Post #61: Modern Pharisees

“The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man’s judgment: ‘For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?’ But we have the mind of Christ.” [I Corinthians 2:10b-16]

Recently I learned people had been commenting on the Epoch Times article about Heaven Is Beyond Imagination. So I went to the article and read all the comments. By then the commenting had ceased. Most were very appreciative of the work I had done, but a few were negative. These were of the form, “If you want to learn about heaven, read the Bible,” “The author made up all these stories to mislead you,” “This is a bunch of lies of Satan,” “Jesus is the only way to heaven.” If I had been there when these were written I might have said, “Where does the book suggest that there are other ways to heaven besides Jesus?” “Please tell me what are the lies in the book, give page references if possible.” “Thanks for the compliment that I could have made up all these stories, if that were true I could become an author as famous as J. K. Rowland, C. S. Lewis or J. R. Tolkien. Unfortunately, they are all eyewitness testimonies not my creations. All of the books from which I obtained them are listed in the annotated bibliography with page references throughout the rest of the book.” There is more I could have said, but these are to the point of the objections.

 The real problem is that all of these objections are in the minds of the objectors. None of them have actually seen the book and have legitimate points. So in the end it is these people who have been deceived by Satan, whose goal is to keep the followers of Jesus away from the Holy Spirit who can lead them into truth. I am thankful for the spiritual people according to what Paul wrote to the Corinthians in the quotation above, who are open to what the Spirit can show them from the testimonies of the eyewitnesses who have been blessed in their relationships and their walk with Jesus as a result of being in the presence of Jesus and His kingdom.

These objectors know the Bible (to some extent) but are not led by the Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ day the Pharisees knew the law and the prophets but did not recognize the Spirit of God in the person of Jesus and were blind to the truth that could have set them free. Today we have people similar to the Pharisees who know the Bible but don’t know the Spirit of Jesus behind all that is in the Bible. Are these ones who, after telling Jesus they cast out demons in His name, will be told “Be gone, I never knew you?”  If you know the Bible but don’t know Jesus, have you really been born of the Spirit? Do you have a relationship with Jesus or just a knowledge of Him? In the coming days of hardship and trial in which Satan has his world-wide heyday of evil and the subjugation of everyone to his will, do you have the relationship with Jesus that will allow the Holy Spirit to protect you and lead you into truth? Perhaps Peter or Paul should lay his hands on you and enable you to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

There are many in the Church who are modern Pharisees. I pray you are not one of them but in addition to a thorough knowledge of God’s written Word are able to discern the leading of the Holy Spirit and enjoy a love relationship with your wonderful Savior, anticipating the wonderful love-filled atmosphere of praise and joy in heaven.