Internal Evidences of Inspiration & Maturity
John 3:30 states "He must increase, but I must decrease." This means that inward Christian growth must increase while there is a lessening in terms of influence, popularity, and authority. These seven words are so important for us in understanding our internal spiritual development and maturity. It is so sad that too many honest well meaning believers are directed to think that salvation and staying saved is our most important plan.
These seven words relate to 2 Corinthians 3:18, which says, "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord." This is metamorphoo which is Greek meaning change, transfiguration, or transformation. It is being changed from a sense or mental leadership, to a Word of God hunger for the mysteries hidden in the Spirit to spirit transformation. The deeper the darkness the brighter we should want the light of His word to become wiser in the things of God, and the works of darkness.
For increase to occur, then one's mental sense and reasoning must be transformed to that of Christ. The intention is to decrease in your intelligence and obtain a new logic. If the Bible contains things actually, and in truth, contrary to reason, then it is quite obvious that reason would reject it. Reason is incapable of accepting what is impossible or a contradiction of it.
Christ logic must be put into play. However, the scriptures contain nothing of that order. In the Bible, we find things that are contrary to ordinary human experience, but that is vastly different from being contrary to reason. Christ logic is a way of processing the Word of God from Jesus' point of view rather than man's.
So it is logical that the writing of the Word of God, by man, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, is not a thing of ordinary human experience. Men being raised from the dead is not a thing of ordinary experience, but given the being of God, the extraordinary and the miraculous are always possible and not contrary to reason.
No violence is done to reason in requiring it to accept what is given by inspiration, because nothing is given by inspiration that is an offense to reason.
In terms of internal evidence of inspiration, and a change in the direction about who we are in Him, we must refer to the scriptures those things that can be explained on the grounds of divine inspiration. A work may be productive of good, may be helpful, uplifting, and may even be "inspiring", but without this vital ingredient it is nothing more than a human product capable of being brought forth by natural human processes.
To justify its claims of divine inspiration it must contain those things that can be accounted for in no other way.
As saints we must see in what sense this is true of the scriptures as the Word of God -- not the word of man, or a mere human religious system. It has divine origins, and the doctrines of Christ really cover the entire Word of God. As we move through the Bible, we see a divine plan for our metamorphoo, which is directed change by God for His plans and purpose for our lives.
Artesian Well Church
6031 Linden Avenue
Long Beach, CA
These seven words relate to 2 Corinthians 3:18, which says, "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord." This is metamorphoo which is Greek meaning change, transfiguration, or transformation. It is being changed from a sense or mental leadership, to a Word of God hunger for the mysteries hidden in the Spirit to spirit transformation. The deeper the darkness the brighter we should want the light of His word to become wiser in the things of God, and the works of darkness.
For increase to occur, then one's mental sense and reasoning must be transformed to that of Christ. The intention is to decrease in your intelligence and obtain a new logic. If the Bible contains things actually, and in truth, contrary to reason, then it is quite obvious that reason would reject it. Reason is incapable of accepting what is impossible or a contradiction of it.
Christ logic must be put into play. However, the scriptures contain nothing of that order. In the Bible, we find things that are contrary to ordinary human experience, but that is vastly different from being contrary to reason. Christ logic is a way of processing the Word of God from Jesus' point of view rather than man's.
So it is logical that the writing of the Word of God, by man, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, is not a thing of ordinary human experience. Men being raised from the dead is not a thing of ordinary experience, but given the being of God, the extraordinary and the miraculous are always possible and not contrary to reason.
No violence is done to reason in requiring it to accept what is given by inspiration, because nothing is given by inspiration that is an offense to reason.
In terms of internal evidence of inspiration, and a change in the direction about who we are in Him, we must refer to the scriptures those things that can be explained on the grounds of divine inspiration. A work may be productive of good, may be helpful, uplifting, and may even be "inspiring", but without this vital ingredient it is nothing more than a human product capable of being brought forth by natural human processes.
To justify its claims of divine inspiration it must contain those things that can be accounted for in no other way.
As saints we must see in what sense this is true of the scriptures as the Word of God -- not the word of man, or a mere human religious system. It has divine origins, and the doctrines of Christ really cover the entire Word of God. As we move through the Bible, we see a divine plan for our metamorphoo, which is directed change by God for His plans and purpose for our lives.
I thank you for your continued
viewing and reading. If this Blog and its contents has been a blessing to
you, then I ask, with God's leading, that you consider supporting Artesian
Well Church.
Pastor James P. Norman Jr.Artesian Well Church
Long Beach, CA
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