“ACKNOWLEDGING GOD IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH”
Luke 20:1-8 And it came to pass, that on one of those days, as he taught the people in the temple, and preached the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes came upon him with the elders, And spake unto him, saying, Tell us, by what authority doest thou these things? or who is he that gave thee this authority? And he answered and said unto them, I will also ask you one thing; and answer me: The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then believed ye him not? But and if we say, Of men; all the people will stone us: for they be persuaded that John was a prophet. And they answered, that they could not tell whence it was. And Jesus said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.
Here we see the continual problem Jesus faced during his ministry on the earth, the battle between himself and the religious leaders of his day. The Pharisees, The Sadducees, The Herodians and other Jewish religious sects were constantly confronting him about who had given him authority to say and do the things, which he said and did.
This battle has been waged since Cain and Abel, in days of Jesus and in world today. This is the battle between “THE TRUTH” and “THE RELIGIOUS.” Whenever a person Decides to Take a Stand for The Truth The Religious will soon confront them.
THE TRUTH…. The doctrine that The Word of God is the “ABSOLUTE and FINAL AUTHORITY on ALL THINGS” regarding Spiritual and Moral beliefs and that there is only one Way, Truth and Life and is represented by Faith in JESUS CHRIST.
THE RELIGIOUS…. The doctrine that there is “NO ABSOLUTE TRUTH on ANYTHING” regarding Spiritual and Moral beliefs, and that “ALL THINGS are RELATIVE” to our circumstances, environment, culture and philosophy and is represented by MANY GODS.
Galatians 4:27-31 For it is written, Rejoice,… for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. So then, brethren,we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.
Paul acknowledged this battle when he wrote to the Christians in Galatia, who were Gentiles who had been Born Again through faith in Jesus Christ. Jewish believers had come to their church promoting the necessity for them to be circumcised. Paul resisted and rebuked this doctrine, telling the Galatians that if they began to trust in circumcision for salvation that Christ would become of no effect unto them and they would fall from Grace.
Galatians 5:1-6 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Behold,… if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing…. Christ is become of no effect unto you,… ye are fallen from grace…. For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.
Just as Jesus resisted the Temptation to become part of the religious establishment of his day, so must we resist the religious establishment of our day. Your stand for “THE TRUTH ALONE” will separate you from the majority of mankind including many who call themselves Christians. There will be tremendous pressure placed on our lives to submit to the Religious but we must stand strong.
Ephesians 2:8-10 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Jude 3, 4 Beloved,… I …exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith, which was once delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of God into laciviousness, (evilness) and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Luke 20:19, 20 And the chief priests and the scribes the same hour sought to lay hands on him; and they feared the people: for they perceived that he had spoken this parable against them. And they watched him, and sent forth spies, which should feign themselves just men, that they might take hold of his words, that so they might deliver him unto the power and authority of the governor.
The Religious Jews attempted to catch Jesus in the words he spoke. Their hope was that they could find some fault in him against human government and authority so they could have him arrested. But Jesus perceived their deception and spoke by the wisdom of God and confounded them.
Luke 20:21-26 And they asked him, saying, Master,… Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Caesar, or no? But he… said unto them, Why tempt ye me? Shew me a penny. Whose image and superscription hath it? They answered and said, Caesar’s. And he said unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar’s, and unto God the things which be God’s. And they could not take hold of his words before the people: and they marvelled at his answer, and held their peace.
This saying of Jesus still confounds the people of our modern world. Jesus said tribute should be given unto human government in those things, which have its image. But, he said there are things, which belong to God alone and that tribute must be rendered only to God. It is important for Christians to understand which things belong to the world and which things belong only to God.
James 3:13-18 Who is a wise man... let him shew out of… his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
When confronted by RELIGIOUS OPPOSITION we must ask God for wisdom to speak and act upon the confrontation. God’s Word and God’s Wisdom will help us say and do things that will confound the world. Therefore, our minds must be transformed by Faith in God’s Word.
Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Phillipians 2:1-5 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind… Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Secondly the Sadducees, who denied the doctrine of the resurrection, confronted Jesus. Their purpose was to prove Jesus wrong in Spiritual Understanding. Again Jesus used God’s Wisdom and God’s Word to answer them. When we give answers based upon the Truth of God’s Word and the Wisdom of God’s Spirit the Religious sects of the world will have nothing to answer against it.Luke 20:27-34 Then came to him certain of the Sadducees, which deny that there is any resurrection; and they asked him,… If any man’s brother die, having a wife, and he die without children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother…. and in like manner the seven also: and they left no children, and died… Therefore in the resurrection whose wife… is she?...
And Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage: But they… accounted worthy to obtain… the resurrection…neither marry… nor are given in marriage
Ignorance of the God’s Word (THE TRUTH) and the lack of God’s Wisdom (THE SPIRIT) cause people to be filled with darkness and deception. If we answer the world’s questions with the Spirit and Truth they will not be able to answer and will be given opportunity to acknowledge the Truth.
Hosea 4:1-6 Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land… Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish,… Yet let no man strive, nor reprove another: for thy people are as they that strive with the priest. Therefore shalt thou fall in the day, and the prophet also shall fall with thee in the night,… My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.