Discovering Truth, Or The Apostles Doctrine, Today
How does today’s believer get to know and understand the apostles doctrine?!? i.e. How do I get to understand the doctrines as the Lord expects me to? And not go off on a tangent of error and misunderstanding? How is it possible to find truth in the mess and confusion of modern Christianity where there is no agreement as to just what Truth is? Is it possible?
Yes it is! The believer can be very optimistic about discovering God’s Truth, or the apostles’ doctrines, for themselves. The task only seems hopeless when looking at the mess of endless different opinions amongst believers and “believers”. When you look at what the Lord has done to ensure that we can find truth. And the role that the Lord Himself plays towards the individual finding Truth. There is every reason to be completely confident of discovering Truth (or as termed above, the ‘apostles doctrine’).
The Lord Has Given Us The Bible
The Lord Gave Us The Bible By Inspiration
2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
“All scripture” – all of the bible is from God. Given for “doctrine” – what we are to believe. Then what we are to do, or in some cases ‘not do’ – “for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”
2Pe 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
The Holy Spirit chose certain holy men to reveal Truth / doctrine though. Scripture is not simply what was thought wise or good by God’s people in the past. Scripture (the bible) is truth / doctrine directly from God.
Every Word of God Was Faithfully Recorded
Jer 36:4 “ Then Jeremiah called Baruch the son of Neriah: and Baruch wrote from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the LORD, which he had spoken unto him, upon a roll of a book.”
Jeremiah 36:15-18
15 And they said unto him, Sit down now, and read it in our ears. So Baruch read it in their ears.
16 Now it came to pass, when they had heard all the words, they were afraid both one and other, and said unto Baruch, We will surely tell the king of all these words.
17 And they asked Baruch, saying, Tell us now, How didst thou write all these words at his mouth?
18 Then Baruch answered them, He pronounced all these words unto me with his mouth, and I wrote them with ink in the book.
God’s Word, Preserved By God
1Pe 1:23-25
23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:
25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
Mat 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
The Lord Himself has promised that His Word is incorruptible (even though the Lord would allow corruptions of His Word to also exist). We will always have an incorrupt bible from Him. Diligent investigation will reveal that only the King James Version of the Bible, for English believers, could be God’s preserved Word today.
(For a fuller treatment of this subject see, ‘Principles of Bible Preservation')
The point being that today’s believe has no reason to not believe that they have God’s full revelation of truth in their hands. And that through diligent study, lead by the Holy Spirit (see next section), they can, and MUST, find truth (or the apostles doctrines).
The Holy Spirit Illuminates The Truths Of The Bible
John 16:12-15
12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
The Lord Jesus, before He left our world, promised that He would send the Holy Spirit Whom He called the ‘Comforter’, and the ‘Spirit of truth’ in this passage. The Lord told His disciples that He had many things to say to them, but they were not able to ‘bear them’ yet. They would not be able to understand them yet. The promised ‘Spirit of truth’ would be their guide ‘into all truth’. The Holy Spirit would not only reveal these truths, but would also open their understanding of the truths. These truths that they would later receive, would be the doctrines and purpose of the then future Church.
Just as the apostles needed the Holy Spirit to open their understanding of the truths of Scripture, so do we today. The disciples had to wait until they received the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost before they could benefit by His illuminating ministry. From the day of Pentecost on, everyone who receives Christ has the Holy Spirit indwelling them (Romans 8:9). And so each born again believer has God’s Illuminator living within them.
It is now for us to rely on the Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth as we carefully study the Bible.
1 Corinthians 2:7-13
7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
Eph 4:17-21
17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,
18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
20 But ye have not so learned Christ;
21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:
1Jn 2:27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
The Holy Spirit Will Lead The Believer Who Will Follow Him
The bible is available and the Holy Spirit is not neglecting His responsibility. The problem today is of so many doing that which is right in his own eyes. This has come as a result of believers not relying on the Holy Spirit for illumination as we are meant to. Today we have the same problem that Israel had after the deaths of Joshua and the princes of Israel, that ruled in the life time of Joshua. During the times of the judges of Israel, as recorded in the book of Judges, we have the following revelation of the spiritual state of Israel given twice:
Jdg 17:6 “In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” (See also Judges 21:25)
The Lord’s Personal Message To The Laodicean Believers, and Believers Today Living In The Laodicean Age
V14/ To the Laodicean’s the Lord speaks as the “faithful and true witness.” And the “beginning of the creation of God.”
