No one ever taught like the Lord Jesus. His messages were filled with authority, precious truths and always relevant, including the ones which might wrongly appear to some to be unloving. The following verse is an example of this and only found once in the Bible. It can be easily missed. It states the experts (in the law) took away the key to knowledge:
Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering. (Luke 11:52)
Now that we clearly know that somehow the key to (spiritual) knowledge can be taken away to the damnation of others, we need to find out how spiritual knowledge is actually found. That vital bit of information is located in the following passage. Please read it carefully and remember the truths:
My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. (Prov 2:1-5)
Every one of the various details cited there are to be done carefully by the person himself who is seeking God's spiritual knowledge. It is apparent such a person is going to have to be a diligent and serious seeker of truth. It will take personal time and effort to gain knowledge. It does NOT come easily or instantly. There are no shortcuts.
So if a person seeks, he will find, as Jesus taught, but he must seek for himself where truth can be found, that is, only in the Scriptures (Bible). The EXPERTS (in the law) took away the key of knowledge by hindering that. How did that disastrous thing occur? It occurred because they were wrongly exalted as the learned and accurate expert teachers and doctors religiously—the only ones who could truly understand the Scriptures. With them, there would no longer be any need for individuals to seek out truth directly from the Scriptures for themselves. “Seekers” could take a short-cut to easy, instant understanding by going to those exalted (false) spiritual leaders, who have the degrees and are in places of honor and influence.
As that horrible thing occurred in Jesus' day, it has been repeated a million times over in our day. People are wrongly going to the TV and radio teachers or authors, their priest, their rabbi, their pastor, the seminary professors, the Bible commentaries, the exalted men of the past (Spurgeon, John Calvin, Wesley, Charles Finney, etc.), the study Bibles, the Watchtower Society, Mary Baker Eddy, Ellen G. White, Joseph Smith, Jr., etc. for knowledge, instead of going directly to the Bible for themselves. The result is doctrinal deception and confusion, which result in various sins.
Because the key to knowledge has been taken away, false doctrine and sin have proliferated to the destruction of multitudes. The answer is simple, but has been made complicated. During the dark ages the Bible was locked away from common man, but now learning the real truth has been blocked in so many subtle ways, people are still being lethally deceived and walking in darkness.
Remember: There are no quick, easy short cuts to spiritual knowledge. Besides Prov. 2:1-5, notice how spiritual insight and understanding come:
I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes. I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts. (Psa 119:99,100)
To tell a wise and understanding person, do NOT look for degrees or titles, as the uninformed do! Just because someone can quote Scripture doesn't mean he is teaching correctly. The devil can quote Scripture too (Lk. 4:9-11)! (While there is no premium on ignorance, many of the highly educated, smooth talking, doctors of theology are speaking for the devil and taking SOULS to hell with themselves.) Consider what is exalted in the following Scriptures:
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. (James 3:13)
And he said to man, “The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.” (Job 28:28)
While there are legitimate teachers of God's truth, the vast majority who claim this are spreading poison! The few who are sound can get deceived at any time. Hence, the Christian must carefully examine every shred of teaching he intends to accept as truth. Again, you must get in the Bible for yourself to know the truth (and change accordingly to benefit). The Bible is 100% truth and the ONLY SOURCE WHICH CAN BE FULLY TRUSTED. Please remember these truths. To neglect them is to place your SOUL in harm's way!
OTHER TOPICS:
Is God Behind A Weeping Mary Statue?
Salvation Observations From James 5:19,20
Eternal Security Is Another Gospel
Did The Early Christians Observe a Saturday Sabbath Until Constantine?
Evangelical Outreach Alphabetical Map
Evangelical Outreach
EvangelicalOutreach.org
PO Box 265
Washington PA 15301
EternalLifeBlog.com