Christianity should not be complicated. If it is, then we are the ones who have allowed it to become so. God wants us to enjoy a childlike relationship with him. Matthew 18:3
Basic truths such as faith, trust, obedience, and many others are designed by God to be simple to understand and operate. When we walk with Jesus in true simplicity, we find ourselves released in so many ways to enjoy him and his presence with us.
Let us then consider some basic issues. As shown above, this whole study can be drawn in diagram form. There are four main sections to the diagram, which we will briefly look at one by one.
The Bible teaches that we are made in three parts, spirit, soul and body. 1 Corinthians 15:44-45, 1 Thessalonians 5:23
The body we know well. Its main feature is to house the soul, enabling it to interact with the physical world around. It has five senses to assist it in this function; seeing, touching, smelling, hearing and tasting.
The spirit is also like a body, and it too has the function of housing the soul, this time however, enabling it to interact with the spiritual world around us. Like the physical body, it has five senses; seeing, touching, smelling, hearing and tasting.
(Seeing - Ephesians 1:18, Hearing - Matthew 11:14-15, 7 times in Revelation 2 & Revelation 3, Smelling - 2 Corinthians 2:16, Feeling (has to do with cleansing) - James 4:8-9, 2 Corinthians 7:1, Tasting - Psalms 34:8, 1 Peter 2:1-3)
The soul is the centre part of our being - the real us, so to speak. It is also made in three parts - will, mind and emotions. Romans 8:2-7, Romans 12:1-2, 1 Corinthians 7:37, (While the word 'emotions' is not mentioned in Scripture, many emotions are - anger, love, joy, lust etc)
God has programmed us to have our wills in charge, our minds as a huge computer-like memory and experience storage area, with our emotions being response and reaction mechanisms. When we place our wills in charge with our emotions submitted to them, we operate correctly and enjoy the benefits of doing so. When, however, our emotions control, we become unstable and very reactionary, generally getting ourselves into lots of trouble!
It is important to understand that all areas of our being have been defiled and do not function as God designed them to, or desires them to. Our Christian pathway and responsibility, therefore, is to examine each area, bringing it to Jesus for cleansing, renewing and strengthening. Pride is a foolish sin, and will have eternal consequences if not done away with. We must face truth about ourselves, deal with the wrongs and weaknesses, and find our freedom in Christ.
There are three main personalities that can have direct input into our lives - God, self or Satan. Jeremiah 14:14, Job 4:12-21, (7 times in Revelation 2 & 3 "...hear what the Spirit says....")
We need to learn to discern which is which. Failure to do so inevitably leads to confusion and spiritual degeneration.
God will never contradict his revealed word, the Bible. He will never 'lead us astray'.
Our own self internal reasoning processes can be good or bad, depending on the knowledge stored in our minds, and what decisions we make.
Satan, as you would expect, will never draw us closer to God! His guidance is full of contradictions and lies, but he has an amazing ability to cloak his words with respectability and so deceive us.
The Bible teaches that we have three enemies - flesh (sinful nature), world and devil. Romans 7 & Romans 8, Philippians 3:1-11, 1 Peter 5:8, 1 John 2:15-17, 1 John 5:19
The flesh consists of the sin and woundings with which we inflict ourselves. There is only one way to handle this self-destructive tendency, and that is through repentance. There is no other way.Luke 13:3-5, Acts 2:38
The world consists of the sin and woundings that come against us from outside ourselves. There is only one way to handle these destructive attacks, and that is through forgiveness. There is no other way. Matthew 6:14-15
The devil consists of the kingdom of totally wicked and depraved demonic beings who are implacably opposed to God and seek to use any sin or woundings they can take advantage of in order to make prisoners of us and so bring torment to us. Once they gain entry into our lives there is only one way to handle these destructive beings, and that is through deliverance. There is no other way. Matthew 6:13
The Bible teaches that every Christian is given gifts or abilities from God to enable that human to have a special function in society. There are many listed in Scripture. Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4, 1 Corinthians 7, 1 Corinthians 13, 1 Corinthians 14, Ephesians 3, 1 Peter 4
These are very precious abilities, and if they are not put into practice amongst us, we suffer loss. All abilities have strengths and weaknesses. God does not give any one person them all. This is to ensure our interdependence, and so protect us from pride and domination.
So there we have it. If we are careful and thorough in learning all there is to know about these four areas we will discover how to live victoriously and simply, avoiding much confusion and despair.
Can Christianity really be that simple to understand and live?
Yes it can! - And it should be.
It is Satan who wants us so complicated and confused that we give up. But to know oneself, strengths and weaknesses, abilities and lack of them, is wonderfully releasing.
This paper seeks to accurately represent the teachings of Holy Scriptures. You are free to copy or alter all or any part of this paper PROVIDED that the Holy Scriptures are not misrepresented as a result.
