Tag Archives: Gospel

Understanding the Godhead – Part 1

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Deuteronomy 6:4-6
4  Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
5  And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
6  And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:

Deuteronomy 32:39
39  See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.

So up to this point, we see that the Lord our God is one Lord and there is no god with Him.

2 Samuel 7:22
22  Wherefore thou art great, O LORD God: for there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee,

Deuteronomy 4:35 {it also says that there is no god beside Him.}
35  Unto thee it was showed, that thou mightest know that the LORD he is God; there is none else beside him.

This is very important to understand.  Now we know that God is one Lord, and there is no god with him, neither is there any god beside of Him.

Isaiah 43:10-11
10  Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he:before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.
11  I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour

Here we see that not only is there no god with Him, or beside of Him, there also was no God formed before Him, neither shall there be any god created after Him.

James 2:19 {reinforces that the Lord is one God.  It reads,}
19  Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

So, we have just read in Isaiah that the Lord said beside me there is no saviour.   Now listen to what it says in,

Acts 4:10-12
10  Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
11  This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
12  Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Here we see that God said beside me, there is no saviour, and we just read in Acts that there is no salvation in any other name but Jesus Christ.

1 Timothy 3:16
16  And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

This verse tells us that God manifested himself in the flesh as Jesus.

Colossians 2:1-9 (Apostle Paul Explains Jesus Christ’s role in the Godhead.)
1  For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;
2  That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;

Notice in these verses that Paul desires all the people to be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto the riches of the understanding of the mystery of God, the Father, and of Christ.  The three things he mentioned was the mystery of God, the Father, which is God, and of Christ, which is the anointed one of God.

In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
4  And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.
5  For though I (Paul) be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.
6  As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:
Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

Hear the Reason to be rooted in the faith!!!

8  Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
9  For in him (Jesus) dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily

This is very important.  We have just learned that in Jesus is all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

An example of what Paul was referring to when he said in verse eight, beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, would be the Trinitarian doctrine.  One can go research the two councils that were responsible for this change in the teaching of Christ.  They are the Council of Nicea and the Council of Constantinople.

This is a prime example of being spoiled by man’s philosophy and vain deceit.  They took place hundreds of years after Jesus’ death and the teachings of the gospel.  They were presented in a controlled environment in a biased group of men, and enforced by Emperors of Rome.

So the next question is, Is it possible for anyone to know the mystery of the Godhead? The answer to this question is yes according to:

Romans 1:19-22 (Apostle Paul is addressing all the people in Rome)
19  Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them.
20  For the invisible things of him (God) from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
21  Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22  Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

Again verse 20 very clearly states that even his eternal power and Godhead can be understood.

So to recap what we have learned thus far.  We now know that God is one Lord, that there is no god with Him, or beside of Him, that there was no God formed before Him, neither shall there be any god created after Him, and that beside Him there is no Saviour, and that there is no other name, but Jesus Christ, given under heaven where by we must be saved.   We also learned that in Jesus Christ is all the fulness of the Godhead bodily, and that the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ can be understood.

The next scripture that will help to better understand the Godhead is,

Matthew 1:23
23  Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

Now we see that Jesus Christ is God with us.

John 14:9 (listen to Jesus’ reply to Philip.)
9  Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?

Now listen to something very important!!!

In John 16:23-25 we find out that Jesus spoke in proverbs concerning the Father.
23  And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.
24  Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
25  These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall show you plainly of the Father

You may be wondering what a proverb is,

A Proverb is:  a short saying stating a truth or piece of advice.

To better understand this proverb concerning the Father, let’s read,

Isaiah 9:6
6  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

This was a Bible Prophecy concerning the birth of Jesus Christ, stating that he would be The mighty God and The everlasting Father.  Now, Recall Matthew 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

There is only One….

Ephesians 4:4-6
4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

There is only One body,
The Body of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 12:5
5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

There is only One Spirit,
The Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ.

Romans 8:9
9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

There is only One hope,
Eternal life through our Savior Jesus Christ.

Titus 2:13
13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

There is only One Lord,
Jesus whom God made both Lord and Christ.

Acts 2:36
36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

There is only One Faith,
The teaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Philippians 1:27
27 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

There is only One baptism,
The baptism into the death of Jesus Christ.

Romans 6:3
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

There is only One God,
His name was manifested by Jesus Christ.

John 17:6
6 I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.

There is only One Father,
His name was declared by Jesus Christ.

John 17:26
26 And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.

There is only One door,The door which is the Lord Jesus Christ.

John 10:7
7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.

There is only One name,
Every knee shall bow before Jesus Christ.

