I have my own certain ‘ground rules’ for scripture interpretation and understanding, as well as applying common sense reasoning to concepts. Of course, people reading what I just said might say “just follow the leading of the Holy Spirit!” and that is absolutely true. But it is also true that when we are born again, having received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, we do not receive full knowledge of scripture in a heartbeat. The Holy Spirit leads and guides, as promised, and growing is a lifelong commitment and quest. It is true too that the inner voice of God’s spirit is not the only voice that sways our thinking. Satan’s voice the there too, and comes with revelation knowledge as an angel of light. Sure, Jesus said His sheep know him and they know his voice…but this is not to say that they will also recognize Satan’s voice! Then of course there is our own voice, the strong voice of church traditions and the false doctrines we have learned in our past. These are all voices. There are certain statements, common sense statements that I have to make. I am sure everyone will agree with them, until it comes time to put them into practice; and that will be when ‘reason’ flies out the window in favor of erroneous beliefs. Those who think they cannot be deceived…are deceived already! There is a scripture that says of deception that Satan “if it were possible, would deceive the very elect.” Some take this to mean that they cannot be deceived…but this is not what the scripture says. Scripture does NOT say they CAN’T be deceived.To say; “if it were possible” does not mean that it is ‘impossible’. Man applies his own implications to that verse, depending on how he wishes to think it. A common problem among most doctrines and even individual believers is that a ‘paraphrase’ or a summation of scripture will be quoted AS scripture! This leads to great error, and leads others to follow as well.
One concept toward common sense in understanding certain things about salvation I will relate in the following manner; “you cannot lose money that you never had.” In fact, you cannot lose anything, unless you first possessed it. Does this make sense? Of course it does. Another one is this: you cannot be taken away, or removed, from a place unless you at one time were joined to it. How can you be taken out of Chicago, for example, unless you were first IN Chicago? Does that make sense? Another thing I want to point out is that the letters of the new testament were written TO THE CHURCH. Not unbelievers at all, and does not pertain to unbelievers, it is written to the members of the body of Christ; spirit-filled believers, for according to scripture that is how one becomes a part of the body. The letters of the new testament were written, not for the lost, but for those already in Christ. Another thing I go by, determining whether or not a certain doctrine or even a train of thought is valid or not is to weigh such understanding ‘in the balances’. The kind of balances wherein two weights are placed on separate discs of a balancing scale and the heavier one goes down and the lighter one goes up. Putting this into practice to ‘judge all things by the Word of God’ helps us to even determine if our understanding of scriptures themselves are indeed correct. Another guidelines for ‘weighing our understanding of scripture’ is the axiom that scripture itself is always right, and there are NO contradictions of scripture! None. If there are what seems to be contradictions, then it is due to our lack of understanding. In practicality, if we grasp an understanding of one verse of scripture and believe it to be true, yet there are a dozen verses that contradict it;
where is the probable problem? With the twelve, or with the one? It is only reasonable to suspect our understanding of the one verse instead of the twelve! Or what about having an understanding of two or three verses of scripture; yet 100 verses are contrary? Logic tells me to suspect our understanding of the few, and study, digging deeply into the few verses to obtain a better understanding of them. Such logic when empowered by prayer yields revelation truth that deepens a person’s perspective and understanding of God’s word as a whole. Yet I see people who are adamant about the one or two verses they wish to interpret as ‘true’ while totally ignoring the vast majority of verses that say something contrary to their understanding. Is this reasonable? No, it’s simply blindness; and a blindness that often chooses to remain blind so that they may cling to beliefs of their own making that do not coincide with scripture as a whole.
I have read of late some people declaring that a born again, spirit-filled Christian CANNOT sin. That a Christian is somehow ‘above’ even the possibility of committing a sin. This theology comes from an erroneous understanding of 1 John 3:8 & 9; “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God DOTH NOT COMMIT SIN; for his seed remaineth in him: AND HE CANNOT SIN, because he is born of God.” Some people seemed to have taken these two verses and created a whole theology around them! Nevertheless, these two verses are scripture, so how can I say these people have misunderstood what is written? The answer is simple; weigh them in balances of other scripture. There are a great many verses that say something contrary to the understanding of the two quoted. Do we cling to how we understand the 2, and reject the many to the contrary? Doesn’t it make more sense to accept the many, and suspect our understanding of the 2? Because of those two verses some people think even the slightest or rare sin indicates that a person was never a spirit-filled Christian in the first place. That same apostle John also said in 1 John 2:1; My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And IF any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” IF, any man sin…John said. Not necessarily ‘when’, as if sin were going to be common place, but IF. No, we are not supposed to sin, at all. But this doesn’t mean sin is not even possible! And it certainly does not mean a person was never a true Christian in the first place! Many verses of scripture are devoted to CHASTISEMENT. Chastisement of who? God’s children. Not everybody, but His Children. Does God chastise when ‘no wrong’ (sin) is done? Does God punish us for doing no wrong? Common sense and knowing the love of our God says otherwise. Chastisment is something God does to HIS children, those born of His Spirit, when they do wrong (i.e., sin). Hebrews 12:5-11; (notes in parenthesis or upper case will be done to point out what I am saying):“And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto YOU (writing to the CHURCH) AS UNTO CHILDREN, MY SON, (God’s children, born again) despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For WHOM THE LORD LOVETH he chasteneth, and scourgeth EVERY SON whom he receiveth. If YE (again, YE, the church, born again believers) endure chastening, God dealeth with YOU AS WITH SONS; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we MIGHT BE PARTAKERS OF HIS HOLINESS (the reason for chastisement). Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised” Take a good look also at James: 5:19-20; “Brethren, (those also ‘in Christ’, born again and spirit-filled) if any of you (Who? YOU) DO ERR FROM THE TRUTH, and one convert him (get him to repent); Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner (the sinner in this case is one of the “YOU” James referred to at the beginning of verse 19) from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.” Yes, a born again spirit-filled Christian can sin! And do. But the result will be the same as those who were never Christians, for the wages of sin is death, and that applies to all. A Christian that errs must also repent, and endure the punishment for such sin that is given through chastisement. People should weigh these things and take not only a fresh look at 1 John 3:8-9, but do some study and research on them. I point one more time to 1 John 2:1; “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And IF any man sin, WE (not the world, not the unsaved, not the unbeliever…but WE) have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”