Words for exciting and distressing times like these

As one who has studied the word of God, these times for a Christian are exciting and at the same time very disturbing.

Exciting because we know we are in those days when Jesus is soon to return for the body of Christ, the church. Also, the word of God is being fulfilled with what we see coming to pass in the world in these end times. It is also very disturbing because of all the negatives we see toward the gospel and the unwillingness of society in the U.S. to allow the name of Jesus to be used in prayer in public settings.

False teachings seem to be abounding everywhere you turn.

Paul spoke in the Epistles of false teachers in his day, and by the inspired word of God he tells us how to recognize who those false teachers are so we can stand strong and not be taken in by false teachings.

Members of the Church of Corinth must have had their share of false teachers, because Paul told them he could not speak to them as spiritual people, but as carnal, or flesh-ruled people. Why did he say that to the Christians at Corinth? Because Paul saw envy, strife and divisions among them. They were living like the world and sexual sin abounded.

Paul said about them in Hebrews 5:12-14 and 6:1-2, “You have been Christians a long time now, and you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things a beginner must learn about the Scriptures.”

It is only through sustained daily effort to apply God’s word to your life that you will become mature.

As Christians, we need to feed on the word of God so we are not taken in by false teachings that are so prevalent today. We need to know when teachings don’t line up with the word of God.

Remember, the word of God is inspired by God. God’s word never changes or gets outdated. You can take the word of God literally. When God’s word says Sodom and Gomorrah were taken with an abomination of sexual sin, adultery and all those other sins that God spells out in his word, we must realize they are still sins today. God has not changed his mind about what is sin as false teachers say.

Christians should be studying the Bible so they know the blessings that they have in Christ Jesus.

God said to the children of Israel in Deuteronomy 28:1-14, “If you fully obey the Lord your God by keeping all the commandments I command you today, the Lord your God will exalt you above all the nations of the world. You will experience all these blessings if you obey the Lord your God.”

When you quote a Scripture out of the Old Testament like this, some Christians say, “That’s Old Testament for the children of Israel, not for us today. We are in the New Covenant as children of God.”

Yes, that is true. It is old covenant teaching, but in Galatians 3:13 it says Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law. Also, God’s word shows us that we have a far better covenant today. If the new covenant is far better than the old, why would God want us to have any less today? He would not.

As born-again Christians, we can claim all those blessings in Deuteronomy 28:1-14 if we obey the Lord our God. Jesus gave us a new commandment: to walk in love. As a Christian today, if we walk in love we will keep all those commandments that were given to curb sin.

Children of God should be looking to God’s word and partaking of God’s blessings, not listening to man’s teachings of intellectual reasoning that they have of a dark gospel that does not include the living word of God.

When you hear of strange teachings, remember 1 Corinthians 2:14: “The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

People who are not Christians cannot understand the truth of God’s word. They can do so only through being born again, if they hear and wish to make Jesus their Lord and Savior.

Christians, no matter where we’re at in our walk, keep Jesus at the center of our lives. Understand that it is hard to get away from what we have been taught, whether it is right or wrong. Study the Scriptures, then follow the word and do what is right.

The gospel that Jesus gave us is exciting. We must study it, meditate on it, get it in our hearts and innermost beings and spirits so that we can mature. That is to discern both good and evil. Solid food is for those who are mature, who have trained themselves to recognize the difference between right and wrong and then do what is right.

Lavon Barve works with Cup of Life Ministry in Wasilla.

Opinions expressed on the Faith page are the author’s and are not necessarily those of the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman, its staff or its parent company, Wick Communications Co. To submit a column or other news for the Faith page, send email to news@frontiersman.com, or call 352-2250.