Dear Christian Reader,
I am going to ask you a series of questions. Hopefully these questions, and the answers to them that you will ponder upon, will jump start your mind and get you started on the path of renewing your mind (Rom. 12:1-2) and thinking correctly.
First, do you believe that Yahweh wrote the Bible? If the Bible is God-breathed (2 Tim. 3:16), if the Holy Spirit inspired men as to what they should write (2 Pet. 1:20-21), then the primary author is Yahweh, which means that everything in the Bible comes directly from Yahweh Almighty. Do you believe that the Bible is Yahweh's words? Is it evident in your life? Are you obedient to those words?
Second, do you believe that the Bible says what it means and means what it says? Or are they just empty meaningless words? Talk for the sake of talking? Do you believe that when the Bible says something, it means it? Is it evident in your life? Are you obedient to those words?
Third, what does Yahweh say about the believer in the Bible? What He says about us we need to believe. Do you believe what Yahweh says about the believer? Is it evident in your life? Are you obedient to those words?
Fourth, how does Yahweh see the believer in the Bible? How He sees us is how we need to see ourselves. Do you see yourself the way Yahweh sees the believer? Is it evident in your life? Are you obedient to those words?
Fifth, what does Yahweh require from the believer in the Bible? What He requires of us we need to be faithful and obedient to put into habitual practice. Are you obedient to what Yahweh requires from the believer? Is it evident in your life? Are you obedient to those words?
Yahweh would not say it if it was not possible!
The Bible study is this: How Can We, Like Enoch, Walk With Yahweh? You can do it on your own, or in a group. If you believe the first two questions above, then the object of this Bible study is to look for and answer the last three questions above as you read through the entire New Covenant. I will warn you now that you will have to wrestle with some things you do not want to believe, yet, if you are a genuine believer, you must submit to and conform to them. Will you be obedient to Yahweh and His Word? Or will you be disobedient and rebel? The key questions to look for and answer are:
- What does Yahweh say about the Christian? What He says about us we need to believe.
- How does Yahweh see the Christian? How He sees us is how we need to see ourselves.
- What does Yahweh require from the Christian? What He requires of us we need to be faithful and obedient to put into habitual practice.
As believers, whenever we read something in the Bible, we need to STOP making excuses for ourselves as to why that thing is not real in our own lives. If Scripture says that it ought to be, then it ought to be! Part of understanding that "Yahweh would not say it if it was not possible" is renewing our mind and the way we think (Rom. 12:1-2; Phil. 4:8; et al.) so that we might believe right. If something does not appear to be real in our own lives, when Scripture says that it ought to be, then we should be praying about it to Yahweh and asking Him to make it real in our lives (unless, of course, we do not actually want it to be, in which case our profession of faith is suspect and it begs the question as to Who/what we love more). James says, "if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him" (1:5). This goes for anything else in Scripture spoken of the Christian that we do not find as real in our own lives as it ought to be: the beatitudes, the fruits of the Spirit, the battle against sin, etc.
We cannot walk or live out the Christian life on our own by ourselves in our own strength and power. "His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness" (2 Pet. 1:3). Everything! There is nothing we lack. Do you believe this? Here are just some of the things we have at our disposal:
- We are able to come before the throne of Yahweh in prayer because of Jesus being our High Priest.
- The Comforter, the Holy Spirit, resides within us, if we do indeed belong to Yahweh (Rom. 8:16; 2 Cor. 13:5b; et al.). He is a down-payment on the completion of our salvation (what Yahweh begins, He is faithful to finish) (Eph. 1:13c). He intercedes on our behalf (Rom. 8:26), guides us into all truth (John 16:13), helps us discern truth from error (2 Cor. 2:14), leads us (Rom. 8:14; Gal. 5:16, 18), strengthens us against temptations, gives and increases the fruits of the Spirit, etc.
- We have the Word of Yahweh. We can turn to it whenever we want, especially in our time of need. We can memorize portions that help us to fight the battle against sin. Remember, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God" (Matt. 4:4; Luke 4:4). We can use it to remind Yahweh of His promises and ask for His leading, His wisdom, His understanding, His discernment, His help, etc.
- We have Jesus Himself. As an example, as our helper, as an intercessor before the throne, etc. We have not been left alone to ourselves. He has been where we are.
- We have the body of believers. The body is an organism. When one part of the body is ailing, the rest of the body sends help in order to heal that part. That is how Yahweh designed His body. We all have differing gifts and strengths to help each other. One can speak words of healing to people's hearts, able to empathize/sympathize with them. Another can speak words of truth into their lives. Some are teachers, some are evangelists, some are missionaries, but ALL have a gift and a calling and those gifts should be used for the glory of Yahweh—NOT squandered on ourselves.
