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Button Fads
There certainly is a lot of confusion between Christians dealing with
the study of our Father's Word, which are the best resources to use, which Church to
attend, or even if just a King James Version is all that's required. Just as many people as there are in the world, each could probably have their
own opinion on these questions. In my opinion, fads answer these questions for many.
"Well, what do you mean by fads?", one might ask. It's natural for people
to want to belong to something, making a statement about their identity: in other
words, they use a 'fashion' or 'fad' to link the importance of self. During most cases,
they will change who they really are in order to conform to the 'fad' or peer pressure of
that group. Each person may have a different reason for changing, but the effect, all in
all, is the same. They try to become someone or something else. God made each
one us for a special reason, to fulfill His Plan. Trying to become something you're
not, is very dangerous, and most of the time, will lead you off of His intended path. When
you finally discover that His Truth is your goal, then 'fads' become part of the immature
stages of adolescence. As Paul would teach in 1 Cor 13, that when he was a child, he spoke
as a child, thought as a child, but when he became a man, he put away childish things, so
also, in becoming a mature Christian, we must put away the 'fads' of this world. Now
that I've beat this to death, here's the point.
To be caught up in the 'fad' of asking which Church
someone attends before they will converse in The Word with you (this is the condition), is
in the category Paul was talking about, 'childish things'. Don't misunderstand me. There's
nothing wrong with asking someone where they attend Church, but when their purpose of
asking is for the reason of putting you into their little category of 'fads', so they can
label every thing out your mouth afterwards, might this mean they are deceived?
Maybe Churches should issue buttons for everyone to wear, like campaign election buttons
and what not. Then maybe Christians from different denominations can get down to the meat
in God's Word, instead of playing popularity games.
Where is this type of 'fad' reasoning coming from? Babel,
i.e., confusion, and that state is due to the lack of proper study in The Word, and one's
own personal insincerity. Remember, to follow a fad is to willfully try to change
into something you're not. Which Church to attend, which Bible to study, and how you
study, have become 'fads' with many. My mother used to tell me that if I didn't go
to her particular brand of Church, then I was doomed to 'hell'. I would normally say that
God's Church is the Body of Christ (see I Cor.10). A good question in that situation might
be: if Chinese people living in China studying God's Word don't have your particular
religious denomination available, or not any except God's Word only, yet they have taken
all the steps in becoming a Christian, believing on Christ as you did, does that mean
they're doomed? Would this also mean that if some person of any non-English speaking
nation who couldn't read a King James Version, could never be a Christian, since some say
that the King James is the only Word of God? God forbid. That's why the true Body of
Christ is not tied to denominations, or a particular building which puts up a sign on
their lawn teaching The Word. This 'fadism' has become a problem with which Bible is
chosen for study. Have you ever heard, "the King James is the only Bible! It's God's
Word, and there's no errors in It! It's Perfect! God wouldn't allow errors in His
Word! You don't need anything else!" Might that attitude be an excuse for laziness in
our Father's Word? "Ah, just give me a button to wear and then maybe I won't have to
study at all!" (I'm joking) But seriously, many of these people also don't realize
that their teacher in most cases, if having attended seminar, is familiar with several
other study resources and Bible versions. That teacher may be misleading the congregation
by not making that Church aware of the original manuscripts and study resources, but when
all is said, who is truly responsible for studying God's Word? Each one of us,
individually. No one can do your studying for you. So throw those buttons away, and
get into our Father's Word. Don't allow the things of this world to build divisions
among you. Let's see what Paul had to say about religious 'fads' (doctrines of man).
Turn with me to I Cor.3:
1 Cor
3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even
as unto babes in Christ.
Paul is talking to the congregation at Corinth that
they're thinking with their 'flesh mind' instead of the 'spiritual mind'. Since
flesh can't fathom the deep mysteries of the spirit, he was forced to talk to their 'flesh
mind'. He had rather come there to further their 'spiritual' understanding in the ways of
Christ.
1 Cor
3:2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to
bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
This particular Church wasn't ready for the Word 'full
strength', because they were still on 'milk', if Paul had taught them 'meat', they might
have become more confused. (This is a message to God's teachers today. We have
to go easy for some because they're still on the milk bottle, but even as infants
eventually wean, the 'meat' should be forthcoming. Don't worry, you'll know if you've gone
too fast and far teaching The Word to 'spiritual infants'; the Holy Spirit will let you
know.) Do you think this Church at Corinth was ready for the 'mystery' of their previous
spiritual existence in the first earth age?
1 Cor
3:3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you
envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
Paul is telling them that since they are thinking with
the 'flesh', all the bad emotions associated with the flesh caused them to be as the
world, and not as the Body of Christ. You tell me friend, once you have worked to
establish a bridge with our Father in the Spirit, and then decide to go the way of flesh,
seeking out your own selfish desires, do you sense true understanding of yourself and your
purpose in the world dropping with that bridge also?
1 Cor
3:4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye
not carnal?
Yeah, now we're gettin' to It! What's this? Some in the
congregation were creating divisions! "I'm of Paul! He's the one I
follow!", says one, and, "Well, I'm of brother Apollos, he represents the True
Word to me!", says another. Looks like they forgot to study God's Word, huh?
Let me see, did Paul or Apollos die on the cross for our sins? Can you understand how our
'flesh' can take over our thinking? This type of thinking can only happen to you if YOU
allow it. I can't help it, I think Paul has just given us a great example of
'buttons' (i.e.,'fads' in the Church).
1 Cor
3:5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye
believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?
Notice
the words 'by whom' in this verse? Christ gives knowledge of the Holy
Spirit to each one that comes to Him and fulfills the requirement of Christian; no
man can claim that Spirit and Knowledge as sole owner. The word 'ministers' is diakonos
in the Greek, meaning 'an attendant, someone who runs on errands' (Strong's no.
1249). Boy, that really puts Paul's and Apollos' position in perspective compared
to Christ, doesn't it? Compared to God, we're as 'filthy rags' (Isaiah 64:6).
1 Cor 3:
6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that
watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall
receive his own reward according to his own labour.
9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye
are God's building.
You
can plant 'seeds' of God's Truth, another disciple can do the first watering to help the
seeds germinate, but without God providing that 'latter rain' from the Holy Spirit, it
will not grow.(Go to Jeremiah 3; Zech.10; Joel 2; James 5:7 for a 'spiritual explanation
of this 'former' and 'latter rain'. Don't use your 'flesh mind' while reading those
verses, try to think in the 'spiritual', look beyond the physical and you'll understand.)
We are nothing without Him. You can try to force your way into heaven by believing on the
'wheel of birth', but it won't work, no one can do their own salvation.
Don't let the 'systems' of this world come between you
and our Father. You don't need traditions to understand The Word. Christ doesn't do
buttons...can't pin one on Him. Our Father is Who we need. Worship Him instead.
Peace be with you in Christ
Jesus,
Dave Ramey.
Footnotes:
All references to
"Strong's nos." are from Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, PC Study Bible,
Biblesoft, 1993-1996.
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