The Whole Counsel of GOD

 

Ezekiel 2:7 "But you shall speak My words to them whether they listen or not, for they are rebellious. 8 "Now you, son of man, listen to what I am speaking to you; do not be rebellious like that rebellious house. Open your mouth and eat what I am giving you.

Have you ever been around a preacher or teacher that seems to hit the same topic over and over again.  I am not speaking of the gospel, but of something such as tithing, modest clothing, love, or sovereignty.  Really it could be most anything.  But they seem to go out of their way to bring up the subject not matter the section of scripture or the topic. 

Maybe it was a teacher or preacher that will tend to skip over sections of scripture that might be controversial or difficult.  Or it might be that they never go to some subjects at all due to fear of upsetting somebody. In either case we have an out of balance view of scripture.

Yet there is another group that seems to teach every doctrine down to the smallest detail, yet they lack any application of what they know.  They seem to get lost in having all the right doctrines and somehow they think that is enough (Revelation 2:4 – they have lost their love).  This application anemia is killing many reformed churches today.

We cannot pick and choose what we like and exclude what we don’t.  The church today suffers from a lack of knowledge and a lack of application.  You don’t have to go out of your way to hammer home some pet doctrine.  You shouldn’t be afraid to speak the truth in a loving manner, no matter the audience.  We should expect that people who trust in Christ for salvation should grow in Christ-likeness as well.  The same power that saves us, makes us able and yearning to obey.

It all starts at the Word of God.  In your own personal studies do you skip over something that might be convicting or key in only to those things that apply to someone else.  God wants us to grow up into a mature believer in all ways, not just in a few.  That means sometimes we are going to have to hear some difficult teachings, repent, be more diligent at following, pay attention to our own lives (others do).

So why this topic?  I was reading in Ezekiel 1-2 this morning.  I noticed particularly that God gave a message to Ezekiel.  He even told him that they wouldn’t listen to Him.  He even warned him not to be stubborn and stiff necked like them.  It made me examine myself.  How to do I approach scripture?  Do I teach the whole counsel of God – starting with myself?  You and I are accountable to God with what we teach to ourselves, family, friends, classes, churches, etc.…

Obey what you know.  Learn what scripture says and put it into practical application in your life.  Teach what you have learned to someone else and help bring them along as you follow Christ. You are teaching others something just by what you live out.  None of us were meant to do this alone.

Acts 20:26 "Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. 27 "For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God. 28 "Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.