• Off Track in Our Emphasis
  • God’s Word
  • The Holy Spirit
  • The Church

This is part 2 of my Off Track series. If you haven’t read Off Track: Who is God really? I’d recommend reading it first.

Everything in our Christian walk needs to be precise. It is easy to be misled and drift off course, especially if we pick and choose bits of verses out of context according to our personal desires.

God describes someone who follows properly when He describes young king Josiah:

He did right in the sight of the Lord and walked in all the way of his father David, nor did he turn aside to the right or to the left. (2 Kings 22:2) {emphasis mine}

I’ve frequently seen two Christians arguing about a theological point (something like grace vs works). One Christian has been dealing with Christians who use grace as license to live sinful lives, so that Christian focuses on the book of James and works. The other Christian has been dealing with Christians who resemble the Pharisees, who focus on works and have no mercy or love, so that Christian focuses on John. The first argues against grace. The second argues against works. The truth is that they are probably very close in their beliefs, but their reaction against one error pushes them towards the reverse error. We need to investigate ourselves (and to a lesser extent, others) to see if our reaction to error is leading us to err in the opposite direction.

We need to be searching for the truth. The truth is a point and our path is a line. It is easy to drift off to one direction or the other. I hope this post will help you to stay on point and not to “turn aside to the right or to the left.”

§Off Track in Our Emphasis

When it comes to our personal lives, I see three main focuses: the Bible (truth), the Spirit (love & feelings), and the Church (authority). When we focus on one, to the exclusion of others, we drift off track. There is some overlap between our view of God — loving or holy — and these three focuses in our personal life, since our view of God affects everything in our world view.

§God’s Word

I’ll start with my personal preferred focus. If you haven’t noticed. I am a strong believer in the importance of God’s word and the importance of understanding the one and only truth. I am turned off by personal opinions and emotional appeals (I usually think they must be trying to mislead me). I am probably a little too black and white.

It is true that God’s word is critically important. If we don’t know the truth about God, His will, and His plan, then how can we follow Him? How can we even truly know Him? On the other hand, the Pharisees knew God’s word better than almost any Christian today. That didn’t do them any good, since they didn’t apply it in their lives, but just used it to make themselves look better than others.

We can’t properly follow God without His word, but knowledge of God’s word is not enough. We must have a relationship with God. We need to apply our knowledge in our beliefs and our actions. We also need have love for God and others.

If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. (1 Corinthians 13:2)

Even if we were to memorize the whole Bible and be able to recite it book, chapter, and verse, if it is only head knowledge, it means nothing. Without a relationship with God, knowledge is worthless. Without love for others, the knowledge serves no purpose.

We also need to remember that although the Bible covers principles for every choice in life, it does not specifically describe every particular situation we will encounter in life. We need the Holy Spirit’s guidance to help guide us and we need the church (fellow believers, not necessarily a building or organization) to help us and encourage us.

§The Holy Spirit

There are some who focus primarily on the Holy Spirit. They frequently put very little focus on the word of God.

It is true that the Holy Spirit was given to us to help us know God and know the truth. It is also true that the Holy Spirit guides us and empowers us and that we should make use of this blessing.

I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. (John 14:16-17)

It is also true that the the Holy Spirit helps us to remember the truth when we need it.

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. (John 14:26) {emphasis mine}

For the Holy Spirit to “bring to your remembrance,” we have to have heard or read the truth in the first place. We have to read and study the Bible.

It is also true that not every spirit that speaks is the Holy Spirit. We have to know God specifically and personally to know the voice of the Holy Spirit. We need to know God’s word, so we can recognize the wisdom of the Holy Spirit as opposed to the lies of evil spirits.

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world. (1 John 4:1-3) {emphasis mine}

In addition to being misled by false teachers, we can be misled by evil spirts and even fallen angels. We are specifically warned that they will come to mislead us.

