The leader of our nation (until last Saturday) who says he is a Christian, told his audience on national television earlier in the week that the fundamental principle of the New Testament is, “one of universal love – loving your fellow man.” He said this in response to a pastor’s question on why He had “chopped and changed” his view on same-sex marriage. The pastor and most Bible-Christians believe he did it simply to get a popular vote. Like all “deeply religious” church-goers who are hell-bent on defending their views on this topic, his well-rehearsed-in-advance answer came from adding to the word of God and misusing New Testament Scripture.
When asked why he did not believe the words of Jesus, A man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh Matthew 19:5, he responded, “Well if I was going to have that view, the Bible also says that slavery is a natural condition.” The Bible-illiterate, Christian-hating crowd among them loved that response. The Bible says no such thing. He then went on to arrogantly misuse New Testament teaching about slaves and obedience to their masters. Whilst the Bible has a lot to say about slavery, it doesn’t endorse slavery! It is not only Bible ignorance that causes church people to respond to questioning like that, it is also spiritual pride. It happens to all who turn their ears away from the truth 2 Timothy 4:4.
He also told the pastor and people, “the human condition and social conditions change.” It would seem this political “Bible scholar” chose to ignore Hebrews 13:8, Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever and For I am the Lord, I do not change Malachi 3:6. No wonder he has regularly “chopped and changed” his politics to suit monthly flavors; if he can do that with God’s revealed will he can do it with anything! He’s in for a shock though when he stands before the Lord Jesus Christ to give an account of his life. It’s one thing for national leaders to misuse the word of God to support their political ambitions, but it will be quite something else when they stand before God to explain why they did it.
To my way of thinking, people who misuse the word of God for self-gain are up there with brainwashers, mind controllers, embezzlers, extortionists, thieves and liars. They’re cut from the same cloth. It’s all about me, myself and I and to hell with anyone else. The thought that they will one day hear the Lord say to them, “To hell with you!” doesn’t seem to enter their mind for a second. Yet, that’s what’s in store for them if they take this sin with them to the grave. People might use people believing they can get away with it, but nobody can use God and get away with it! The man who thinks otherwise is not really a thinker – he’s a fool. The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who heeds counsel is wise Proverbs 12:15.
In one way I was blessed when he misused the Scriptures because, unknown to him, he confirmed Scriptures elsewhere in the Bible that speak to Christians of the times of deception we can expect just before Jesus returns. Those times are now … end times! Jesus spoke a little about wars and rumors of wars etc, but He spoke quite a lot about times of deception – false Christs, false prophets, false teachers, false brethren Matthew 24:3-28. So did the apostles Paul, Peter, John, and Jesus’ half-brother Jude. All of them warned us about the apostasy or departure from the truth that would one day come into the church – that’s our day. Events going on in the Middle East currently are a sign of Jesus return, but what’s going on in the church is a greater sign.
The pace with which deception is expressing itself in the church is astounding. If it were not for Jesus telling us, who would have thought that, you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake Matthew 24:9 would apply to the people of this nation, Australia? But, it was the spirit of hatred I discerned expressing itself during the pastor’s question and the leader’s response. It’s easy to discern the spirit of hatred among same-sex marriage defenders and, it’s going to get a lot worse for those of us who will continue to defend the word of God. Satan the devil is going to milk this for all it’s worth in the days ahead and sadly, Christians galore are going to cave in to the pressure of accepting it as being in the will of God.
The fundamental principle of the New Testament is not, “one of universal love – loving your fellow man.” The fundamental principle is one of TRUTH! How sad that church-goers and many born again Christians are unaware of that. People who don’t know what truth is don’t know what true love is and therefore they have no right to use the Bible when talking about love; they’re simply misusing the word of God. They can call it lust, they can call it sex, they can call it whatever, but they cannot call it love. As well, such people have no right to call themselves Christians. A Christian is a Christ-one. He or she belongs to Christ and Christ belongs to them. That belonging is based on receiving the Living Truth – I am the way, the truth…….. John 14:6.
