They Were made God-dependent not Man-dependent

Due only to the mercy and love of God, I have never forgotten the warning words in a pastor’s sermon spoken many years ago, “most Christians are happy to settle for a word of God, rather than THE word.”  It was a sermon in relation to Jesus’ numerous gospel warnings for His people to take heed – to be on the alert – to watch out that they do not become deceived by “revelations” and teachings that do not come from Himself.  I was a new Christian at the time, quite naive and gullible, open to believing that anyone who held a Bible in hand as they preached from it, must be a holy man of God with no motives other than to lead us to God whereby we would know Him for ourselves.

When ministering to people on the streets of my suburb, I encountered some who were simply not interested in my sharing with them the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Not interested, because they had once been involved in churches or with groups and their experiences of that involvement were, “anything but the love and liberty of Jesus, that you people keep going on about.”  I understood their reactions.  My early church upbringing and experiences were those of slavish obedience to religious rules and obligations too.  Nobody dared question the validity of our Romanist Catholic religious practice, we were of “the one true church” – end of story!

Bibles were never used in my church upbringing, therefore I never heard a thing about the possibility of me ever having a personal, loving, liberating relationship with God Almighty Himself.  Not so for many of those people, however.  For them, the Bible was used – or rather – abused!  It was used in a manner that would ensure the hearers became controlled, not by a merciful, loving, liberating God, but by His “messengers,” so-called.  Just like the Romanist Pope, so skilled were these “messengers” at giving the impression that they were the human representative of God that the people believed it.  These were classic examples of people accepting a word of God rather than THE word.

Controlled religious people will rarely check the Scriptures for themselves on any matter to find out what is truth and what is error.  It is either publicly stated or strongly implied that they do not have the spiritual authority or qualifications to do so.  Many of these “messengers” claim Jesus appeared to them with commands to restore “lost truths” or, to reveal “new truths.”  The people don’t question or challenge this.  Most lack knowledge or courage on how to do so. So they become manipulated and intimidated into believing what they’re told.  As a result, it is not too long before they are dominated, without really knowing it! 

When these “messengers” are accepted by their people as the voice of God or, “the human face of Jesus Christ to you,” laziness can also be a factor in not checking the Scriptures.  Some Christians have a much higher regard for friendship, relationship and fellowship in their churches than they ever do for Jesus and His truth.  Because of this, Jesus’ warning to them to be on the alert, “for many, will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He’ …..” goes totally unheeded Luke 21:8.   Any leaders who claim for themselves to be “the human face of Jesus Christ to you,” are the very people Jesus is talking about!  

The test of all true leaders and messengers of Jesus Christ can be applied by observing how much they, along with their people are conforming to the image of Christ Romans 8:29, rather than the image of themselves as the leader/s or the group.  When one is being conformed to the image of the Lord, fears of all kind, looking good etc, are being noticeably (if only gradually) replaced by a holy, divine liberty and freedom.  People are not afraid to disagree with their leaders and or challenge them on their doctrinal beliefs if need be.  Because all are being led by the Holy Spirit, freedom and liberty rules in the midst.  We know we are “the sons of God” because the Spirit gives His continuous witness to it Romans 8:14,16.

Some of these “messengers” can be brutal with their people.  Should there be someone within the group willing to stand up and challenge a leader’s spurious doctrines on “restored lost truths” or “new truths” they will be shut down in a matter of moments.  The best way to accomplish this is through either private or/and public humiliation, or even excommunication.  History is replete with such accounts.  And they think nothing of using Scriptures out of context to back up their ungodly behavior.  One decent public rebuke or excommunication is enough to ensure the rest of the group keep their mouths shut.  Shut down the mouth and you shut down the mind, so the saying goes.

Controlling leaders know exactly the kind of religious language that seduces and deceives people, therefore they express themselves with it unsparingly. People love to think of themselves as being part of the chosen few used of God in bringing restoration of “lost truths” or the proclamation of “new truths.”  The reality is, however, no truth of God has ever been lost and neither are there any new truths.  Truth is truth!  It cannot be lost – it cannot be added to.  It is true that during the dark ages of the Romanist era truth was not practiced by the majority, but it was not lost.  It was because of their belief and practice of truth that thousands were sent to the stake and the rack to be martyred.

Men of God, under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, will never use words that give their people the impression that they are a special, privileged group receiving truth that nobody else is getting. Such men fully understand that they are part of the one church and, if they closed their doors tomorrow, God’s truth would not be affected one iota.  See my post: The TRUE One True Church.  Controlling men, on the other hand operate in the opposite manner.  They use words to impress upon their people that they are God’s right-hand men and that if one should leave their group, they are in grave danger of losing all that God has for them as individuals.

They use words in such a complicated and convoluted way that it continually causes their people to be ever doubting and ever questioning their spiritual condition and position before God.  Especially is this the case when it comes to one’s salvation and being a true child of God.  One who fails to fully grasp that the Lord’s promises are to be received by nothing but faith alone in the Lord Jesus Christ alone, will pay a high price for their embracing of a word of God over THE word.  A leader who continually uses words in such a way that causes his people to be tossed in these matters is not a spiritual man, he is a blasphemous man.

Such men are not interested in drawing their people to the Lord Jesus Christ so they can be discipled by Him and set free spiritually, mentally and morally.  They are “savage wolves” hell-bent on “not sparing the flock.”  Their only interest is in “speaking perverse (misinterpreted, corrupt) things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.” Acts 20:29-30.  Manipulators and intimidators do not motivate by love.  They don’t know how to.  Fear is what they are full of and it is fear they use with which to motivate and control others.  They parade themselves as loving people, but if one should “scratch” them, the “fruits”of the real person will quickly show up for what they are.

One of the most striking features of the Lord Jesus Christ seen in the gospels is the way He draws people to Himself.  The fearful, the sinful, the guilty – they come to Him in humility, knowing that they are nothing but filthy rags.  But not once do we see Jesus telling them that they are.  Not once do we see Him acting like a religious manipulator, intimidator or a cult leader.  All we see is His most beautiful, gracious divine hand of reconciliation and friendship extended to each one – no questions asked – no prisoners taken!   We see total redemption as they get up and walk away “clothed in garments of salvation and (permanently covered) with the robe of righteousness….” Isaiah 61:10.  

How dare these blasphemous wolves tamper with something so precious as this!  Yes, I am well aware of the apostle Paul’s urging the Corinthians to examine themselves as to whether they were in the faith, but he left them resting in the grace of the Lord Jesus and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 13:14.  In other words, Paul released them into the hands of God Almighty alone, he did not fill them with complicated, convoluted, controlling religious jargon that left each forever questioning their spiritual condition and position before God.  They were made God-dependent not man-dependent.

So how does one come out from under these tyrants?  One can only do so by personally coming before God and asking Him to grant a divine desire to embrace THE word of God in its totality, regardless of how much it is understood or not understood.  If that person were me, I would renounce and reject all complicated and convoluted teaching about “lost truths” and “new truths.”  I would get up and leave the group and I would start again with the Holy Spirit as my teacher.  And I would rely on Him (in His time) to lead me to others who can help me with my biblical studies and godly living.  “I will go before you and make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze and cut the bars of iron.” Isaiah 45:2. “…..But on this one will I look; on him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word.” Isaiah 66:2.