ListenDaily - 22 April 2009; Itchy ears
Wow! What a response this has generated! Some folks grew up in churches, while others currently attend ones, that act as if Satan and Hell do not exist. As one friend put it, they taught (or teach) a "watered down" form of the Scriptures.
Friends, don't get me wrong, I don't think a church has to preach Hell and damnation every week; as a matter of fact, I think emphasizing the love of God does more to bring people into the Kingdom than fear ever does. After all, the love of God is the greatest power in the universe, much greater than fear. Still, we must understand the enemy against which we battle, it is commanded in the Scriptures that we do so:
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Romans 17:17-190) (find any passage at www.Biblegateway.org)
The book of James indicts us for our own sinful behavior, citing our "sinful desires", so, indeed, we have a natural born bent for evil within us. However, if Satan and his unfortunate followers are mere 'metaphors' for that evil, then Paul went way overboard, don't you think? "...rulers...authorities...powers of this dark world...spiritual forces of evil..."
I don't think this was just a little hyperbole on the Apostle's part; Paul was telling it as God inspired him.
The real question is this; do we elect to believe what the Scriptures say? Or do we pick and choose what makes us comfortable, and leave out the rest? If we do, we can find plenty of company, for as Paul also wrote to Timothy: "For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear."
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Questions:
1.What is your view of the truth of Scripture? 2.Do you regularly hear 'sound doctrine'? Or teaching meant to 'suit their own desires'? 3. What is your response?
INTERESTING THOUGHT ON TRUTH:
"Truth is so obscure in these times, and falsehood so established, that, unless we love the truth, we cannot know it."
Blaise Pascal
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