In order to understand the scriptures correctly a redeemed believer will have to abandon any and all known sin in their life in order for the Holy Spirit to shine the light of the truth of what is said in the scriptures as the fantastic blinding power of Satan continues to blind the mind to the truth if that person has unrepented of and unforsaken sin in their life. That is a spiritual law as inflexible and fixed as any law of physics. The apostle Peter warned that disobedient believers, those believers who continue to sin, are divinely appointed to stumble at God’s Word unable to see what the scriptures actually teach. (See I Peter 2:8). That is WHY many preachers, evangelists, Bible teachers, pastors, etc. are unable to see the truths of scripture. They have some unrepented of and unforsaken sin in their life which effectively prevents the Holy Spirit from illuminating their minds as Satan is permitted to continue operating his blinding POWER in the minds of such persons. In fact, many denominational churches teach that it is impossible for a believer to stop sinning! All such denominations, therefore, embrace gross error in some, if not most of their doctrines. The Word of God cannot be broken. It says what it says and means what it says. (See John 10:35).
Peter further warned that there would be false preachers and teachers in Christianity and that the majority would follow such, causing the way of truth to be evil spoken of. (See 2 Peter 2:1-2). And what is the one common trait among all such? THEY CANNOT CEASE FROM SIN! (See 2 Peter 2:14). They promise their followers liberty from God’s law, while they themselves are servants of corruption. (See 2 Peter 2:19).
Another reason many cannot see the truth is their pride gets in the way. When confronted with a doctrine diametrically opposed to what they already believe, they automatically think they are being confronted with false doctrine. Their pride will not allow them to even entertain the idea that it is their self that is in error.
It shakes their faith to even think for a minute that they have been horribly mistaken and wrong in some basic belief they have held to be true all their lives. And, of course, with pastors they also realize that if they are wrong in some basic doctrine then they have passed along their error to their congregations. How do you get in the pulpit at the next service and tell your congregation, “Hey, we are trying to keep holy a day God never made holy!”
One other satanic device the devil uses to keep pastors in error is the thought he interjects into their mind that all these great preachers of the present and past could not possibly be in error in this most basic doctrine. There is just no way this could be. The majority has to be right in such matters. The few must be in error.There are going to be a lot of surprised and dumbfounded believers at the judgment of the believer. Instead of finding themselves complimented and praised they will find that a stern Jesus Christ will be castigating them for their errors. They may not lose their eternal lives but they will have their rewards greatly diminished if not totally non-existent.
I arise in the wee hours of the morning day in and day out, month in and month out, year in and year out, proving and re-proving all of my beliefs as I know what it feels like to stand in front of a stern judge. I want the only Judge that really counts to look at me with a fond gaze and say, “Well done, faithful one, well done.” God help you to understand.
Christ’s Aged Servant (Galatians 1:10-12),Donald Wiley