3/27/23 I realized today, after thinking through some ideas that have come to mind, there are different views on getting additional revelation for the Lord about one thing or another. The two thoughts that have been presented to me before (either that I’ve had in experience or people’s comments intimating things), that there is necessary types of knowledge and other times a knowing there is always more that we can learn from the Lord. So the two views or the two thoughts are these:
- Any information we get additional from the Lord in addition to our necessary salvation issues, is just like “Icing on the cake”, and we are not accountable for the “information” we receive, but its more like just additional gifts from God that we can use or not use, take or reject as we please. I will try to use an example that is plain to explain a case where this could potentially happen:
Say Bob is trying to decide whether to attend a church’s service or not, like let’s say a church weekly meeting service. He could be presented with the thought “if I go, God might could use me to be a blessing and I have been meaning to talk to Brother Joe about his thoughts about the Holy Spirit working on a man’s conscience” or something like this. “So, it would be beneficial for me to go to that.” Those was some of Bob’s line of thinking. Then Bob receives word that the church has started to accept homosexuals in the church and instead of putting them in a class for repentance, regeneration, recovery and foundational teaching of the gospel that transforms, Bob learns that instead there have been people supposedly there a long time as homosexuals, who have now been given ministerial positions. This upsets Bob.
Now Bob has a choice before him in that he could choose to go to see Brother Joe at the church, and tell himself he will leave right after because of the homosexual issue that’s an almost totally accepted issue at the church, or he could choose to hands-down refuse to go to that church’s meetings, because of homosexuality not being spoken against, and furthermore to the point of ministers appointed that are openly gay. The church was not proclaiming Reformation from it.
At this point, because of curiosity, Bob thinks deeply about the issue at the church, and searches for homosexuality in the Bible, but more so, him finding in Scripture Old Testament (Leviticus) and the New Testaments that homosexuality is spoken against directly. [The Bible is in 2 testaments, an old testament and a another called a new testament). In 1 Corinthians 6:9, Paul a servant of God, speaks directly that homosexuals will not inherit the kingdom of God. Then Bob feels really troubled is doubly concerned that the church would allow the ministers to be open homosexuals. Here are some other verses Bob found:
Some Bible Verses Against Homosexuality (The Practice)
This additional “information” Bob found can either solidify what he felt when he thought there was something wrong with appointment of “homosexual” ministers of God’s word, and the stance the church took towards homosexuality – or he can reject what he read, pretend he didn’t read it, and nobody would know, he could just be leery and keep guarded while going there.
In this situation, the new insight about homosexuality in light of God’s word, can be acted upon by Bob or maybe he can consider connecting with his friend Joe in a place away from that church.
In the above scenario with Bob, he sought out information in a Christian scenario that actually occurs in churches, even in this country – USA!
Based on the conscience issue and decision presented in the above story, I believe that Bob would be bound to stay true to what he read, even if he needed to read several versions or find the original Greek the Scriptures would have been in to make sure he had checked every avenue. My conscience would not have allowed me to go to the church again, based on additional information, but it would be duly noted that Joe, his friend should still be sought out and supported by him.
2. Information that we receive from the Lord is limitless and there is always more that God can show us, however, we MUST realize that all the knowledge we possess is meaningless without the love of God in our hearts to enable sharing it rightly.
I don’t have a scenario made for this one yet, but for the sake of time, I will say that it could occur in any case where a person is very intellectual, and also loves God, that there would be a need to meditate on humility regularly and keeping oneself around others that demonstrate love first, and then knowledge.
Paul writes to the church peoples in Corinth, “church people” being those who are set apart by taking Christ as their Lord, confessing His Name, getting baptized, showing fruits of wanting to be Christians, etc., that having knowledge of many things is good, even religious things. However, if we are given direct revelation like a dream, vision, voice, direct prophetic type of thing and we know we are responsible for sharing it, the by ALL means – we must do it! But Paul did say (in regards to knowledgableness) “Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth. And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know. But if any man love God, the same is known of him” (Romans 8:1-3)
It is good to remember that in our zest for knowledge of the Lord, and sharing in His truth, we don’t get sidetracked with “More information” as opposed possibly to true revelation, that could weigh our brothers and sisters down. We have been given authority to do the opposite.
“For this reason I write these things down when I away from you, that when I come I may not have to be severe in my use of authority that the LORD has given me for building you up and not tearing down ‘ ~Paul (2 Corinthians 13:20)
Rebekah's Reflections 