A FAITH UNEXAMINED IS NOT WORTH HAVING
Rev. Steve Marlowe
Who is the God of the Bible? What is the name of salvation? Christians of the 21st century are not similar with the Christians of the mid-20th century. Apparently, Christians living in the 21st century are mostly ignorant of what the Bible actually teaches. Few have really had an in depth study of the Bible, and adult Sunday Schools are becoming rare. Many treat church as a meet and greet were they are content to go sit in a pew and listen to what one man thinks they should hear. Some go mainly to hear songs of worship and music of inspiration. Church has become a place to meet people, hear a sermon, and go home. Edification of the saints is watered down. It is not to say that modern churches don’t have activities, but few of these activities involve searching the Bible to find what it actually says without the filters of an indoctrinated church scheming the surface. The Bible can teach us about our God and Savior. The Word of God is true, however, the versions of God’s Word can be shewed. The name of our God is the essential name of YAH, which means in Hebrew “I AM.” The name YAH appears close to fifty times in the Word of God, and yet in many of the versions of God’s Word, it may appear once or twice, or not at all. Consider Isaiah 12:2 New King James Version, “Behold, God ismy salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; ‘For Yah, the Lord, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation.’” And compare Isaiah 12:2 New International Version (NIV) “Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.” To truly understand the Word of God, apparently, one has to become familiar with the various versions of the Bible. The Hebrew has YAH, and so does the New King James Version, and as can be seen, the New International Version does not have YAH. The essential name of YAH is of major significance for our very salvation. This is why the proper way to praise YAH is “Halleluyah!” Not hallelujah. YAH is the name which is above every name.
So we need to ask, “Am I worshiping the LORD in the Way that He approves?” To truly know the LORD’s approval, we must go to the Bible. We must be aware, however, that the versions of the Bible will not give us all that the LORD reveals. We must cross reference, and check all available sources to see the Bible as it is. To ask and it shall be answered, to seek and it will be found is God’s promise to us (Matthew 7:7-11). To show our God, that we seek after His revelations as if it were gold, that is of extreme value is to be answered. For God will not give pearls of wisdom to one who could really care less, as we, His disciples, are not to cast the pearls God gave us before people who could care less, and might even become angry (Matthew 7:6). To us and those who are fellow seekers of the truth of God, it will result in marvelous blessings.
When we seek to know what the Bible really says, what would we find? Does it teach that the many of different people worshiping in many divergent ways are pleasing to God? Does the Bible acknowledge that all religion is good? Are all the religions of the world acceptable to God, as they say, “All roads lead to God.” No, we are told to, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it (Matthew 7:13-14). How clearly those words tell us that there is only one way. Those priests, pastors, and teachers, who give a version of the Gospel, even as many receive from them a watered down version, who teach not according to His name, nor His revelations, and who do not encourage their congregations to follow the commandments of God, will one day stand before Christ, and be judged, as He has warned already. In Matthew 7:21-23, He says, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” When religious leaders of Christianity seek to be man pleasers, and maintain a healthy paycheck, to make void the word of God, are leaders of lawlessness. It appears that these leaders of falsehood rebuttaled, and said to the LORD, have we not prophesied, cast out demons, and done many wonders in Your Name? Their rebuttal is to no avail, for Christ still tells them to depart, for He never knew them. And yes, they claimed to have done things in His name, but by what name? The name revealed from heaven, or the name that evolved transforming into an entirely different name. Did these religious leaders condone the linguistic changes of the one name given under heaven by which we must be saved? They now preach in a name never revealed by God, nor did God give permission to change the very name of salvation! Had they taken God’s word seriously, they might not have been in this judgment. “And now, O priests, this commandment is for you.
If you will not hear, and if you will not take it to heart, to give glory to My name,” Says the Lord of hosts, “I will send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have cursed them already, because you do not take it to heart” (Malachi 2:1-2).In 2 Timothy 3:1-4, “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” These are Gospel warnings that many of us do not think apply to us, but to others. That is a mistake.
It is not legalistic to seek to follow Christ, as He commands us to do, however, many would receive these warnings as legalistic. Many people think that, “It does not matter what you believe, as long as seek to be good to others, in other words a good person.” And it may seem that after we receive the free gift of salvation, that we can still live for ourselves, and think what we may, however, the reality is we no longer are to live for ourselves. And yes, we are free from the law unto salvation, by which no one has yet to accomplish salvation under the law. “But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in YAHSHUAthe Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ YAHSHUA,whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in YAHSHUA” (Romans 3:21-26). We should fear, for God did not spare the angels, among whom were the sons of God, nor will He spare many, who indulges in sexual morality, and the lusts of this world. “And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day; as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire” (Jude 6-7).
“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). If our worship is acceptable to the LORD, it must be firmly in the revelation of God’s word of truth. YAHSHUA reproves those who claim to serve God according to His revelations, traditions, and commandments, but actually follow the traditions and commandments of men.
“Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders...?”
He (YAHSHUA) answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they
worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men…” (Mark 7:5-8). The mere fact that church members may have the Bible or that it is occasionally read to them from the pulpit does not itself prove that all things are taught from the Bible. It is incumbent upon every Christian to know for themselves the knowledge thereof. Truth seekers do not use only those parts of the Bible they like and reject the rest. Selective reading of the Bible can only lead to false doctrines produced by twisting of the Scriptures, for if such readings of the few Scriptures contradict other verses of Scriptures this is a major “red flag.” Therefore, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
The traditions of men are in the church just as much as they were and are in Judaism, and these traditions of men are condemned because they potentially make void the word of God. The apostle Paul lamented for his people blinded by their traditions, as he addressed to his fellow believers in Christ, for he writes, “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, “The man who does those things shall live by them.”But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down from above)or, “‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach):that if you confess with your mouth the Lord YAHSHUA and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:1-12). The Jews judged the Messiah by their traditions, and not solely based upon the very word of God, and so they rejected YAHSHUA, the Son of God, our Savior. “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this YAHSHUA, whom you crucified, both LORD and Messiah” (Acts 2:36).
YAHSHUA said to them, “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the Rock.But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great” (Luke 6:46-49).
“In You, O Lord {YAH}, I put my trust;
Let me never be put to shame.
Deliver me in Your righteousness, and cause me to escape;
Incline Your ear to me, and save me.
Be my strong refuge,
To which I may resort continually;
You have given the commandment to save me,
For You are my Rock and my fortress” (Psalm 71:1-3).
No one certainly wants to be classified with those who are told to “depart,” who are refused entry into the Kingdom of God because of failure to do the will of God? If so, we must get well acquainted with the Bible. Do what the ancient Beroeans did, for, “Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so” (Acts 17:10-11). “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:23-24). In YAHSHUA’S Name, Amen. Halleluyah, Praise YAH, Praise YAHSHUA!