Philippians 2:9-10
9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

I would like to pose to you a question……

1 John 3:8
8  He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

If Satan had not sinned and the son of God then not manifested, would you have any reason to believe that there is a Trinity??  Of course not.  Why?  Because God wouldn’t have had to manifest himself as the Son of God to remove sin from the world.

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We are His Witnesses

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Isaiah 43:10-11
10  Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.
11  I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.

1 Peter 3:12-15
12  For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.
13  And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?
14  But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;
15  But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

It is of the utmost importance that we as the witnesses of Jesus Christ, are always ready to give a scriptural account of the hope we have within us.  This hope not only pertaining to the plan of salvation, but to everything that witnesses of the hope that lies within us.

Some examples could be:  how you overcome trials and tribulations, why you live a separated life from the world, I thought once you were saved, you were always saved, etc.

As you can see, to be an effective witness, one must have a knowledge of the Word of God, and then they need to be a humble servant of Christ and present this information with meekness (quiet, gentle, and submissive) and (in the) fear (of the Lord).

2 Timothy 2:24-26
24  And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,
25  In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;
26  And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

As we learn here from the Apostle Paul, we must not strive or fight vigorously against those who oppose themselves.   We must be gentle and patient.  And again in meekness as we give instruction.  And then perhaps, or maybe, God will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth.

Remember the parable of the sower……

Luke 8:11-15
11  Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
12  Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
13  They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.
14  And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.
15  But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

We need not strive or debate the Word of God with anyone.  As you can see by the Word of God, the receiving of the Word is a heart condition.  Those who hear the Word with an honest and a good heart, and keep the Word, will bring forth fruit with patience.

As a witness of Jesus Christ, one of the first and most important scripture verses for opening up someone’s eyes to the possibility of being misinformed with the knowledge of Christ that they have been taught, is….

2 Timothy 3:16
16  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, Not some scripture is and others are not.

This verse clearly states that All scripture is profitable for doctrine.  All scripture is profitable for reproof.  All scripture is profitable for correction.  All scripture is profitable for instruction in righteousness.

This teaches us that we can not stack one scripture against another to justify why we choose to only apply certain Bible verses in our walk with God.  I would like to give 3 examples of how people commonly use one scripture to reject another.

Example 1

John 3:16 (accepted)
16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Mark 16:16 (rejected)
16  He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

Yet we have learned that all scripture is inspired by God and profitable for doctrine.

Example 2

Romans 10:9 (accepted)
9  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Acts 2:38 (rejected)
38  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Example 3

Ephesians 2:8 (accepted)
8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Acts 22:16 (rejected)
16  And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

When you are witnessing to someone, be sure to introduce 2 Timothy 3:16 into the conversation so that you can show the person that we should never use one scripture against another, but rather all scripture will work together.

After you have opened up their eyes to the acknowledging that all scripture is inspired by God and profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness, a great follow up is to explain to them, how the scriptures are set up.

Isaiah 28:9-13
Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
10  For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
11  For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.
12  To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.
13  But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

The prophet Isaiah is telling us that knowledge and the understanding of doctrine, comes by studying the scriptures one line at a time.  Which is line upon line.  And also by one precept at a time.  Which is a rule that governs one’s behavior or thought, which would be a commandment.  So, he is saying we learn by one commandment at a time, and by studying the scriptures one line upon another line, one commandment upon another.  Gaining knowledge here a little and there a little.

Meaning part of the information you need for a particular subject is found in one book of the Bible while more of the information you need is found in other books of the Bible.

God purposed this for man so that we would study the scriptures.  God is looking for someone who truly loves Him and is seeking Him.  These type of people, will search the scriptures, pray about them, learn from teachers, and will always consider all possible meanings of the verse at hand, because they want to make certain, they are obeying the Gospel correctly.  It is to these people, that God will open the scriptures up to, because the scriptures are spiritually discerned.

1 Corinthians 2:12-15
12  Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
13  Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
14  But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
15  But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.

Now I would like for you to take notice of Isaiah 28:13 again.

Isaiah 28:13
13  But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

This verse here is speaking of the Jews.  The Jews had been disobedient over and over to the LORD.  In His Jealousy, He decided that He would go to another people who were not a people.  This being (us) the Gentiles.

So Isaiah tells us that the word of the LORD to the Jews was one commandment upon another, one line upon another, until it caused them to be snared.  It became a trap to them.  The Word of God is written in a way, that God reveals to some, while concealing it from others.  The answer for why, is because of seeing whether you have an honest or a dishonest heart.  Do you truly love Him and will you obey what he says, or will you not truly love Him and decide to build your own plan of salvation from the scriptures.  Listen to Jesus give the answer to His disciples.

