“Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.” (James 3:1-5 ESV)
All of us who are followers of Jesus Christ need to be those who guard what we say to make certain that what we are speaking is not contrary to the teachings of the Scriptures and that it is not contrary to the character of Christ which we are to be portraying as his followers. And this certainly is not saying that any of us will be perfect in our speech, but that we should be those who make it our practice and our purpose to always glorify the Lord with our words and not to speak what is against the Lord and his Word.
Especially if we are those who are teachers of the Scriptures or who share our daily devotions that we have with the Lord with the people of the world, we need to be listening to the Lord, and we need to be studying the Scriptures in their context, and we need to endeavor, in the power of God’s Spirit living within us, to speak the truth as we know it and understand it. And so we should always be seekers of truth and righteousness and who seek the Lord for truth, and who don’t rely on humans to tell us the truth.
And this requires a close walk of faith and obedience to the Lord so that, before we try to share the truth with others, that we make certain that we are obeying the truth of God’s word, as far as we understand it, and as applicable to the lives of followers of Jesus Christ. For we shouldn’t be trying to talk something that we know that we are not walking. Or if we are not walking it, we should at least be honest in saying that we are not. But if we are not, then we shouldn’t really be trying to convince others to walk it.
Now I can’t say that I fully understand what is meant by what this says about teachers being judged with greater strictness, but I do know that, if we teach others, that we are responsible for the words that we speak to them, and that we should take that responsibility very seriously. Thus, we should endeavor to always speak the truth of God’s Word and not the lies that so many people are spreading today in the name of Christianity and in the name of Christ and of his gospel of salvation. So many teach lies!!
And this is not saying that we are always going to get everything right or that we won’t ever misspeak, but that we should, in the power and guidance of God’s Spirit, always endeavor to make certain that what we are speaking is the truth and not the lies that so many people are spreading these days, and that the majority of professers of faith in Jesus appear to be accepting as truth. For if we spread the lies and not the truth, there will be many people who will not be in heaven one day, even if we said that they would.
But I am finding that so many people, especially on social media, are relying on other humans and on memes and song lyrics and daily devotionals to be the word of God to them. And if they sound good to their ears, they accept them as truth, and they may even pass that truth along to others. But it is good to share the truth with others, but it needs to be truth that has been tested by us and found to be the truth, which we can only know by our own personal times of Bible study, reading it in context.
My main concern here is that the gospel of Jesus Christ has been so diluted and so altered and so widely accepted in its altered form that the lies have come to be accepted as the truth, and the truth is largely being regarded and taught as a lie. And this appears to be what the majority of professers of faith in Jesus Christ are accepting and spreading. But the gospel is not just “ask Jesus into your heart,” or just “believe and receive,” or just “believe and confess” and now heaven is guaranteed you when you die.
Jesus said that if anyone would come after him he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin and to self) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our lives of living in sin and for self, we will lose them for eternity. But if for Jesus’ sake we deny self, die daily to sin, and we are following Jesus in obedience to his commands, we have eternal life with God. He also said that not everyone calling him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING the will of God (Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).
And Paul taught that by faith in Jesus Christ we are crucified with Christ in death to sin, and we are raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin, but as slaves to God and to his righteousness. So we are not to let sin reign in our mortal bodies to make us obey its desires, for if sin is what we obey, it leads to death (judgment). But if obedience is what we obey, it leads to righteousness and to sanctification, and its end is eternal life with Jesus Christ, our Lord (Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14).
So, please be those who do not rely on other humans and books written by other humans, and memes and daily devotionals, to be your Bible. Go to the Scriptures yourselves and study them in context under the direction of the Holy Spirit, and let God speak truth to your hearts. And CONTEXT is critical to getting to the truth, and that is why I stress it. Yes, read daily devotionals and memes and books, for God gave us to each other to encourage one another, but then test everything you read and hear against God’s Word.
And then be those who are spreading the truth of the gospel, that by faith we must die to sin and now live to God and to his righteousness, in his power and strength, by his grace. For if sin is what we practice, and if godliness and righteousness and walks of obedience to our Lord are not what we practice, we will not inherit eternal life with God, regardless of what our lips have professed. But we will face the wrath of God because we did not submit to him as Lord, die to sin, and now walk in obedience to his will.
[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Acts 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; 1 Pet 2:24; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]
The Lord’s Anointed
An Original Work / December 16, 2011
Based off Isaiah 61
The Spirit of the Sov’reign Lord on me;
Anointed to preach the Good News;
Sent me to bind up the brokenhearted;
Proclaim freedom for the captives.
He sent me to preach release for pris’ners
Who are walking in sin’s darkness;
Proclaim God’s grace to all men who’ll listen;
And tell them about God’s judgments;
Comfort all who mourn;
Give crowns of beauty;
Oil of gladness and thanksgiving.
They will be called oaks of God’s righteousness,
A planting of our Savior, God,
For the display of our Lord’s splendor, and
They will rebuild God’s holy church.
God will renew them, and will restore them,
And you’ll be called priests of the Lord.
You will be ministers of our God, and
You will rejoice in salvation.
The Lord loves justice;
He is faithful to
Reward those who are seeking Him.
I delight greatly in the Lord;
My soul rejoices in my Savior, God.
He has clothed me with His salvation,
And in a robe of His righteousness.
He has given me priestly garments to wear,
As the bride of Jesus Christ.
As the garden of our Lord and Savior,
He causes us to grow in Him.
He makes righteousness,
Praise, and thanksgiving
Spring up before all the nations.
https://vimeo.com/114836524
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