It’s Who You Know
I’ve written many times before about our discipleship of love. About discarding the chains that bind us to legalism , judgment and division. Yet somehow, we cling to those chains as if our life – our salvation – depended on it.
As we study the Bible, attend Bible classes, or just listen to our own preachers, we become locked inside a bubble of self-righteousness. Day by day, we adopt an attitude cemented in being right about our perception of God, of right and wrong, of what He thinks. And really, if we are convinced we know what God thinks about anything other than ourselves, we don’t know the God who saved us.
As the apostle Paul said, “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known.” (1 Corinthians 13:12)
In other words, we only know part of the story. God only reveals to us through the Spirit what we are ready to know. No one knows the full measure of God’s thoughts or ways, and we won’t until we see Him face to face. Hopefully, as the Spirit helps us mature in our faith, He also reveals more of God to us. And as that happens, our hearts and minds continue to grow and transform to be more like Jesus.
God’s Word doesn’t change, but as we grow in our faith, our understanding of it should.
“As we receive more revelation by faith, our experience will begin to line up with what God says about us… Humility and staying teachable, along with realizing that we all only see in part and that there will always be more than one way to look at things until Jesus returns, are some of the hallmarks of spiritual maturity.” (©Mel Wild, 2015, Sonshift, Everything Changes in the Father’s Embrace, pp.186, 215)
It doesn’t really matter that our 33,000 doctrines and traditions are different; what matters is Who we worship, Who we receive unconditional love, grace and wisdom from. And it matters that we accept this love, grace and wisdom so we can, in return, give it to others. For if we can receive unconditional love from the Father, we can pour it out to our family, our neighbors, our enemies. If we can receive unconditional grace from Jesus, we can offer it to our family members, our friends, and those who offend or hurt us. If we can receive the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, we can truly know God and grow in His embrace.
“I am not asking solely for [the disciples’] benefit; this prayer is also for all the believers who will follow them and hear them speak. Father, may they all be one as You are in Me and I am in You; may they be in Us, for by this unity the world will believe that You sent Me.” (John 17:20-21)
Father, I pray for all us. May we please begin the New Year in You, in Him, in unity.
Church Set Free 
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Sister Susan, “God’s Word doesn’t change, but as we grow in our faith, our understanding of it should.” I love that and I love it because you are about the third person in as many weeks who has stated something along those lines.
I have done teachings on the Word in the past, but the Holy Spirit has been keeping me awake in thought concerning this very thought that you and two others have stated and it’s how the Word of God doesn’t change, but how as we evolve (in Christ) and mature spiritually, the DEPTH of the Word KEEPS pushing us to grow and evolve even more. To us at times it seems like it changes and yet it is us being changed and seeing more of it. I don’t know what kind of “teaching” it will be, but I covet your continued prayers. I do hope to post it (probably more than one article) in CSF, so I covet the prayers of all our fellowship. Some of it may be new, some may not, but the Lord for what ever reason is really taking me on a spiritual ride and at times I am feeling it in the flesh, so it must be something He wants said.
As to what you have written Sister, I have found, the more I ask the Lord to help me love like Him, to be the person that He and He alone wants me to be to shine Him forth to others, I find many of those “chains and shackles” falling off though I admit, it is and most likely will be an ongoing process. There are things that I find in the Word that tells us to not take part in, do not condone, etc., but by the same token above ALL else we ARE to LOVE unconditionally all of our Heavenly Father’s creation. Mankind still can choose to NOT love the Lord or the things of the Lord, but that doesn’t give us the “right” to NOT love those same persons. We DON’T have to love the sin, BUT, we DO have to love the sinner for there is not one of us who though covered by the Blood of Christ, still fight a daily battle against the flesh in some way and still have to daily crucify the flesh!
We sometimes look upon ourselves as BETTER because we chose Redemption, but we forget that WE were first called, as the Word states, “many are called, but few are chosen.” We forget in our Salvation that it is by God’s Grace and Graciousness and the Mercy of Christ that we have been spiritually reborn! All the more reason (I see it the older I get) why we NEED to love the unsaved and pray FERVENTLY and continually for the Lost. To neglect that act would be to deny the very Love that our Heavenly Father has actively bestowed upon us!!!
Sister Susan, it is for the reason of articles like this and the articles of our other Brothers and Sisters, in this fellowship and in the blogosphere that we need one another. Remember, “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,” — Hebrews 10:24. WE cannot LOVE like our Father wants us to LOVE without one another!
Thank You Sister for ALL you do for all of us, for the love you share, the words that cause us to remember and to ACT, may our Heavenly Father continue to bless you greatly in all you do for Him, for each of us and all whom the Lord sends this way!
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Roland, I love it when you contribute to my posts. You add so much to the content! “The Word of God doesn’t change, but how as we evolve (in Christ) and mature spiritually, the DEPTH of the Word KEEPS pushing us to grow and evolve even more.”
And yes, we must encourage one another to allow the Spirit to work in us to love like He does, to see through His eyes, for it is His love which transforms minds and hearts.
If it was simply our desire to change behavior that worked upon ourselves and others, we would not need the glorious, expansive grace of our loving God.
Love to you and yours, and have a blessed, joyous and peaceful New Year! 🙂 ❤
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Hey Susan
I liked this post a lot. And after Brother Rolands fine comment, I am gonna shut up. I love his comments, too; they are better than my posts sometimes.
I hope your Christmas was wonderful.
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😀 I know what you mean, Wally.
And Happy New Year.
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Wot Wally said!! 🙂
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🙂
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