Matthew 13:10-15
10  And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
12  For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
13  Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
14  And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
15  For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

You may have read this just now, and missed the answer to why this happens.  The answer is verse 15.  Jesus tells us, their hearts is waxed gross, their ears are dull of hearing, and here is the answer to why they don’t see, for their eyes they have closed.  Least at any time they should open their eyes and see, which would allow them to open their ears, to hear, which would bring understanding to their heart, which would bring repentance and conversion, and then Jesus would heal them.

Jesus is looking for a bride that truly loves Him.  Someone Obedient and Faithful to Him.  Thus scriptures were deliberately set up to either ensnare you if you love not the truth, or if you do love the truth, the spirit will open your understanding.  Let me show you who the gospel is hid from and who it is revealed to.

Matthew 11:25
25  At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.

2 Corinthians 4:1-4
1  Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;
2  But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.
3  But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
4  In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

This goes right along with what Jesus answered to His disciples concerning them that had shut their own eyes.  Now we find out that because they believed not, the god of this world has blinded their minds.  So the Gospel is only hidden to the Wise, Prudent, and to them that are lost.  Yet it is revealed to babes.

2 Peter 3:13-18
13  Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
14  Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
15  And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;
16  As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
17  Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.
18  But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

As the witnesses of Jesus Christ it is important to understand how the scriptures are set up and that all scripture is inspired by God.  This knowledge will allow you to quickly assess whether the person you are speaking with is hungry for truth.  If they are, this will lead to many other questions from them.  As the Lord’s witnesses we must be prepared to answer these questions by growing in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ as we have just been instructed.

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The Bridegroom cometh!

The Bridegroom cometh!
The Silly Virgins are at play.

The Bridegroom cometh!
They say probably not today.

The Bridegroom cometh!
The Silly Virgins are at play.

The Bridegroom cometh!
They say what we do is ok.

The Bridegroom cometh!
The Silly Virgins are at play.

The Bridegroom cometh!
They say we’ve not been led astray.

The Bridegroom cometh!
The Silly Virgins are at play.

The Bridegroom cometh!
They say why has He turned us away?

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Are you Blind?

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This is a spiritual question of great importance.  Unlike being naturally blind in the flesh, where one can not see anything, spiritual blindness can happen to a person, and that person be completely unaware that they can not see.  Never the less, these people are blinded to the understanding of the scriptures of the Word of God.  This is a very scary place to be.  For you are in the darkness of this world, but yet believe you are in the glorious light of the Gospel of Christ.

The question today is, are you one of these people that are spiritually blinded and  unaware?  This question is of eternal consequences.  For if you are spiritually blinded you are lost.

You may be recalling,

2 Peter 3:9
9  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

The question that may be coming to your mind is, why would anyone be spiritually blinded if the Lord doesn’t want anyone to perish, but that all would come to repentance?

To understand the answer to this question, will take an understanding of whom the Lord will teach doctrine, how scriptures are discerned, what causes spiritual blindness,  and finally to whom the Lord will reveal the doctrine of Christ to and to whom it is hid from?

The answer to the first question, “To whom will the Lord teach doctrine”, is found in the book of:

Isaiah 28:9-13
9  Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
10  For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
11  For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.
12  To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.
13  But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

The prophet Isaiah is telling us that knowledge and the understanding of doctrine, comes by studying the scriptures one line at a time.  Which is line upon line.  And also by one precept at a time.  Which is a rule that governs one’s behavior, which would be a commandment.  So, he is saying we learn by one commandment at a time, and by studying the scriptures one line upon another line, one commandment upon another.

God purposed this for man so that we would study the scriptures.  God is looking for someone who truly loves Him and is seeking Him.  These type of people, will search the scriptures, pray about them, learn from their pastor, preachers, and teachers, and will always consider all possible meanings of the verse at hand, because they want to make certain, they are obeying the Gospel correctly.  It is to these people, that God will open the scriptures up to, because the scriptures are spiritually discerned.

1 Corinthians 2:12-15
12  Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
13  Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
14  But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
15  But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.

So the answer to the second question which was, “how are the scriptures discerned”, is by the Spirit of Christ, which is the Spirit of God.

To answer the third question, which was, “What causes spiritual blindness”, we will need to look at some of the examples given to us.  We will start with taking notice of what verse 13 of Isaiah 28 above has told us.

Isaiah 28:13
13  But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

This verse here is speaking of the Jews.  The Jews had been disobedient over and over to the LORD through out the reading of the Old Testament.  In His Jealousy, He decided that He would go to another people who were not a people.  This being (us) the Gentiles.

