Welcome to today’s podcast. Today’s episode is about how to be victorious by putting God first in your life. We will look at Moses and Joshua, and learn from them how they defeated their enemy and became victorious.
If you are having trouble listening to the podcast, you can click on the title that’s on the player to listen to the whole episode on Spotify.
A Christian commented on one of my posts and gave me his point of view regarding having faith in the Bible, which I would in a loving way, disagree with his conclusion. I will keep from mentioning the post that he commented on so that his name will be anonymous.
[His comment] “Perhaps we need to be careful how we state our faith in the Bible?”
[Spaniard] Our faith in the Bible comes from what the Bible says in its pages. Below are some examples.
[Matthew 4:4, HCSB] “4 But He answered, “It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
[2 Timothy 3:16-17, HCSB] “16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
According to Matthew 4, every Christian must mirror every Word of God in their lives. In 2 Timothy 3, it tells you why because it is inspired, meaning, the Bible came from the mouth of God. God used godly men to pen His very words.
[His comment] “There is a good chance I misunderstood your statement, “Having faith in the Scriptures means to believe everything that is written in it without doubting one single word of it.”
“The way I see it we should put our faith in the teachings of Jesus.”
[Spaniard] I can say that you did not misunderstand what I said. We have to live according to every word in the whole Bible. Jesus said so in Matthew 4:4, which I have already quoted with your first statement. Jesus did not have the New Testament to quote to Satan. Jesus quoted to Satan from the Book of Deuteronomy [the Old Testament].
[His comment] “Moses said “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.” Jesus said “turn the other cheek.” We do not want to follow Moses word for word in this case.”
[Spaniard] Your assumption regarding the Scripture seems to indicate that it is contradicting itself, and one must choose what is applicable for today.
The passage in Exodus 21:24 that says, “eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” is not a command that Christians struggle with to either follow it or not. I think that a Spirit-filled believer knows that when he reads the Old Testament, the commands that still apply, apply and the ones that don’t, don’t. It is very obvious because we are no longer under the civil law that was prescribed to the Israelites.
The Law is broken into three parts:
1. The Civil Law…
2. The Ceremonial Law and…
3. The Moral Law.
Jesus said: “Don’t assume that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill” –Matthew 5:17. The Law pointed to Jesus’ death [and resurrection] for the sins of the world. The Law was to show how sinful we are and the impossibility to keep it all. The standard of God’s righteousness is too high to achieve.
Christians today, must read and learn from the Old Testament because many things still apply. We don’t depend on the Law for salvation, only in the person of Jesus Christ, but we live in obedience to the Moral Law found in the Old and New Testament. Those from the church that says, “We no longer need the Old Testament” they are short-sighted and understand nothing, being spiritually deficient. In 2 Timothy 3:16-17, it says, “16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
“All Scripture is inspired by God” The “All” refers to the Old and New Testament. God’s Word, all of it, is applicable for today to equip us for every good work God has for us, for the glory of God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.
[His comment] “Jesus as the Son of God, has the authority to change the teaching of Moses. We do not have the authority to change the teaching of Jesus.”
[Spaniard] Your statement is not supported in the Bible. Jesus never changed the teachings of Moses, He fulfilled what God gave Moses concerning the law. In Matthew 5:17, Jesus said, “Don’t assume that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.”
[His comment] “The only safe method is to follow the teaching of Jesus.”
[Spaniard] On the contrary, the safest method is to read it and live according to the whole counsel of God, which is found in Genesis to Revelation. Christians are not under the Law for salvation. Faith in Jesus brings salvation because He fulfilled the Law by His death and resurrection. We are still under the Moral Law [the Law of the Spirit], and for the rest, we can still find life application.
I hope that all believers recognize that we must live according to what’s in the whole Bible and not pick and choose. The things that Jesus fulfilled, we no longer have to keep, but there is still life application in them.
Spiritual Minefield 