From The Ballestero Blog:
Show Me In The Bible!
Those who are argumentative about doctrine and standards sometimes say these very words. They know not what spirit they are of.
“Show Me In The Bible!” Really? You want to be shown in the Bible just where it says those very words, and then you’ll obey and comply? Otherwise you’re not changing?
I May Have A Hard Time Believing You. Here Is Why.
1. God Said To Adam And Eve:
Genesis 2:16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
Genesis 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
- God said not to do it; Adam and Eve did it anyway.
2. Angels Personally Escorted Lot And His Family Away From Judgment, Warning Them To Not Look Back.
Gen 19:17 And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.
- Lot’s wife looked back anyway.
3. God told Israel to possess the Promised Land
Deuteronomy 1:26 Notwithstanding ye would not go up, but rebelled against the commandment of the Lord your God:
- God said go possess the Promised Land and Israel didn’t obey.
4. Saul – Told By God To Smite And Destroy King Agag, The People And Cattle.
1 Samuel 15:9 But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.
- Saul Didn’t.
I Am Not Convinced That Every Pentecostal Would Obey Some Things In The Bible Even If You Read The Chapter And Verse To Them.
If I Am Wrong, Then Why Is There Still A Running Debate On The Subjects Of:
- Jewelry – 1 Tim 2:9, 1 Pet 3:3
- Women Wearing Men’s Apparel – Deut. 22:5
- Women Not Cutting Their Hair – 1 Cor. 11
- Men Not Wearing Long Hair – 1 Cor. 11
- Setting Some Wicked Thing Before Your Eyes – Psa. 101:3
- Modesty – 1 Tim 2:9
- The Essentiality Of The New Birth; Acts 2:38 Repentance, Baptism In Jesus Name, Receiving The Holy Ghost, Evidenced By Speaking In Tongues.
- Pastoral Authority – Matt 16:19, Heb. 13:17
- Holiness – inside and out – Heb. 12:14, Lev. 20:7, Rom 12:1
To Some, It’s Not Even Enough That It Is Written In The Bible.
- Evidence seems clears to most pastors that just because God said it, does not mean everyone will obey.
- Some Christian Boys And Girls Still Date Sinners. Regardless of 2 Cor. 6:14
- Some People Still Stay Home From Church – Regardless Of What Heb. 11:25 Says.
- Some Still Don’t Pay Tithes Properly Or Faithfully In Spite Of Mal. 3:10
- Some Still Love The World. Even After Reading 1John 2:15
- Some Are Still Lovers Of Pleasure More Than Lovers Of God. Ignoring 2 Tim. 3:4
- Some Still Won’t Submit To Their Pastor And Obey. Even After Reading Heb. 13:17
The Last Days
2 Peter 2:10 But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, self willed, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.
2 Peter 2:11 Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.
2 Peter 2:12 But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;
2 Peter 2:13 And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;
2 Peter 2:14 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:
2 Peter 2:15 Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;
Remember The Man That Picked Up Sticks On The Sabbath Day?
Numbers 15:32 And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day.
Numbers 15:33 And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation.
Numbers 15:34 And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him.
Numbers 15:35 And the Lord said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp.
Numbers 15:36 And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the Lord commanded Moses.
No place in the law did it mention that picking up sticks was a sin. It turned out that not only was it a sin, but a sin for which the sinner met with death so quick there was no opportunity for him to repent or atone for his sin.
- Had he killed someone? No
- Did he talk against God? No
- Did he curse Moses? No
- Was He immoral? No
- Did he worship an idol? No
- His only sin was picking up sticks on the Sabbath Day
Nothing In The Law Said, “Thou Shalt Not Pick Up Sticks On The Sabbath Day.” Evidently this man felt safe because no one could show him in the Bible where it said not to.
- Like the rest of Israel, he knew the basic Ten Commandments and the law of not building a fire on the Sabbath.
- Exodus 20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
- Exodus 35:3 Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the sabbath day.
That’s it! That’s the requirements he knew. If you had told him not to pick up sticks, he might have said, “Show me in the Law.” He felt justified and safe.
- This man looked for a loophole and thought he had found one.
- Nothing was mentioned about sticks.
- This man had not started any fire.
- He felt he was within the boundaries of keeping the sabbath day holy.
- He thought he was justified in his actions because nowhere did the law say anything about sticks.
- This Man Died For Doing Something That The Scriptures Never Warned Him About.
- He was not sinning in his mind, but he was sinning in God’s mind.
Those watching him pick up sticks took him to Moses and Aaron to see what they thought.
Even they were not sure, so they held him in confinement until they could ask God. God said this man should surely be put to death. Have all the people stone him with stones so that he dies.
I worry about people who are vocal and quick to voice their opinion against careful living and holiness.
These are some of the same folks who ask for chapter and verse. Even if they had chapter and verse, the chances are slim they would obey.
Be careful of what loophole you think you may have found. It may not be a loophole after all.
Don’t play with the Bible.
If God would kill a man for doing something that is not written down in black and white, how much more severe will he be on those who ignore what is written in His Word.
Between You And Me, You Better Put That Stick Down!