The Loadicean’s and today’s believers in the Laodicean age are rebuked for not bring faithful and true witnesses.
V15-17/ The Laodicean’s are rebuked. There is no praise from the Lord.
(v15-16) The Lord’s view of them is that spiritually they are neither ‘here nor there.’ They are not ‘cold’ and against Him, but neither are they ‘hot’ in their love for Him. But rather they are ‘lukewarm’. They are saved from their sin, so they do know Him, but they are wickedly indifferent to Him as Almighty God, and His authority over them. The Lord says that they make Him sick to His stomach. He will vomit them out of His Mouth!
(v17) The Laodicean’s are indulged in self deception. In their view they are doing well! They feel that they are spiritually rich. They have much of the world’s ‘goods’. This could also be reference to the modern ‘prosperity cult’ where numbers are encouraged to be materially prosperous, instead of spiritually prosperous as the Scriptures teach. The Lord’s view is that they are the opposite!
“… wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind and naked.
Self deception is a challenge to every believer in all ages. Laodicea is prophetically the last age of the Church before the Second Coming of Christ. Starting about the mid 20th Century to present day. And will end in the future at the rapture of the Church. The weaker the believer spiritually the greater the problem of self deception.
What Is 'Self Deception'?
In Jeremiah 17:9 we are told, “For the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” In modern society, and in more and more churches, people are being told to ‘follow their hearts.’ The Lord warns us against such foolishness. According to the Lord our biggest ‘challenge in life is ourselves.’ While Satan is labeled ‘the father of all liars’, to ourselves, we are more lightly to be deceived by ourselves than someone else – even Satan himself.
How do unbelievers live with resisting the wooing of the Holy Spirit, for them to receive Christ and be saved? They tell themselves they will receive Christ at a later time (for example) – they “want to enjoy life first.” Also perhaps, that the Bible is not true about Heaven and hell and the need to be saved from the penalty of sin. i.e. They convince (or deceive) themselves. Then, how do believers live with continually resisting the Holy Spirit’s working in them. As He tries to change them to be ‘like Christ’ (1 Peter 2:21). Many resist the convicting of the Holy Spirit and indulge in worldly activities. Others tell themselves that they are not as bad as others for example. They deceive themselves! Proving Jer. 17:9 to be true.
V18/ The Lord, as always, has the solution to our troubles The lukewarm are to turn to Him for REAL spiritual wealth, righteousness and discernment.
I.E.:
- ‘Rich with goods’ FOR spiritual maturity
- ‘Nakedness’ FOR ‘white raiment’ which is righteousness. They ARE guilty in their sin. Therefore spiritually naked. They need righteousness with the Lord, or to be blameless with Him in their daily walk.
- They are spiritually blind in need of ‘eye salve’ from the Lord. I.e. They must turn to Him for discernment. So that they may see the Lord, life, and themselves from His perspective.
V19/ The Lord’s rebuke and chastisement is because He loves them (us).
V 20/ At the Laodicean church, and believers in this Laodicean age, the Lord is outside of their daily lives seeking entrance. While they are saved they are not behaving as believers should. They are of the household of God (a very high privilege!), but they do not behave, or live, as sons and daughters of God. In the first place they (we) are denying His authority in their lives. In the second, they are living as though they don’t have the privileged, or responsibilities of being of the household of God. In a functional family, all members enjoy loving relationships with one another. Between the Lord, our Father, and a Loadicean (lukewarm) believer this is not the case. He is a as a stranger who needs to knock on the door to gain entrance. What an unspeakable insult!
In must also be noted that the Lord is aiming at responses to His knocking, by individuals and not the whole Laodicean church. Nor all believers today. The general spiritual state of the Church is such that the Lord knows that most believers remain lukewarm. He is looking for individuals who will respond to His knocking (wooing by the Holy Spirit). For each of us is the decision of whether we will be one of the masses who sicken their God to His stomach, or one the those who respond to His knocking to give Him His rightful place in their lives. Where a relationship with their Lord is enjoyed as it develops.