But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed! (Galatians 1:8-9)

How can we recognize another gospel if we don’t know the gospel of Jesus Christ articulated in the Bible? When we focus solely on the Holy Spirit and follow how we feel led, it is possible to be misled. If we study the Bible and know God’s word, we can recognize error. When we follow our feelings and call it the Holy Spirit, we can be led far astray. Focusing solely on the Spirit can become a religion led primarily by feelings instead of by God.

It is also common for those focused on the Holy Spirit to over focus on Spiritual Gifts.

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. (1 Corinthians 12:4-7)

Too often, a strong focus on gifts turns into a competition over who has the most gifts or who has the most important gift. Instead of being about using the gifts for “the common good,” it becomes the gifted showing off his/her gifts in order to appear more important. It isn’t much different than the Pharisees dressing and acting a certain way, so they would get the positions of honor, but not to please God or draw others to God.

Spiritual gifts are real and they are meant as a blessing to the whole church body and to bring unbelievers to Jesus. They shouldn’t, however, be used for personal gain.

Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. For one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God; for no one understands, but in his spirit he speaks mysteries. But one who prophesies speaks to men for edification and exhortation and consolation. One who speaks in a tongue edifies himself; but one who prophesies edifies the church. Now I wish that you all spoke in tongues, but even more that you would prophesy; and greater is one who prophesies than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may receive edifying. (1 Corinthians 14:1-5)

One commonly misused gift is the gift of tongues. All gifts should be used for edification of the church, not to impress others. Because many people glorify the gift of tongues, it is not uncommon for some to force utterances that are not from God. They are either nonsense noises or evil spirit inspired utterances. They are used for confusion and division rather than for the edification of the church. In New Testament times, most of the examples of speaking in tongues were actually Jews being given the gift of foreign languages, so they could communicate the Gospel to gentiles. Be careful with any tongues that you and/or others don’t understand.

If, however, we use the Bible to verify the words and power of the Holy Spirit, we can rely on the Spirit to guide us in our Bible study to understand God’s word. We can use the Spirit to guide us through situations that are not directly addressed in Scripture.

But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. (John 16:13)

§The Church

There are also lots of people that put their church as their authority. We do need to meet together as a church (believers, not necessarily a building or organization).

and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:24-25) {emphasis mine}

It is also true that we need to show respect to our church leaders.

The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. (1 Timothy 5:17)

This respect, however, should be based on these leaders preaching, teaching, and ministering to the body of Christ. It shouldn’t be solely based on a title or position in a church organization’s hierarchy. Throughout history there have been people who sought and obtained positions of authority in the church, who did so for personal gain and not out of allegiance to Jesus nor out of love for others.

Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. (1 Peter 5:1-5)

We are to submit to and give respect to those who lead as described in 1 Peter 5. Even for them, there is a limit. We should never obey a command that contradicts the Bible. Even the best pastors have areas of error. Even the kindest elders occasionally act in a selfish manner.

Paul, who was used by God to write over half of the New Testament, said:

Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ. (1 Corinthians 11:1)

We are to imitate him only so far as he imitates Christ. If there is anywhere he departs from Christ’s example, we are not to imitate that example.

Now I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold firmly to the traditions, just as I delivered them to you. But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ. (1 Corinthians 11:2-3)

Paul tells us to “hold firmly to the traditions, just as I delivered them to you,” but we are to understand that “Christ is the head of every man.”

When we focus solely on Bible knowledge, solely on the Holy Spirit, or solely on the Church, we can be led astray. We need to spend time in God’s word learning the truth given to us by the Creator of the universe. We need to follow the Holy Spirit’s leading in our lives. We need to be part of a church, support the church, and submit to the leaders of the church. We need all of these things plus a never ending love for God and others, especially fellow believers.

May God help you to grow in faith, knowledge, obedience, and love. May He lead us to follow Him faithfully and to stand on the truth, even when we are persecuted. May He guide us on the path He has written for each of us, so we can be used for His glory.

Trust Jesus

All verses are NASB unless otherwise noted.