So Isaiah tells us that the word of the LORD to the Jews was one commandment upon another, one line upon another, until it caused them to be snared.  It became a trap to them.  The Word of God is written in a way, that God reveals to some, while concealing it from others.  The answer for why, is because of seeing whether you have an honest or a dishonest heart.  Do you truly love Him and will you obey what he says, or will you not truly love Him and decide to build your own plan of salvation from the scriptures.

Hear the Parable of the Sower and take notice of whom the Lord tells us it is that receives the Seed.

Luke 8:4-18
4  And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable:
5  A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.
6  And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture.
7  And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it.
8  And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold.
And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
9  And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be?
10  And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.
11  Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
12  Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
13  They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.
14  And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.
15  But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.
16  No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light.
17  For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.
18  Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.

We have learned some life essential Words of Wisdom in this parable and from the snare which has befallen upon the Jews.  To better understand these Words of Wisdom concerning why the Lord spoke in parables, let’s listen to the Apostle Matthew as he has recorded for us why the Lord spoke in parables.

Matthew 13:10-15
10  And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
12  For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
13  Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
14  And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:

Why??

15  For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

You may have read this just now, and missed the answer to why this happens.  The answer is verse 15.  Jesus tells us, their hearts is waxed gross, their ears are dull of hearing, and here is the answer to why they don’t see, for their eyes they have closed.  Least at any time they should open their eyes and see, which would allow them to open their ears, to hear, which would bring understanding to their heart, which would bring repentance and conversion, and then Jesus would heal them.

Jesus is looking for a bride that truly loves Him.  Someone Obedient and Faithful to Him.  Thus scriptures were deliberately set up to either ensnare you if you love not the truth, or if you do love the truth, the Spirit will open your understanding.

Let’s compare this to the natural.  When you are about to be married, how do you want your spouse to love you?  Do you want them to love you with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength?  Or do you prefer them to somewhat love you, and every so often cheat on you?  Or would you rather if they were going to half way love you, that you had never even met this person?

Revelation 3:14-16
14  And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
15  I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would
thou wert cold or hot.
16  So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
 

Jesus Christ is the Bridegroom.  The Church is the Bride of Christ.  So then if you are a person halfway serving the Lord, we are told that your ending will be that you are spued out of the Lord’s mouth. 

Luke 10:25-28
25  And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
26  He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?
27  And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
28  And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.

Matthew 22:40
40  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

You may be wondering how love will save you?  The answer is, LOVE fulfills all the law and God is love.

Romans 13:8-14
8  Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
9  For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
10  Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
11  And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
12  The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
13  Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.
14  But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

Apostle John continues in: 

1 John 4:16-21
16  And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
18  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
19  We love him, because he first loved us.
20  If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
21  And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

So now that we understand to whom the Lord will teach doctrine, how the scriptures are discerned, and that the Gospel is deliberately set up to either ensnare you if you love not the truth, or to be opened to you by the Spirit if you do love the truth, we will continue by seeing to whom the gospel is hid from and to whom it is revealed to.

Matthew 11:25
25  At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.

2 Corinthians 4:1-4
1  Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;
2  But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.
3  But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
4  In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

This goes right along with what Jesus answered to His disciples concerning them that had shut their own eyes.  Now we find out that because they believed not, the god of this world has blinded their minds.  So the Gospel is only hidden to the Wise, Prudent, and to them that are lost.  Yet it is revealed to babes. 

The answer to the question of, “To whom will the Lord reveal the doctrine of Christ to and to whom is it hid from”, is to them that are wise and prudent, and to them that are lost.  The gospel of Christ is not intended to be hid.  The gospel is revealed unto babes.  Which are those that have an honest and a good heart as the parable of the Sower revealed, they not only hear the Word of God, but also keep it, by applying what they have learned, and these bear fruit with patience. 

2 Peter 3:13-18
13  Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
14  Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
15  And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;
16  As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
17  Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.
18  But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

Here Apostle Peter tells us what to do in verse 18 so that we be not blinded.  Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Jesus tells us,

Matthew 7:7-8
7  Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
8  For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

In closing,

With this new found knowledge we can now understand why there are so many divisions of Christianity that have led to so many different denominations.  Now that you can see that the gospel was designed to either ensnare one, or to be open to one, you want to make sure you are somebody that the scriptures are open to.  This comes by making sure what you are taught is correct.  And growing in the grace and knowledge of God as Apostle Peter has spoken.  And in conclusion Apostle Peter gives us the instructions very clearly on how to make sure we never fall and that we will not be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 1:1-12
1  Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
2  Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
3  According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
4  Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
5  And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
6  And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
7  And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
8  For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9  But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
10  Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
11  For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
12  Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.

I urge everyone that has read this message to cry out to God with an honest and a good heart, and make sure that you are not one that has become spiritually blinded and your thoughts being overtaken by satan unbeknownest to you.

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