Trusting God and His Word

Thus the heavens and the earth,

and all the hosts of them, were finished.

And on the seventh day God ended

His work that He had done,

And rested on the seventh day

from all His work which God had

created and made.

Genesis 2:1–3

            Two days a week I spend two hours each day studying and assisting students in the Koine Greek language that the Bible was written and the common language the Israelites would know, and the lands which Alexander the Great, his generals who followed him being precepts over sections of the Near Asian, Egyptian, and much of Europe, Turkey, and Greece, would teach children and be used for commerce and as the general language spoken. The one thing that is most important in the study of the Bible is to allow the Bible to speak for itself and not allow presuppositions to be proved by the Bible. Allow the Bible to determine your presuppositions. We must allow the language of the Bible, even when hard to understand, or interpret in our language to speak for itself, the grammar, and the syntax. Unless you are of the belief that only man wrote the Bible and only parts of it are words of God, those parts that someone has decided based on their presuppositions, or theories, or ideologies, and do not believe that God would preserve His word, then none of what I just wrote will be of any importance to you. But….. if you are truly seeking the truth and believe that God spoke inspirationally to certain men, in certain times, and all that He spoke and had written was for us even today and not just for the times men spoke or wrote, then continue to learn and allow God’s truth to build and fortify your faith. If you are one that is confused about the subject of the origin of the soul, and how man has original sin, and have followed a belief that the soul is derived from parents as do the Traducianists but are willing to allow God’s word to speak then read God’s word in prayer and allow the Holy Spirit to enlighten you as you study His word. For instance, the Traducianist believe that it is inconsistent with God for Him to continue creation and use the opening verse as saying that God was done with creation and rested from all which He had created and made (vs. 3). In other words, God produces after the original creation mediately, that is through the operation of second causes. This then makes God to work intermediately and not directly in the affairs of this world even though some Traducianists believe that they is a superintendence of Providence but as to divine efficiency, this they deny.

            The opening verses do state that God rested on the Seventh day from all that which He had created and made, but, and this is important, it does not say that God, as a Deist would admit, sat back and only through some Providence guided this world without His divine efficiency. God rested from all that He had made and those verses say nothing about future events. Those verses cannot be used to support Traducianism. God is God: He is not controlled by the use of means, for He is the author of means and allows means to exist and then in accordance with His will to fulfill His purpose for creation, Providentially guides those means, those second causes to work within His will. God does not make us one of His robots, we are the authors of second causes, and we produce that which is done in this world, whether good or bad. We are the recipients of the consequences of our authorship in causing second causes. This does not mean that God sits back and does nothing, rather it is by God who allows those second causes to be formed and then by His guiding hand works those second causes for the good of His children. But, we have yet one question that must be answered: Life! Where does life originate? Is it by second causes? Man may produce progeny and by that production there is life but that does not answer the question: From where does life come?  How is life produced? Is it simply chemical reactions that make life? If so then we still have not answered the question for all we did was to put life as a result of chemicals and their association with each other but the question remains: How did life begin? In other words the answer is more than simplicity for the physical world can do certain things, but it cannot produce life for life is more than a combination of chemicals. Life is immaterial! Where did the power for life come? The only answer that has merit is that life comes directly from God. This then is exactly what the Scriptures teach thereby God then has not rested from producing life, rather God has rested from producing physical elements. God is continually creating therefore there must be a plan, a fixed plan whereby God by the use of His creative energy creates life with all its attributes and this by His purpose and then under His operation of Providential care is guided by His Providence. Man can produce progeny by physical means; God produces life and there is in this no derogatory element in regards to His divine character. God producing life continually creating life, then God is the creator of the soul and God is the originator of the soul, therefore the soul is not numerically divided, and as the Traducianist teaches that parents are the producers of the soul. I one is a Traducianist then he has banished God from this world and then this makes cause that God causes miracles, or that by such a theory God sanctions every act with which his creative power is said to be connected, this is not even plausible for God is Holy and is not the author of sin.

            I will continue this conclusion as to the origin of the soul and then continue to address the doctrine of original sin. What we must do is to pray, read, think, and use what God has given us, our brain, that is, to use those faculties which is God given and this is to mean this: Allow Scripture to interpret Scripture, and use your brain to see what the Scriptures are saying and not what you may want them to say. You will be blessed, and your faith in God, His Son, and the power of the Holy Spirit that is given to all of His children will not only be realized, but you will be used to further the gospel.

The LORD is in His holy temple,

            The LORD’s throne is in heaven;

His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men,

            The LORD tests the righteous,

But the wicked and the one who loves violence

            His soul hates.

                                                Psalm 11:4–5

Put your trust in God

Richard L. Crumb

God Is Not Limited: As Some Would Make Him To Be

Therefore lay aside all filthiness

and overflow of wickedness,

and receive with meekness

the implanted word,

which is able to save your souls.