"Without faith it is impossible to please Him" (Heb. 11:6). That deals with the third to fifth questions above: How does Yahweh see the Christian? How He sees us is how we need to see ourselves. What does Yahweh say about the Christian? What He says We need to believe. What does Yahweh require from the Christian? What He requires we need to be faithful and obedient to put into practice. Faith is belief. If we do not believe right, it is impossible to please Him. This is why we need to renew our minds, keep our eyes fixed on Christ, "the author and finisher of our faith" (Heb. 12:2).
Use Peter as our example: As long as Peter's eyes were fixed on Jesus, he was able to walk on the water. He was able to walk the Christian life. As soon as his eyes were taken off of Christ and placed on his circumstances, himself, his sin, or whatever else, he started to sink. His walk started to falter. When our walk falters, we need to STOP running from Yahweh in shame (like Adam and Eve), IMMEDIATELY turn to Him, confess our sins, and ask Him to restore and strengthen us and help us to fix our eyes on Jesus again.
Three times the Bible commands believers to test their profession of faith:
- "Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you--unless indeed you fail the test?" (2 Cor. 13:5).
- "Word out your salvation with fear and trembling" (Phil. 2:12).
- "Be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you" (2 Pet. 1:10).
Why? Do you want to see what your profession of faith amounts to? Read Matthew 7:21-23. That is what your profession of faith amounts to.
Keeping the five questions above in your mind, when Jude writes, "Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling," do you believe it? Does that mean what it says? Or are they empty words? Talk for the sake of talking? When Peter writes, "for as long as you practice these things [5-8], you will never stumble," do you believe it? Does that mean what it says? Or are they empty words? Talk for the sake of talking? Remember, these are not the opinions of Jude, Peter, John, Paul, or anyone else. Yahweh wrote these words through men. They are Yahweh's words. Do you believe they mean what they say?
We need to renew our minds (Rom. 12:1-2) because we have been taught incorrectly and believe incorrectly. Most of us, because of a false interpretation of Romans 7:14-25, have a defeatist mentality and live as defeated Christians. If we bothered to read our Bibles, or pay attention to them (if we are reading them), we would see that the Christian life is constantly described as a victorious one; both in this life and the life to come. Through a false interpretation of Romans 7:14-25, we believe we are wretched sinners who cannot do the good we want to do, yet we fail to believe the rest of the Bible and what it says of the Christian because of this false interpretation. How about we who profess to know and belong to Christ Jesus actually start to put into practice the things the Bible says are true of ALL Christians. Your profession of faith means absolutely squat if there is no evidence in your life to back it up (James 2:14-26).
When the Bible states, "Walk by the Spirit and you will not fulfill the desires of the flesh" (Gal. 5:16), do you believe it? Did Yahweh mean what He said here? Or was He merely spouting empty words just for the sake of talking? If "His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness" (2 Pet. 1:3), then we lack nothing in order to walk the Christian life the way Paul did, John did, Peter did, or a host of other Christians from the past did. When Yahweh says, "You shall be holy, for I am holy" (1 Pet. 1:16), or, "you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matt. 5:48), did He mean what He said? If you truly belong to Christ Jesus, then this is your aspiration.
If you, as a professing Christian, have a problem with anything written here, then your profession of faith is suspect. You need to examine yourself as to whether you are actually part of the faith or not. If Yahweh's Word says it and you doubt it (or, even worse, deny it), then most likely you are a false convert. Those who truly know Yahweh's love will naturally want to obey Him (John 14:15, 21; 15:10; 1 John 2:3-4; 3:22, 24; 5:2-3; 2 John 1:6). All believers desire to live godly lives! If you have no such desire, then your profession of faith is suspect and you are more than likely a false convert.
For those who like to make excuses for themselves, there is not one ounce of legalism written here. I am not talking about the false teaching of sinless perfection. We will never be perfectly without sin until our glorification. Nevertheless, that does not mean that we do not strive for the standard that Yahweh has set before us. Namely Christ-likeness. It is not about being a sinless Christian, but about being a sin-less Christian. If you are truly a believer, the amount of sin in your life after your conversion should be less and less than the amount of sin before your conversion. If there has been no change, then you might want to consider the fact that you are probably not a Christian. Praying a prayer, walking an aisle, signing a card, writing in the front/back of your Bible, being baptized, having Christian parents, etc., etc., etc., does not make you a Christian!
A genuine believer is known by his/her love for Yahweh and his/her love for others. His/her love for Yahweh does not allow him/her to water down or avoid truth for the sake of others. To do such a thing, he/she does not love others. Their "love" is a facade. If he/she truly loved others, they would speak the truth to them. By avoiding the truth, watering it down, or altering it in any way to make it more palatable, he/she demonstrates his/her lack of love for Yahweh. Jesus demonstrated nothing but love, yet His sayings were hard for many to accept. The same will be true of us if we are genuine believers.
Remember, partial obedience is still disobedience! Faith and obedience are very closely tied: "the obedience of faith" (Rom. 1:5). Yahweh has made us "obedient from the heart" (Rom. 6:17). As John Owen has said, "Obedient faith is that which saves." If you do not believe me, simply read John 3:36: "He who believes in the Son has eternal life, but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on Him."