'Faith

There is a common error—the error of the Pharisees.

The current definition offaith is, "belief that a particular set of theological statements is true." If one holds fast to his belief in his "statement of faith" he will go to Heaven when he dies and live in a mansion.

Denominations are based on such statements of faith. The Christians have fought among themselves for hundreds of years because of differences in their statements of faith and in their church customs.

The irony of this is that statements of faith and church customs are of little value in the Kingdom of God. An article of faith has value only if it has a bearing on the growth of the individual in godliness. Otherwise it has no value. No eternal life proceeds from a correct understanding of what is true in the spirit realm.

For example, the prime "faith" of the Jews is that God is One. It appears that to the Jew there is no other belief that equals in importance the fact that God is One. Fundamental Judaism is constructed on this simple declaration of monotheism.

The concept that God is One is held also by the demons and they do not possess eternal life.

Notice what Pastor James declares to his Jewish brothers:

Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? (James 2:19,20)

The Pharisees adhered to the inspired Scriptures but they possessed no eternal life.

Belief in theological statements is not what the Scriptures mean by "faith." One can hold a correct understanding of the virgin birth, the blood atonement, and the triumphant bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and still be dead in sin.

The demons understand theological facts perfectly. They realize that Jesus is the Holy One of God and that Paul revealed the true way of salvation.

The current understanding of "the righteous shall live by faith" is, "the righteous will hold fast their understanding of doctrine." This is error. Holding a correct understanding of doctrine never has and never will bring eternal life to anyone. When weact on correct doctrine and seek the Presence of Jesus in all situations, then we enter eternal life.

The statement of faith is dear to the heart of the Christian denomination. This is one reason why denominations have such difficulty in moving with the cloud and the fire. Denominations have a huge investment in their doctrinal positions, their seminaries, their books. Denominations stand for a statement of faith.

It often is true that when the Lord revives His Church by bringing it closer to Himself He increases our understanding of the Scriptures. The Pentecostal revival is an example of an increase of understanding as well as of available spiritual experience.

Denominations find such change terribly threatening. Ordinarily they react against doctrinal change, not necessarily because the change obviously is unscriptural but because of the ego injury that results—the embarrassment of having been incomplete in their understanding.

Christian people often refuse to admit that anyone could have a greater understanding of spiritual truth than they. When you think about it, isn’t this ridiculous? The outworking of such spiritual pride in rage and division among the brothers is tragic.

God is moving today in an increase of spiritual knowledge. Again we are faced with the fact that we have not known everything there is to know. Do we move ahead with God, or do we refuse to admit that we could have been incomplete in our understanding and begin furiously to charge our brothers with heresy?

The Pharisees placed their faith in the Scriptures rather than in God. This phenomenon is not unusual among Christians. The Bible takes the place of God. The believers attempt to penetrate with increasing depth into the meanings of the Hebrew and Greek terms. Regarding of the knowledge of a text as equivalent to possessing the spiritual realities described in the text, takes the place of a genuine experience with God.

Paul declared he was crucified with Christ and Christ now is his life.

One can swear to the inspiration of this statement. One can research carefully the etymology of each Greek word of Galatians 2:20. One can memorize the verse. But such knowledge is not equivalent to being crucified with Christ and being filled with His Life.

One of the most important disciplines of the follower of Jesus is daily study and meditation in the Scriptures—Old Testament and New Testament. Spiritual strength and guidance come to us from the Scriptures. Prayer and the Word are two pillars of discipleship.

There is a common error—the error of the Pharisees.

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