“Seeing Life Through ‘WORD’ Colored Glasses”...Thursday

8/21/14   

Everyone has an innate way of filtering the communications their minds receive through their five senses.  Sin nature, environment, worldly influences, etc. all play a part in establishing how your filter works. That's why Paul stresses the importance of getting our minds constantly renewed through the Word of God (Romans 12:1-2).

And, as we study the Word, we need to be wary not to allow religious filters to mess with the truth of God’s message of love and grace or any other true attribute of our heavenly Father.

Here's a passage from Isaiah chapter one as an example:

“Come now, 

and let us reason together,”

Says the LORD,

"Though your sins are like scarlet,

They shall be as white as snow;

Though they are red like crimson,

They shall be as wool.

If you are willing and obedient,

You shall eat the good of the land;

But if you refuse and rebel,

You shall be devoured by the sword”;

For the mouth of the LORD has spoken

(Isaiah 1:18-20)

Verse 18 is a prophetic statement of what would and did happen when Jesus fulfilled His ministry 2,000 plus years ago.  Our spirit IS 100% wall-to-wall pure and clean.

Now some religious filters would take the ‘willing and obedient’ phrase in verse 19 and attach burdensome rules to force you to be controlled by them.  But from what revelation I’ve received from my study of Father’s character is the following simple definitions of these two words:

Willing 

to want to turn from a life of destruction and desire 

to have a relationship with a a

loving Father/God.

Obedient 

to listen to the Holy Spirit’s call to accept Jesus as the one who has redeemed us from ALL sin and make Him my Lord and Savior.

Also, the religious filters would take the phrase ‘shall be devoured by the sword’ in verse 20 as proof that God is gonna’ get ya!  But I see this as something similar to a loving father warning a child to not touch a hot stove, or venture too close to a cliff, or any other danger that he wouldn’t impose on the child but would happen if the child chose poorly.

So, I’ve said all this to encourage you to trust the whole text of God’s love letter to us – His Holy Word, both Old and New Testaments – and remember to put on the ‘Word’ (Jesus is the Word – John 1) colored glasses as you immerse yourself into it.

God is ALWAYS GOOD and ALWAYS LOVING.

K Hirsch

Charis Bible College of San Jose & Central Valley

Shared by
Kathryn Hansen