"Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it.For the gate is small, and the way is narrow tht leads to life, and few are those who find it." Mt. 7:13-14
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Balanced on the tightrope of Righteousness
December 17, 1995
Our subject has been spirituality and living the spiritual life. And it is upon the foundation of focus upon the Lord Jesus Christ that our spiritual life (our thinking) is patterned, developed, and maintained. But in a broader sense, we focus upon Christ to fulfill the reason God brought us into this world: to glorify Him. And a proper focus brings us into balance with God's will for our lives. This enables us to walk the lofty heights of the spiritual life. Yet, it is a walk upon a tightrope; a tightrope of righteousness over the massive cauldrens of carnal sewage, rot and decay. This is life in the Sphere of Faith, and by this means, we are able to keep on the straight and narrow.
The spiritual life is a balanced life resulting from feeding upon every word that proceeds from God's mouth. Yet, to be nourished upon God's Word, it must be in a form we can spiritually digest. This form is called God's wisdom, the pure milk of the Word, 1 Peter 2:1. I call it His intimate counsel, or IC for short. Wisdom from God's Word is the results of study, meditation and prayer. You might say this is the foundation of hermeneutics, the science of interpretation. There are 3 major points I wish to stress in interpreting scripture. These three points are (1)intrepretation based upon the whole counsel of God, (2)intrepreting scripture by scripture, and (3)understanding the times scripture was written.
the whole counsel of God, Acts 5:20, 20:27
interpreting scripture by scripture
interpreting scripture from the time it was written
Imperatives of correct interpretation
Therefore it is imperative, we approach God's Word with these overriding principles for discerning the mystery doctrines and God's intimate counsel. If we do, it will act as a balance pole on the tightrope of righteousness. Needless to say, we must be filled with the Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who takes the written word and reveals to us its spiritual secrets. I explain this more fully in The Intimate Counsel of God.
Truth versus the message of Spiritual Hucksters
Christ said, "God's Word is Truth," Jn. 17:17. Truth comes from His whole counsel, not simply from our favorite scriptures. You simply can't base truth upon picking and choosing doctrines that fit your pleasures. God's Word is not subject to our editing. It's a package. It's a take it or leave it policy. The sum of God's Word is truth (PS. 119:160), and from the sum of His Word, we are able to maintain a spiritual balance. We are not to add to nor substract from God's commandments. To do so is the height of arrogance and is blasphemous. Yet with blatant disregard, this adding and subtracting is done today by many popular preachers and teachers, who fill the minds of the unsuspecting (scriptural ignorant) visions of health, wealth, success, and temporal pleasures. (These men have a thing or two to teach the carnival hucksters.) To validate (or mask) their erroneous doctrines, they amplify their personal charm and fully utilize their knack to turn a phrase. And the crowds therefore become mesmerized by the messenger and give credence to their message. Such tactics have proved highly successful in terms of garnering large crowds and contributions. But unfortunately for their followers, their lives are imbalanced, rocking to and from upon the seas of false doctrines.
Putting together the pieces
Secondly, balance is maintained by interpreting scripture by scripture. Doctrines are formulated by comparing all like-minded scriptures regarding the same subject while at the same time not contradicting the whole of God's counsel, His integrity or character.
For instance, years ago I read from one of the founders of the "have what you say" movement, that man was created because God was lonely. Was he then saying that God was lacking? For someone who is lonely lacks companionship. Does God therefore need man to be complete and whole? The thought is preposterous. God is perfect. He has not, nor ever will, lack anything, or be one iota less than perfect. Therefore, such an interpretation is blasphemous.
God's word is like a jig-saw puzzle containing many doctrinal truths. Each doctrinal truth is discovered only when all the pieces (scriptural references to the same subject) are gathered, compared, and pieced together. This keeps us within context and from twisting scripture beyond recognition. Otherwise, God's Word indeed remains puzzling, contradictory, and irrelevant.
God as our the provider and protector and peacekeeper
Thirdly, we must note the time from which it was written. Great wealth can be learned from studying the customs, rites and rituals of the people of the Bible. But for our general information, I want to point out the dependency of God's people upon Him for their provision, protection, and peace. The Bible was written long before our technological, scientific, and medical advances gave man the idea reliance on Him was no longer an educated choice. God warned us of such arrogance even in the days of Jeremiah.
Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind and makes flesh his strenth, and whose heart turns away from the Lord.
The first point I want to make concerning the times God's Word was written was that the economy was an agricultural one. And so, many of the teachings found in God's Word deal with planting and sowing (our acts of faith), weather (God's providence), and harvest time (God's blessings). Actions do have consequences. We do reap what we sow. Therefore, we need a farmer's perspective-looking to the heavens.
Also, the the family structure was based upon the concept of a patriarchy, where the father was the head of the household. He was the provider and he was to be respected, obeyed, and trusted. Such is to be our attitude towards God our Father. And lastly, governments during biblical times were monarchies. The King had absolute power over his subjects. His word was law. All allegiance was pledged to the King, and he in return gave protection from their enemies, justice to the injured, and peace in the land. Jesus Christ is our King and our well-being was secured upon the cross.
Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My [nail-scarred] hands. Your walls [well-being] are continually before Me, Is. 49:16
Beware of the Crazimatics
One of the problems with a large sector of Christianity today is the denial of the above three principles of scriptural intrepretation. Today, doctrines are built upon selected scriptures which cater to the self-indulgent, the arrogant, the greedy, and emotionally unstable. By this means, the unscrupulous get the Bible to say whatever the mobs want to hear. From their pyscho-babble teachings, Madison Avenue jingles or catch phrases are created to secularize God's Word so it can be digested by the carnal appetite. And I can think of no better example than what the Crazimatics have done with Mk. 11:22-24.
And Jesus answered saying to them, "Have faith in God. Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it shall be granted him. Therefore, I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they shall be granted you."
You will first note they have ripped this scripture from context (Mk. 11:12- 26) and ignored the whole of scripture. The whole of scripture deals with the spiritual life as provided by the redemptive work of Christ upon the cross -not, as they would teach: have what you say, whether health, wealth, and/or prosperity. (The Bible does teach of well-being, but these are results of the spiritual life, not the spiritual life itself.)
Mark 11:12-26 is a powerful teaching of the spiritual life and how it is maintained by faith in God. Yet, Christ speaks of a great impasse to the spiritual life, sin, and how restoration is possible by the naming and citing of sin. And He ends this scriptural teaching on the spiritual life by making us aware of its most insidious, subtle, and deadly foe, an unforgiving heart.
For a study on Mark 11: 23, click here to begin a closer look into this powerful scripture and sift the wheat from the chaff, the true interpretation from the false.
creation date 12/16/95
Copyright ©1995 Robert W. Case Jr.,
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