8/8/2019
“Across the Universe”—ever heard it? I bet you have. This morning’s SIMH. The dominant line in the song is “Nothing’s gonna change my world,” (repeated.) It’s by the Beatles. I never knew the name of it until a few days ago (I wrote about it earlier) I was listening to music channels on YouTube. There is a girl’s choir which does it beautifully, but it sounds as though they’re saying, “Love is gonna change my world.” The Beatles and others singing it say the first quote. Credit is given Lennon and McCartney for writing it. More beautiful music and wonderful poetry from, at least at the time, men who had little or no regard for the Lord Jesus Christ.
I’m thinking this morning about who might be in agreement with me about the things I write in this blog, and then, the contrary, who might be disagreeing with me as to what I write. I thank you, whichever side you might fall on. Generally, writing isn’t about being always correct: it is about the thoughts and their value for furthering another’s thoughts. Oh, of course I write believing I am correct in my thinking. I don’t write to be wrong (how foolish is that?) But, my adamancy in what I say should not prompt in you some exertion to follow me, nor to vehemently disagree and just write me off, so to speak. If you disagree, write me a comment about it. You won’t anger me, you’ll just be disagreeing. If you have valid disagreements, I will study and compare until I conclude one of the following: I was right, you are right, or we are both wrong. There is the truth, you know, and between the two of us, we should be able to find it. That’s important, no matter the subject.
Wondering what you think of this: When one who has indeed trusted the Lord Jesus Christ for his/her eternal life and the end of days has come to them, what happens next? Many people I know who are good bible students do not agree with many others who also are good bible students concerning the very next thing for us when we die. Why do you suppose that is? Do we not all read all there is about this subject in Scripture? Do we who study by “rightly dividing the word of truth” not practice this system of understanding how these things apply to us? Really? And yet, disagree? How’s that possible? Well, in walks the finite mind.
Scripture assures us “we have the mind of Christ.” —1 Cor.2:16b. When this phrase is compared with all the rest of revealed truth, in particular Colossians 1, it’s clear we have all that the Lord is going to say which is to have the mind of Christ. A few generations ago, as the English language was being perfected, a man might ask another for advise and use the phrase like this: “I’d like to have your mind on this matter” or something similar. It wouldn’t mean the counsellor would go into the depth of his knowledge of the subject at hand, just that his thoughts on the subject were important to the inquirer. So it is with the Lord. The verse mentioned doesn’t mean we have everything the Lord knows. We have what the true Counsellor wants us to know for our purposes here on earth to be fulfilled.
Isn’t that a marvelous thing? Oh, yes, it is. So, we obey some key points and understand what is clear. (By the way, what is very clear to you or me doesn’t mean everyone who studies it sees it clearly. Sorry, that’s just the way it is, speaking finitely.) So we proceed to be clear when we explain what we believe and we leave our thoughts in the minds of others if we teach. But, sorry, there is no formula for making someone believe as we do. To teach or preach, whether to little children, teenagers, young adults or older adults is to proclaim! Not draw people into our “fold.” We’re not shepherds (though many churches today present their pastor as a shepherd, we are not) and the listeners are not sheep!
How, then, do we cause someone to believe the truth we teach or preach? We do not. It isn’t between the teacher and the pupil, it is between the pupil and the Lord God of heaven and earth, the Lord Jesus Christ. We are just Ambassadors with His words in our hands. Ambassadors bring the message from their Master, and leave it with those to whom he is privileged to speak. And the details, what will become the truth in the mind of the receiver, will be seen through the study of the entire text sent from the Master.
(You can apply this principle to your relationship with God, your acceptance of the “gospel of Christ” unto salvation, or to the rest of your world, at your job, amongst your friends, wherever. It will stop separation because of arguments.)
Thanks for reading, the Elder
the Elder's Blog 