Seeking Jesus First - Sept. 1, 2023
What is the purpose of Scripture? “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,” (2 Timothy 3:16, NKJV) Inspiration means Divinely breathed. Spirit and breath have the same root word.
Holy Spirit is the author of Scripture. The Divine Breath of God, Holy Spirit, reveals the will and word of God to men.
“You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.” (John 5:39, NKJV)
“He answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men—the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.” He said to them, “All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.” (Mark 7:6–9, NKJV)
The Pharisees studied the Law of Moses. They made a show of obeying the law. They were more interested in winning an argument than in knowing God. They were experts in upholding Jewish traditions. They were judges of the people of Israel. They could quote Scripture backward and forward. But they would use Scripture to do what they wanted to do rather than to have a relationship with the author of Scripture. They venerated and quoted Moses, but they did not try to get to know the God of Moses.
“‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and You have not seen? Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice?’ “In fact, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, And exploit all your laborers. Indeed you fast for strife and debate, And to strike with the fist of wickedness. You will not fast as you do this day, To make your voice heard on high.” (Isaiah 58:3–4, NKJV)
Here is a rebuke from The LORD through Isaiah to Israel. They fasted for selfish reasons. They would fast and pray to show others how pious they were and to try to win an argument and to try to get God to punish their personal enemy.
Just as God rebuked people for their wicked, selfish and greedy motive for fasting, Jesus rebuked the religious elite for using the Scripture to reenforce their own wickedness and judge others instead of allowing the Scripture to reveal The Son of God to them.
“So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.” (Colossians 2:16–17, NKJV)
“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.” (John 16:12–15, NKJV)
The Pharisees missed the point of Scripture. They did not see Christ Jesus in the Scriptures. The purpose of Scripture is to reveal Christ Jesus to us and to form Christ in us. I would like for each of us to let Holy Spirit use The Scripture to reveal Christ to us and to allow Christ to be formed in us. So let’s not use the Scriptures to fight with one another. If Scripture is leading to a fight and to a division, we are misusing Scripture. “And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:1–5, NKJV)
Holy Spirit will take the things of Christ and give them to us. Holy Spirit and therefore we will use Scripture to reveal Christ. If we can agree that Jesus Christ came in the flesh and was crucified as a propitiation for sin and that God raised Him from the dead, the rest of our theology does not need to be a point of contention. We can fellowship and have communion with all those who have faith in Christ Jesus.
Continue in faith.
Continue in relationship with Holy Spirit who dwells with young in you. Holy Spirit will breathe in us and inspire us in The Word of God. We will grow in our relationship with God if we will look for the revelation of Christ in Scripture and love one another.
Holy Spirit will use The Word of God to teach us, to reprove us, to correct us, and to instruct us in righteousness. He will use believers that we trust to speak an anointed loving word that will prick our heart. When this happens, pray in the Spirit and ask for revelation. Holy Spirit will breathe on The Loving Word and produce faith in our hearts. This new found faith will produce a correction in our life. It will instruct us in righteousness. This means that our newfound faith in this freshly revealed loving word will cause us to follow the wisdom of Holy Spirit into walking out the righteousness of God in a fresh way in our own life. This is what it means for Christ to be formed in us.