Bible Studies

Part One

Human input, be it for the better or the worse, has been a part of the human experience from the very beginning. Human input can be good, when it results in positive productivity, but it can also be the source of evil, corruption, and deviation in the spiritual realm.

Through human effort, Man has come a long way, improving the quality of life for many of us, in many ways. But along with these “improvements” has come an endless list of collateral damage in the form of new means of serious injury, illness, and death.

As if that was not enough, Man no sooner discovers a new form of energy, or engineers a new invention, that he makes use of the new knowledge or technology to develop advanced weapons; some capable of producing destruction on a global level.

Man, through independent human rationalization, has established a long history of rejecting, or perverting what God has established.

Throughout human history, Man in defiance of Scripture (1), but often in compliance with Man-made religious-teachings and accompanying rituals, has added to, taken from, and distorted what the Word of God has to say, resulting in many Matt. 15: 9 scenarios.

“And in vain do they worship Me, (by) teaching (and practicing) as doctrines the (alternative) commandments of men (Matt. 15: 9 NASB2020/parentheses mine).”

The type of worship and worshipers that God desires (2) bring glory to Him. God is not only glorified by what should be taking place when we are gathered together for an hour or so for worship, but by what we think, do, and say during the remaining 167 hours each week.

This is especially true when interacting with worldly-minded people. Just as shining a light in a darkened theater would draw the immediate attention of all present, our spiritual light should be shining the brightest in the darkest scenarios. The darkest scenario is in view where deceived people think they are in the light (3) and see no need to make any changes.

The classic example of human effort botching things up, while trying to make improvements, took place in the Garden of Eden.

Adam had his assigned work to do (4), and the woman (later named Eve) was created to serve God in the capacity of being Adam’s “helper (5).”

Each one had an understanding of what their separate, but complimentary roles were to be, evidenced by the fact that there was no indication of disharmony, independent agendas, or competitiveness in their personal relationship with God, or with each other.

We are not told just how long the honeymoon lasted, but the seeds of destruction were not planted until after the woman got it into her head (with the help of the serpent) that she would improve things (6) by becoming wise like God if she were to eat the forbidden fruit, even though she had previously known (7) it would be an act of disobedience.

The serpent began his deception by refuting the consequences for her forthcoming disobedience (8).

After the woman was successfully deceived, Adam listened to her reasoning (9), and then chose to go along with her plans, even though he knew (10) this meant disobedience to God, and had been forewarned of the consequences (11).

Some might understand Eve’s misguided motivation while wondering how Adam, who had not been deceived, could have been so foolish. But how many times have we rationalized and done things that we knew would offend God, but chose to do it anyways.

It is interesting to note that although both of them ate of the forbidden fruit, Rom. 5: 12 teaches that sin (and its consequences) entered into the human environment through the willful disobedience of one man (Adam).

To this day, “religious” authority within different areas of the Christian Community continues to add to, take from, distort, and replace what the Word of God has to say. According to 1Tim. 4: 1, this apostasy is only going to get worse, reaching its climax in the “Latter Days” just before the Lord returns.

One cannot function outside the plan of God without first having rejected what God has in mind.

Atheism, for example, begins with the rejection of the concept of eternity (and the need to prepare for it) that God plants in every soul that He creates (12).

Here in the Church Age, born-again believers can learn what God has in mind for the Church that He designed, and the part that God has in mind for each one of us as individuals, through Biblical discipleship. As one spiritually matures, the advancing disciple identifies and responds to the specific spiritual gift and accompanying area of ministry that is chosen and distributed by God the Holy Spirit (13).

One cannot apply what he or she has not yet learned.

To get the best results, one must learn to do things God’s way. God’s way of growing in the accurate knowledge of the Lord (14) is to do so under the teaching ministry of a Biblically-qualified and functioning pastor-teacher.

In many cases, born-again believers make the well-intended mistake of choosing where, how, when, and what they are going to do to serve God, and then wonder why their efforts seem to bear little or no spiritual fruit.

As in the case of David, God may honor the desire (15) you have to want to do something for Him, but this may not be the area of service or assignment that He has in mind for you. One must keep in mind that apart from God’s involvement, we can do nothing (16) John 15: 5) in the spiritual realm.

In my own pursuit of what God had/has in mind for me (as an individual), I tested the waters in several different areas of service along the road to spiritual maturity. Among them were teaching Sunday School and police chaplaincy. I looked into Hospital Chaplaincy and Hospice Care, and teaching from a traditional pulpit.

But God had a different plan for me. He as always brought me to, or back to, an environment of solitude with the Bible and a keyboard of one type or another, where I can study and communicate the Word of God in written form.

End of Part One

(1) Deut. 4: 2/Prov. 30: 6/Rev. 22: 18-19 (2) John 4: 23-24 (3) Matt.6: 23 (4) Gen. 2: 15 (5) Gen. 2: 18 (6) Gen. 3: 5, 6 (7) Gen. 3: 3 (8) Gen. 3: 4 (9) Gen. 3: 17 (10) 1Tim. 2: 14 (11) Gen. 2: 17 (12) Eccl. 3: 11 (13) 1Cor. 12: 7-12 (14) 2Pet. 3: 18 (15) 2Sam. 7 (16) John 15: 5