"The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law." (Deuteronomy 29:29)Mark Twain is reported to have said, "Its not what I don't understand about the bible that bothers me, its what I do understand." There is a lot about God we do not know; much of His nature, character, and thoughts are hidden from our understanding. While it is good to desire to probe and search out the deeper things of God, our present reality and responsibility have to do with those things we already know; with what God has already revealed about Himself and His kingdom. We are not responsible for what we do not know about God, but we are responsible for how we respond to what we do know. Paul put it this way, "Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you; however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained." (Philippians 3:15-16) Paul is saying that we need not concern ourselves with what we do not understand about God and His kingdom; even if we are wrong about some belief God is able to correct us and lead us to a better understanding. Instead, we need to apply ourselves to that measure of revelation we have received; not just to believe it but also to obey it.
Presently, there is a great interest in "revelation", both inside and outside of the church. What is key to this scripture is the purpose of that revelation, "that we may observe all the words of this law." Revelation is not given to be believed but obeyed. Revelation is not given for information but rather to move us to action. Revelation without obedience leads us into deception.
"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does." (James 1:22-25 NKJV)James says that when we are a hearer but not a doer then we enter into a form of self deception and we end up forgetting what it was that God was trying to reveal to us. To really grasp and understand God's revelation we must obey it and put it into practice. It is as Jesus said, "Go and learn what this means..." (Matthew 9:13)
David Robison
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ReplyDeleteBernard Jordan