April 16, 2017 (Proverbs 25:2)

“It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter” (Prov 25:2).  Often times certain matters are not really concealed in scripture so as to require searching. They become hidden from appreciation or acceptance because of faulty teaching on doctrinal matters. An example of this is the hellish doctrine of eternal security. Like a flu vaccine which uses altered or damaged virus to create resistance to the healthy virus called immunity, a state of resistance to biblical truth results from teaching that one cannot fall from grace once saved. As a consequence, a passage such as Romans 12:1,2 is unlikely to strike home in the hearts of those indoctrinated by teaching of eternal security. Paul is pleading for renewing of the mind and such a transformation of character that a believer will surrender fully to the lordship of Christ and become a living sacrifice. Key to understanding the context is the word “therefore” in verse 1. It refers to something said earlier which is “there” for a reason. That something is Paul’s urgent warning to not take the grace of God for granted: “For if God did not spare the natural branches (Jews), He might not spare you either” (Ro 11:21). The apostle goes on to say believers in Rome will be cut off from fellowship with God in the same manner as were God’s chosen people following redemption from Egypt because they fell away. It’s the very same warning found in 1 Corinthians 10 where Paul tells that the history of the Israelites was written down as examples from which to learn: “Therefore, let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (10:11,12). These warnings about the consequences of apostasy lose their weight when falling on ears conditioned to believe falling from grace is impossible. It is because of false teaching that a great many matters have become concealed from an apostate church here in America. But as individuals, we have no excuse. It is incumbent upon each believer to study scripture independently with guidance of the Holy Spirit so as to show oneself as approved. Unfortunately a cloud of satisfaction with being lukewarm overshadows much of the church in highly industrialized countries in these latter days. It has left a void when it comes to searching out matters, even when such are of eternal significance.