I was reading 2 Timothy 3 this morning for my Bible reading and was struck by verse 6-7 which say, “For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.” (ESV) The main words that stuck out to me are “never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.” Now in theology, I’ve had many people who have told me they want to just read the Bible and not go beyond that, but that’s not the point! If you’re stopping at reading and not seeing how it applies to your life you’re wasting your reading of the Bible. Knowledge of the truth implies implementing the truths you’re learning to your life, and if you don’t you will be carried away by your various passions as they tempt you. What do you need to do in order to flee some of these passions?
All posts in category Bible
Knowledge of the Truth
Posted by mikethestrand on June 1, 2012
https://pastormikesmusings.com/2012/06/01/knowledge-of-the-truth/
Demons vs Angels
In preparing for my Bible study last week, I was told to get ready for the question, “Why do demons possess people but angels don’t?” Wow! I was not expecting to be dealing with a question like that! How do you answer that? There’s nothing in Scripture that says, “This is why demons possess people but angels don’t.” Ultimately, we know that demons are fallen angels (Revelation 12:3-4) so angels should be able to do the same thing demons do.
I poured over Scripture for the week leading up to the study trying to find something that would help answer the question to no success. I then started theorizing and doing some biblical theology and logic, as well as bouncing my ideas off the other pastors on the staff at church. I think at the very core of the issue is the aim of angels and demons. Angels whole aim and purpose is to please and glorify God. God created humans with a free will in order to chose him or chose yourself, worshiping yourself and making yourself a “god” instead of worshiping the one true God. Because angels want to please and glorify God they will respect and honor his creation, they do not want to impose their will on us because that is ungodly.
The picture above is a good picture of this. Jesus stands at the door and knocks, but the door handle is only on the other side. Jesus won’t impose himself upon you because he wants you to freely worship and praise him! (There are some exceptions, think of Paul in Acts 9) The angels follow Christ in this, not imposing their wills on His creation. Fallen angels, or demons, attempt to destroy God’s creation and invert the way God intended creation to be made.
Christians are also to be in dwelt by the Holy Spirit. As the songs says, “There’s a God shaped hole in all of us” that we attempt to fill with our own little gods. Demons try to fill this hole as well but can never satisfy us like God can.
It’s also interesting to note that Christians who try to manipulate others to get them to do their will are acting in a demonic fashion. Are there some things that you need to let go of in order to stop hindering God’s work in someone’s life?
(HT: Dr. Heth)
Posted by mikethestrand on March 7, 2012
https://pastormikesmusings.com/2012/03/07/demons-v-angels/
Matthew 9
I had the privilege of teaching a Bible study at my church this past Wednesday and taught from Matthew 9. A couple of verses from that chapter have really grabbed a hold of my mind this week, the two parables he tells in verses 16-17. I hadn’t ever taken the time before to slow down and think through what Jesus is saying with these stories. Jesus is telling us he’s starting completely over! He isn’t trying to take what’s been done before and repackage it for a new day (as the Pharisee’s were doing) but he’s starting everything new! Just as Aslan did in Narnia when he returned, bringing Spring back to the world and restoring everything to it’s natural order, Jesus has restored everything to himself (Colossians 1:20). This is also exactly what Jesus did for us at the moment of conversion. Instead of repackaging or patching up our old life, he gives us a completely new life in him. We are dead to sin because of Christ’s work on the cross. This is just like Paul said in Romans 7:6 “But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.” The ESV Study Bible says, “Christians are free from the Mosaic law and now enjoy new life in the Spirit.” Praise God for that new life!
Posted by mikethestrand on March 2, 2012
https://pastormikesmusings.com/2012/03/02/matthew-9/
This is Me
Pastor Mike's Musings 