One might think that with the Bible as the center of
Christianity, the unity of Christians could be easily realized.
Unfortunately this has not proved true, though we can consider
it fortunate that, as this inability to unify proves, the
letter of the Bible cannot really replace the living Christ as
the center of our faith.
The Bible is the expression of the life and work of God,
and since "life" is greater than its manifestation, it cannot
be expressed completely in any logical or theological form.
Therefore, the Bible itself cannot escape being understood in
many different ways. Thus we see how in the wisdom of God it is
impossible in practice to make the Scriptures the end or final
authority in themselves, for they only express God's authority
to those who live in fellowship with the Spirit.
... Kokichi Kurosaki (1886-1970), One Body in Christ, Kobe,
Japan: Eternal Life Press, 1954, ch. 3

The believer's All in All - center and circumference - Christ in us, we in Him - center and circumference.

Sermonindex says ...

"The divorcing of truth and experience has been a terrible rift in the Church."

Now there is a great quote. It saddens me that for the most part, on the one side you have "Christians," who are living in the old heresy of "antinominism," a flagrant dis-regard for God's commands and on the other side we have people striving to attain God's righteousness. Each of these sides look at each other to justify their own postion, not realizing that they are both wrong. The truth lies in the radical center of God. It is strange that after 2000 years, there are stil judaizers who still believe that those who walk in the freedom of Romans 8 must be advocating sin, must be teaching that we have a licsense to sin, and the answer is still the same "God forbid.' Those who genuinely walk close to God, who walk in His Spirit, who walk in freedom, the last thing that those people would want to do is sin.

It is no surprise to me that the Apostle Paul could not stomoch, even for an hour, this legalism which has a form of Godliness but ultimately denies the power thereof. Sermonindex is exactly right, "The end-time revival of the Spirit and the Word is happening! May God count us a part of it." He will be worshipped in Spirit and in Truth or He will not be worshipped at all............Frank

Quote: '...it it impossible in practice to make the Scriptures the end or final authority in themselves, for they only express God's authority to those who live in fellowship with the Spirit'

I'm sorry, but that statement could be very well misunderstood.

In a sense, I understand what is being said, but it also seems to undermine the word of God as not being the final authority.

It seems rather that we function through the Spirit only, and be guided by that, regardless of what the Scriptures say.

I know I might very well be wrong, but it appears that way to me.

This is a very important topic that is being discussed because we can see where we are at spiritually.

The Words that Jesus spoke were Spirit and life. The Word is a Person, and the Word became flesh and dwelt amongst us.

Many Christians have a overdeveloped mind that is full of the word of God yet is has had so little impact upon their lives. The Word has been sent to us by God as the incorruptable seed, and this seed is to be planted in the ground of our heart, grow up, and bring forth fruit. The Word has to go from being just a mental concept to us to becoming part of us.

The Work of the Holy Spirit is to make the Word of God a living reality in our lives. The Spirit and the Word are one and they work together. Yet we have divided up in camps. Some have given more emphasis to the work of the Spirit and little to the Word of God and ended up in fanaticism. Others have given more emphasis to the teaching of the scriptures, not realizing that it is the Spirit that reveals the word, and have ended up in legalism.

We must have the Spirit and the Word. It is not the hearers of the Word that are blessed but those that do the Word, and we were never intended to do the word in the power of our flesh but by the power of the Holy Spirit.

There are many within the Church that know the bible from Genesis to Revelation but yet there is no power in their lives. There is no reality of the Word living in them.

There are many within the Church that manifest the gifts of the Spirit, shake under the power of God, have visions and dreams, but are in all sorts of error because they have looked at bible doctrine as being unimportant.

May God grant unto His Church the Spirit of wisdom and revelation so that we might truly know Him, who is the Word, and that His Word would do His work in us by the power of the Holy Spirit.

In His Love,
Mike

_________________
Mike

Enid writes......

"I'm sorry, but that statement could be very well misunderstood."

I am so glad that someone said that :) I think that we would all agree that just because a statement could be misunderstood does not mean that we should not say it. It is incumbant upon the poeple who would misunderstnd it to understand it.

"It seems rather that we function through the Spirit only, and be guided by that, regardless of what the Scriptures say."

Of course this was not said in the quote. The reality is that we worship in Spirit and in Truth. Yet, unless the Spirit comes first we labor in vain. Tozer used to be amazed that people would worship the description and not the reality.

The answer of course, to Enid's last objection is that what is not inspired by the Spirit is of no earthly use. If one is to properly understand the Scriptures, one cannot do it without the Spirit. What truly undermines the Word of God is those people who bring their own earthly wisdom to them and who try to live them out in the flesh. To walk in the freedom of Christ and His Spirit is not to walk according to the flesh. This terrifies most judaizers and legalists because ultimately their identity comes from their ability to keep the rules and create their own righteousness and of course this is nothing more than self-righteousness. Genuine Christianity walks in the Spirit, freedom, righteousness and holiness. It is not and either or situation, it is both or it is nothing.............Frank

PS The people that I know who walk according to the Spirit, reverence the Word more than any people that I know. It is a key identifying factor in genuine Christianity.

_________________
Ben Fuehrer

HI Fuehrebe

I think one way that you can indentify what is of the Spirit and what is of the flesh, is that one glorifies Jesus and the other glorifies itself. One brings the spotlight on Jesus and the flesh brings the spotlight on intself. In my experience, the mere fact that you pronounce yourself a prophet, almost always means that you are not. Self-pronouncments should automaticly disqualify you from the position:)

Obviously a genuinly Spirit filled Christian is also a devourer of the Word of God, this , for me , would be a key identifier. A genuine word from God will NEVER, contradict the Word of God. If a self-proclaimed prophet prophecy's something and it does not come to pass, then Deuterononmy obviously comes into play. If there is disorder in your church, then this is in violation of the letter to Corinthians. Just a cursory knowledge of the Word instantly indentifies a peddler of the Gospel like Todd Bentley. Discernment obviously belongs to them that fear God. You cannot fear that which you do not know..............Frank