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Today's Little Lift
by Jim Bullington
Two storehouses/treasuries (one earthly and one heavenly). Two roads (the broad way and the narrow way). Two groups (the many and the few). Two men (the foolish and the wise). Two foundations (sand and rock). Two destinies (eternal destruction and eternal blessings).
Jesus “taught as one having authority,” but He also taught in the simplest of terms much of the time. If the concepts in the opening paragraph seem familiar to you, they should; they are taken from the Sermon on the Mount. Continue with me to see how His simplistic teaching continued throughout His ministry and spilled over into the ministry of His apostles and prophets.
His logic with the scribes and Pharisees was flawless and inescapable. We noted yesterday how he presented a simple proposition on the occasion when He was to heal the paralytic. He was either guilty of blasphemy as some were wont to charge Him, or He was God; there was no middle ground. Furthermore, if He could demonstrate Himself to be allied with the heavenly Father through His performance of the miraculous, He could confirm His ability to forgive sins. Taking His logic one step further, not only would He prove Himself a prophet, He would also prove Himself to be God in the flesh.
Jesus spoke the word and the paralytic walked as if nothing had ever been wrong with Him. Why did Jesus heal him? There may have been several reasons but the one stated reason was that the scribes and Pharisees could know that He had the authority to forgive sins (Matthew 9.1-7). As a bonus, with the proof that He could forgive sins came the proof that He was God. Again, Jesus made things simple by clearly outlining the choices. He was not ashamed to present either – or propositions, He absolutely thrived on that style of teaching.
Peter learned to love that same simplistic approach. “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name [except Jesus] under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4.12). “But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: 'We ought to obey God rather than men.'” (Acts 5.29). “Then Peter opened his mouth and said: 'In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.'” (Acts 10.34-35).
Paul likewise recognized no middle ground when he declared that those who do not receive the love of the truth are ripe for deception and destruction. He also knew that the servants of Satan would work false miracles in order to receive the recognition of men. Jesus knew how to prove He was from God (i.e. by the miraculous), and Paul knew that counterfeiters would use sleight of hand to deceive and draw away others from the truth. (2 Thessalonians 2.7-12). It really is very simple; those who claim to speak for God in addition to or contrary to the Bible are not of God. Those who profess to perform the miraculous attempt to confirm error and therefore are not of God.
The love for the truth is a love that only the truth can produce. It comes from God and it draws men to God and godliness. The choice is simple – either believe the Bible or believe the lie!
Questions:
1. If God confirmed His word by the miraculous, what does the working of the miraculous say about those who can/could perform miracles?
2. If God's word is complete and there is nothing left to confirm, what does that say for those who profess to perform the miraculous today?
3. Why would Satan attempt to replicate the miraculous deeds of God's prophets?
4. What greater standard of truth is there than the Bible? If you answer none, and we turn to the Bible (our spiritual Supreme court), can or should anything overturn its words?
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