A story is given of a woman who received asylum in a foreign country in the west and wanted to bring her family along and expose them to different opportunities in first world countries. In this process, she had to create a case, true or untrue, but relevant enough to convince an immigration officer as well as a jury on why they should grant her her wish. While the most part of her story was untrue, it was enough to convince the concerned parties and he won unanimously with no second appeal. After her family had joined her, and her file was evaluated much faster than the regular waiting time others in the same case testify to be subjected to, I had a chance to ask her if she believed that God will hold this lie against her although it was a means to an end for a rather noble cause. She said to me that she absolutely believed that God even helped her and quoted where Jesus says that when you ask you shall receive.
Many Christians and learned men alike, who Paul calls babes unto the spirit, frequently read scripture and try to import the meaning into the text rather than digging deeper for the meaning of the text. That is eisegesis. Like the woman above, she quoted an existing scripture but out of context. This could be misleading to an individual that is on a journey of seeking God. Her response could imply many things. First, it insinuates that God compromises or has instances of condoning lies and deceit and that is not true. God is true and correct every time and He most certainly cannot deny himself. What this woman did not know is that God searches the hearts of men and knows its intentions which you and I cannot perceive with our naked eyes. Although He might not agree with the lie of this woman, God in his sanctity knew the intentions of this woman and knew them to be harmless and a means to an end, a good end. While God also avails grace to the ignorant, He is kind enough to do this miracle for this woman to cause her to believe.
For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to divide soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. niv
Any humble in spirit and avid reader of scripture will tell you that it doesn’t matter how many times they have read certain scriptures because every time they do, it gives them new hope, a new revelation and something fresh to hold on and look forward to. That is what Paul means when he says that the Word of God is alive and active. Many Christians unfortunately approach scripture as a tool of information to make them equipped to take on logically acceptable arguments. Pastor William J. Seymour, the pioneer of one of the greatest revivals in 1906, The Azusa Street Revival, gave a stern warning to his congregation about this. He told them that a man that reads a lot of scripture but gives no way for the Holy Spirit to convict, correct and lead him only becomes fit for debate; while one filled with the spirit but does not read scripture is at risk of becoming a fanatic that can by no means make disciples. The Word of God is supposed to work in us then work for us, in that order. One without the other can be detrimental both to the society and to the harvest which is plentiful .
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. niv
Oftentimes I am asked how come I can understand scripture beyond what it merely says on paper and my answer is always the same- it is about how you approach scripture. Every time you are about to read scripture, pray to God that He may give you clarity and revelation. Acknowledging the presence and living and activeness of the Word of God is the posture of a heart that truly seeks to know the hidden mysteries of God. God is not stingy nor does he play favoritism. All these graces are made available to all those that genuinely seek to know His ways but also to be corrected and set right by him. That is why you may wonder why your non-believing neighbor may have more possessions than you do or closed the last deal successfully when you have failed to close the last three even with prayer! Paul tells his son Timothy that the scripture is God-breathed to teach, rebuke, correct and train in righteousness and when we fail to allow it to do one or the other, we are twisting it to work for us when it has not worked in us.
He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs. niv
A woman who had a daughter possessed by a demon comes pleading with Jesus to heal her daughter, and the Lord tells her that ‘it is not right to toss the children’s bread to dogs’. What did Jesus mean by this powerful statement and what is the children’s bread? It simply was that the woman, and her daughter were not sanctified nor did they believe in God before, and therefore were not necessarily considered children and inevitably implies that the children’s bread (healing) was not for them. However, the woman challenged the Lord even more in verse 27 of the same passage by saying ‘even the dogs eat the crumbs falling from their master’s table’. To this, the Lord responded that her faith was great and had made her wish granted. Sanctification is an inward transformation that is accomplished in every believer who gives himself fully and wholly to the Word of God, its teaching, its rebuking, its correction, and its training in righteousness. Though it may not be apparently obvious to man that a person is sanctified, every word that penetrates the believer’s heart and does a work in them. As they yield, God sees and rewards that. Men might see that you are not as tempered as you used to be or as impatient, unkind, or you have become more careful with your words. They may not necessarily credit the Lord but you know it was only by Him and as you are transformed every day, you give Him glory by the way you live your life, Hallelujah!
If you have never given your life to Jesus Christ, and you feel that this is the perfect time, pray this prayer:
“Lord Jesus, I thank you because you died for my sins and you were raised for my glory. Today, I receive you as my Lord and Savior. I am born again. Amen.”
