By Jim Miller
Gray, Maine
2Ti_4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
I ask you today is this not what has happened even in many of the churches that call themselves churches of Christ? Salvation is in Christ through obedience to the Gospel. Too many people want to worship as they wish and try to bring God in line with what they choose to believe. God has set the rules the way he wants them and we need to bring our lives into accordance with His will. Solomon was a wise man and yet he understood that anything other than God's will is vanity. Ecc 1:1-2 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. With all he had and all he could do Solomon never found real joy or peace in the things of this world.
James tell us we must be doer's of the word not hearers only. Jas 1:21-24 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 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: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
Our Lord said these words in John, Joh 17:16-21 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. I ask why is it so hard for man to just take the simple teachings of scripture and apply them to our lives?
The answer is simple we seek to please ourselves instead of God. We are forgetful hearers is why. This is multiplied but the fact that we do not take a stand as we should choosing rather to let others fight the battles while we fool ourselves in to believing we are safe in our little church houses.
Friends, if you and I do not start standing up for the truth it will be taken away by those who do not seek God. Think on that for a while.