Basic truths such as faith, trust, obedience, and many others are designed by God to be simple to understand and operate. When we walk with Jesus in true simplicity, we find ourselves released in so many ways to enjoy him and his presence with us.
Let us then consider some basic issues. As shown above, this whole study can be drawn in diagram form. There are four main sections to the diagram, which we will briefly look at one by one.
1. How we are made
The Bible teaches that we are made in three parts, spirit, soul and body. 1 Corinthians 15:44-45, 1 Thessalonians 5:23
The body we know well. Its main feature is to house the soul, enabling it to interact with the physical world around. It has five senses to assist it in this function; seeing, touching, smelling, hearing and tasting.
The spirit is also like a body, and it too has the function of housing the soul, this time however, enabling it to interact with the spiritual world around us. Like the physical body, it has five senses; seeing, touching, smelling, hearing and tasting.
(Seeing - Ephesians 1:18, Hearing - Matthew 11:14-15, 7 times in Revelation 2 & Revelation 3, Smelling - 2 Corinthians 2:16, Feeling (has to do with cleansing) - James 4:8-9, 2 Corinthians 7:1, Tasting - Psalms 34:8, 1 Peter 2:1-3)
The soul is the centre part of our being - the real us, so to speak. It is also made in three parts - will, mind and emotions. Romans 8:2-7, Romans 12:1-2, 1 Corinthians 7:37, (While the word 'emotions' is not mentioned in Scripture, many emotions are - anger, love, joy, lust etc)
God has programmed us to have our wills in charge, our minds as a huge computer-like memory and experience storage area, with our emotions being response and reaction mechanisms. When we place our wills in charge with our emotions submitted to them, we operate correctly and enjoy the benefits of doing so. When, however, our emotions control, we become unstable and very reactionary, generally getting ourselves into lots of trouble!
It is important to understand that all areas of our being have been defiled and do not function as God designed them to, or desires them to. Our Christian pathway and responsibility, therefore, is to examine each area, bringing it to Jesus for cleansing, renewing and strengthening. Pride is a foolish sin, and will have eternal consequences if not done away with. We must face truth about ourselves, deal with the wrongs and weaknesses, and find our freedom in Christ.
2. Influencing voices
There are three main personalities that can have direct input into our lives - God, self or Satan. Jeremiah 14:14, Job 4:12-21, (7 times in Revelation 2 & 3 "...hear what the Spirit says....")
We need to learn to discern which is which. Failure to do so inevitably leads to confusion and spiritual degeneration.
God will never contradict his revealed word, the Bible. He will never 'lead us astray'.
Our own self internal reasoning processes can be good or bad, depending on the knowledge stored in our minds, and what decisions we make.
Satan, as you would expect, will never draw us closer to God! His guidance is full of contradictions and lies, but he has an amazing ability to cloak his words with respectability and so deceive us.
3. Our enemies
The Bible teaches that we have three enemies - flesh (sinful nature), world and devil. Romans 7 & Romans 8, Philippians 3:1-11, 1 Peter 5:8, 1 John 2:15-17, 1 John 5:19
The flesh consists of the sin and woundings with which we inflict ourselves. There is only one way to handle this self-destructive tendency, and that is through repentance. There is no other way.Luke 13:3-5, Acts 2:38
The world consists of the sin and woundings that come against us from outside ourselves. There is only one way to handle these destructive attacks, and that is through forgiveness. There is no other way. Matthew 6:14-15
The devil consists of the kingdom of totally wicked and depraved demonic beings who are implacably opposed to God and seek to use any sin or woundings they can take advantage of in order to make prisoners of us and so bring torment to us. Once they gain entry into our lives there is only one way to handle these destructive beings, and that is through deliverance. There is no other way. Matthew 6:13
4. Spiritual Gifts
The Bible teaches that every Christian is given gifts or abilities from God to enable that human to have a special function in society. There are many listed in Scripture. Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4, 1 Corinthians 7, 1 Corinthians 13, 1 Corinthians 14, Ephesians 3, 1 Peter 4
These are very precious abilities, and if they are not put into practice amongst us, we suffer loss. All abilities have strengths and weaknesses. God does not give any one person them all. This is to ensure our interdependence, and so protect us from pride and domination.
Conclusion
So there we have it. If we are careful and thorough in learning all there is to know about these four areas we will discover how to live victoriously and simply, avoiding much confusion and despair.
Can Christianity really be that simple to understand and live?
Yes it can! - And it should be.
It is Satan who wants us so complicated and confused that we give up. But to know oneself, strengths and weaknesses, abilities and lack of them, is wonderfully releasing.
This paper seeks to accurately represent the teachings of Holy Scriptures. You are free to copy or alter all or any part of this paper PROVIDED that the Holy Scriptures are not misrepresented as a result.
