was a husband to them, says Yahweh.  33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says Yahweh: I will put my law in their inward parts, and in their heart will I write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people:  34 and they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know Yahweh; for they shall all know me, from their least to their greatest, says Yahweh: for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin will I remember no more.   (emphasis added)
And...
Hebrews, Chapter 8  (WEB)

  1 Now in the things which we are saying, the main point is this. We have such a high priest, who sat down on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,  2 a servant of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man.  3 For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore it is necessary that this high priest also have something to offer.  4 For if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, seeing there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law;  5 who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, even as Moses was warned by God when he was about to make the tabernacle, for he said, “See, you shall make everything according to the pattern that was shown to you on the mountain.” 6 But now he has obtained a more excellent ministry, by so much as he is also the mediator of a better covenant, which on better promises has been given as law.  7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. 8 For finding fault with them, he said, 
“Behold, the days come”, says the Lord,
“that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah;
  9 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers,
in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt;
for they didn’t continue in my covenant,
and I disregarded them,” says the Lord.
  10 “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel.
After those days,” says the Lord;
“I will put my laws into their mind,
I will also write them on their heart.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
  11 They will not teach every man his fellow citizen,
and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’
for all will know me,
from their least to their greatest.
  12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness.
I will remember their sins and lawless deeds no more.”

  13  In that he says, “A new covenant”, he has made the first old. But that which is becoming old and grows aged is near to vanishing away.   (emphasis added)
Human  beings are a balance of thought, personality and physicality. By restoring the interpersonal aspect of what God wanted (i.e. ,obedience) humans would do what God wanted not just because there was law, but rather because they  would come to know the intent of the law.

Doing what is right would become a matter of the heart and not just route obedience.    This is what Jesus taught and it goes beyond law and  embraces real genuine love for the creator in what the adherent does in all aspects of this life.

Gary, are you just obeying, or are you loving?

Something for us all to consider!!!
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