Christians who fail to daily put on the whole armor of God Ephesians 6:11-17, are easy targets for Satan. He sees them walking about without the belt of truth girded around their waist so he goes after them to steal whatever truth they have or are about to embrace. Apparently the Roman soldier’s armor relied on the belt to securely hold together the other pieces of the armor he wore. If the belt came off, he was in trouble big time, because it also meant his breastplate was going to go as well. He’s a dead man! That’s same thing applies to the Christian. Without the armor on he’s a dead man too – spiritually, that is. This accounts for why the church is spiritually dead. It has become a carcass for every vulture to feed on, including national leaders.
Just like the soldier’s belt securely fastened, it is truth that keeps us secure in the Lord, not love. Love is the by-product of truth. It is truth that makes effective the rest of the spiritual armor we wear. Which brings me to this point – those who say they’re Christians yet show disregard for truth – the same are unrighteous people. They’re not wearing a belt of truth and therefore they’re not wearing a breastplate of righteousness either. They might be “good” people in life but they’re not righteous people, they are unrighteous. That puts them outside the will of God. In real terms then, when you hear Christians such as our (former) leader misusing the Bible, you will know they’re not what they claim to be.
Christians with a high regard for truth are sincere people. The opposite is just as true however – Christians with a low regard for truth are insincere people. Can you see how it all works? The Holy Spirit knows who’s who and what’s what and He reveals this to His truth-holders. That’s part of what having the spiritual gift of discernment is all about. That’s why discerning Christians don’t allow themselves to get caught up in men’s mere words. “Words are cheap” as the saying goes. Remember Jesus said, “By their fruits you will know them, not ‘by their words’ Matthew 7:20. Sincere Christians have an open heart to God. They’re in daily fellowship with God, asking Him to check their heart, their motives, their desires, their will etc.
And, it is the high regard for TRUTH Himself that will cause them to cast aside anything not related to truth. That’s why such Christians steer away from those whose business it is to peddle part-truths, half-truths and false doctrines. Let there be no misunderstanding; that’s precisely what those in the church are doing when they take their stand for same-sex marriage. They accuse us of intolerance and hatred for homosexual people (which is not true), I accuse them of intolerance and hatred for the Lord Jesus Christ and His Scriptures. Something else to consider: He who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one 1 Corinthians 2:15. God stands with the spiritual person; He stands against his/her accusers.
The national leader (until last Saturday) publicly claimed to have “an informed conscience and a Christian conscience.” He hammered that point home in no uncertain terms and the people bought it. For me, it was another interesting study on how Satan the deceiver uses religious people who have a low view of the Bible. Religious people will always appeal to their conscience rather than the Bible. Especially will they do that when they come across something in it they don’t like. That’s what Christian women do also when they want to justify leadership roles over men in the church. However, people who add to, misuse, or misrepresent the Bible have no such conscience. It’s not possible for the person who plays one Scripture off with another.
When I first began studying the Bible years ago, I was exhorted to do so with diligence and discipline because if we look silly in our teaching, it makes God look silly. On that program the other night, it was not God who looked silly, but it was God who made the leader look silly. It’s the second time I’ve seen God make this man look silly. A few years ago in another public speech he said, “……… But to the great God and Creator of us all, I thank him – or her – as well.” (emphasis mine). Once again, the belt and breastplate are missing! No truth there. No righteousness either! Someone reading this post says, “You just don’t like his politics.” True, I don’t. I don’t like anybody’s politics if it includes adding to the word of God and misusing New Testament Scripture.
The Bible Christian’s great challenge today is to turn away from those in the church, having a form of godliness but denying its power 2 Timothy 3:4. They have nothing to say to us. Their “theology” is based on religious opinions, religious feelings, religious emotionalism and the curse of all curses in our time – political correctness. They don’t stand for God; they can’t stand God! That makes sense doesn’t it? They are their own god and they want you to bow to them. Bible Christian brother and sister, that’s exactly what you will do if you don’t make the decision to turn away. Playing fast and loose with truth and error is part and parcel of what politicians do. For Christians to do the same is an abomination in the sight of God. “We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error” 1 John4:6.