Living In Faith Sometimes faith is all you have

The misquoting and misapplication of God’s word by many religious leaders, as well as misguided laypersons, turn His laws into an obscure collection of rules and regulations. Because of this, too many people, especially those who claim to be Christian, fall into an unwarranted sense of self-righteousness which opens the door to the enemy. These modern day Pharisees then embrace the tools that enemy gives them in the form of judgment and condemnation; they focus their energy on preaching damnation and doom. And they do it all in the name of our Lord.

Too many forget why God had inspired man to write the Holy Scriptures. Too many people have not and still don’t truly look into the history of this great collection of books within the one book we call The Bible. If we are to use the scripture to judge people, which we ought not do according to the teachings of Christ [Matthew 7:1-5], the least we can do is take these simple things into consideration:

First, when was the particular scripture written? We have to understand the laws of that time and what was happening during that period. Second, where was it written? This is important to know because it would explain the culture and the laws of that particular culture. Next, we would need to know to whom the writer was addressing. We need to know this so that we can then learn what the people were doing at that time to warrant the words of the writer. We would have a better understanding of what God was trying to teach through the one chosen by God to give His word. And then, we need to take what we learn and ask ourselves, how does this apply to my life today? Does it apply to my life today? Most importantly, we need to check ourselves; did I pray before reading the scripture? We all have a tendency of forgetting to pray before we read the scripture. We forget to ask the Holy Spirit to guide us and teach us through His word. So, before we get into the holier than thou mentality, we need to have truly considered those questions.

If we are truly going to take the time to read God’s word with the intent to live our lives for the Lord, shouldn’t we do so in its original context and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit? If so, we have to go into unfamiliar territory. We have to rid ourselves of the teachings we received in the past; clear our minds of what we were told by man to believe and take that leap of faith into God’s hands with a clear and open mind, heart, and spirit. We have to trust that the Holy Spirit will guide us, teach us, and yes, even provide the right person or people to come into our lives that will assist in this journey.

Whether you are a Christian or one who is seeking to know Christ, this is a journey that will open your eyes to see the things more clearly, it will open your ears to hear the truth that only comes from God, it will plant a seed in your spirit that will grow in a powerful way you never knew possible, and your heart will be restored of all the hurts and pains; you will feel love like you have never known. Not because of anything I do or say, but because of what God has to teach us all through the power of His Holy Spirit.