There are a thousand times ten thousand subjects of which I am abysmally ignorant, knowing nothing whatsoever about those subjects. There is ONE subject with which I am intimately familiar – God’s Word. It is only when one adds the catalyst of continuous obedience to God’s Word that one then gets divine revelation. This goes a long way in explaining why so many embrace so much spiritual error. Such minds, already made up and holding preconceived erroneous beliefs are almost impossible to penetrate with the truth.
John the Baptist said, “He whom God has sent speaks the words of God…” (John 3:34). And the one God has sent is not cowed or influenced by any man’s opinion, rejection or acceptance. Seared upon their conscience are the words, “No Compromise!” One whom Jesus Christ, the Living Head of God’s church, has set in the role of a teacher in the body of Christ has both an uncanny knowledge of and memory of scripture. God Himself, through His prophet Amos, asks pointedly, “Can two walk together except they be agreed?” (Amos 3:3).
Jesus Christ WARNED “He that is not with me is against me, and he that gathers not with me scatters” (Luke 11:23). We must never forget that we are nearly two thousand years in time removed from the founding day of God’s church. Between our day and the day of our Lord and His apostles lies a great yawning chasm of time wherein a tremendous amount of error has been introduced and interwoven into Christianity. It is absolutely imperative that we listen to the counsel and teaching of Jesus Christ, His prophets and apostles even if we stand entirely alone in doing so. Scripture clearly declares that anyone who follows the pathway of truth will ever and always be in a severely circumscribed minority.
Jesus asked, “Do you not therefore err, because you do not know the scriptures? You therefore do greatly err.” (Mark 12:24, 27). Note well what He said. One who doesn’t know the scriptures intimately well does not simply embrace some error. They err greatly! And the scriptures to which Jesus Christ alluded were the Hebrew scriptures – the Old Testament. The very foundation of God’s truth and revelation to Adam’s descendants.
The writings of the prophets contain the very core of the beliefs and practices of our Lord’s true followers. Remember, Paul’s defense before Governor Felix was that he believed all things written in the law and in the prophets – the first five books of the Bible and all the rest of the Hebrew scriptures. Paul well knew that Jesus Christ taught that men are to live by EVERY WORD that proceeds out of the mouth of God. Peter’s last words to God’s people were “be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets’ (2 Peter 3:2). That is why Jesus urged the Pharisees, who embraced and taught gross error, to pay close heed to “Moses and the prophets.” He told them this over and over again.
God is not playing a game with mankind, but is in deadly earnest. In order to reproduce many glorified and super obedient sons and daughters God surrendered His beloved spotless, holy, perfectly obedient Firstborn to be horribly tortured and shamefully murdered before a jeering, cat-calling crowd of rabble. When one tramples beneath their feet that precious spilled blood, know this, they are then standing on the most dangerous and shaky ground in all the universe. It is only by God’s great mercy Donald Wiley still draws breath in his 82nd year of life. Never forget that it was the One who died on Calvary who drowned every single human being on earth save for one family.
The ONLY commitment God knows is total commitment. And God says, “You come over to my square. I’ll not move over to yours.” And He further declares, “You shall seek me, and find me WHEN YOU SHALL SEARCH FOR ME WITH ALL YOUR HEART” (Jeremiah 29:13). If you haven’t done that, you haven’t found God. You’ve found religion.
Christ’s Aged Servant (Galatians 1:10-12),
Donald Wiley