But be doers of the word,

and not hearers only,

deceiving yourselves.

James 1:21–22

            James writes under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit instructing the children of God to be active in their faith by removing from themselves all forms of filthiness, and wickedness. How often do we say: “God will tell me what to do, then I will do it, or God will fill the Church therefore all I have to do is preach the word and God will fill the Church?” God will not turn a non–moving car. The car must be moving then it can be turned. If you are not active in your faith then why would anyone expect God to aid them? God has revealed to His children what He expects from them, and first thing to do is to believe on His Son Jesus Christ as the Savior, then be active by receiving His word that is implanted in you which can save your souls. We are studying the soul, and original sin but we are not to just hear these words, we are to become doers of the word, otherwise all that is being done is self–deception. It is not easy to spend time studying, especially when it comes to doctrine, we become lazy in our approach, we allow going to Church, hearing the word expounded and then, sitting back and just basking the fact that you believe and that you will be saved. Will you? Or, will you just be another Christian that will enter heaven with the smell of smoke on your clothes? Paul writes to the Corinthian Church due to their misunderstanding of what it means to be a Christian: “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stray, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire” (1Corinthians 3:11–15). Are you growing in your faith, do you have questions that need to answered, those difficult questions that are often left aside due to their seemingly difficulty? We grow in grace, in our faith, and this is sanctification, therefore, take the time to learn and then know what is this implanted word of truth which many have confounded with philosophies that contradict God’s word. The purpose of this study is to help each of us grow in our sanctification and to be prepared to answer those who would either question us, or, will attempt to teach what is not Scriptural.

            I wrote earlier on the doctrine that some have accepted as truth; Traducianism. Traducianism is founded on a theory and assumes that God, from the beginning, since the original creation, only operates through means. Does God work through means? Yes, this is what the opening Scripture testifies, that God will judge a person by what they do with the implanted word, and their study of His word. This is different from the doctrine of Traducianism: they teach that on the Seventh Day of creation God rested from his work and still rests today. They teach that continued creation is inconsistent with God’s relation to the world. God now only works through second causes. Deism holds to such a belief, that God created then sits back and does nothing, He rests from all creating power. God according to Traducianism teaches that after God created the world, having endowed man with certain faculties, and properties, then sets aside his creative power and rests, leaving all to second causes. Some Traducianists appeal to the Providence of God but His direct exercise of Divine efficiency is denied. This brings into question the doctrine of regeneration? How? The new birth is not produced by natural effect, it is not produced by the influence of truth, or the energy of the human will. Many hear the truth and may even be influenced by the truth to live goodly lives, and by their will they strive to live a moral live, but they are not saved, they never come to faith in Jesus Christ, only by their will, their actions, they feel as they are good persons, and maybe, maybe, if there is a God He will save them. Will He? No! Salvation comes only by the immediate exercise of God, through His Almighty power. God is not related to this world as to be a carpenter which limits Him to use only the materials at hand to make something. God is not limited to only use second causes, which He can, and by His Providence make cause for second causes to fulfill His will and purpose. Traducianists limit God, to be nothing more than either an absentee God, or one that is limited. God is God, and it is by Him operating immanently in the world, sustaining and guiding all causes. God works through them, constantly, with them, and without them. An example is that of our writing which uses a combined operation of the mind and of mechanical action. Furthermore, there is a chemical action involved, the forces of life controlled by our minds, guiding our writing, our thoughts being written on paper, a creative energy. So God, as immanent in the world, constantly guides all the operations of second causes, and at the same time exercises uninterruptedly His creative energy. Life is not simply due to physical causes for it has its origin due to the immediate power of God.

            How this applies to the origin of the soul and then the cause of original sin will be the subject of the next blog.

Now He who has prepared us

            For this very thing is God,

Who also has given us the Spirit

            As a guarantee. So we are

Always confident, knowing that

            While we are at home

In the body we are absent from

            The Lord.

For we walk by faith, not by sight.

                        2Corinthians 2:5–7

Lay Aside All Thing Contrary To God

Richard L. Crumb

Scripture Interprets Scripture: Nothing More Is To Be Added

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper

in all things and be in health,

just as your soul prospers.

For I rejoiced greatly when brethren

came and testified of the truth that is

in you, just as you walk in the truth.

I have no greater joy than to hear

that my children walk in truth.

3John 2-4

            The apostle John writes these words to Gaius a brother in truth and loved by John. John was overjoyed to hear that Gaius walked in the truth and the apostle John under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit add that he (John) could have no greater joy than to hear and know that those whom he taught and called his children also walked in the truth. Walking in truth is to have your soul prosper. Walking in truth brings joy to those who teach you the truth. Walking in truth is a outward sign of what is occurring in a person’s heart. When your heart is in the truth you walk according to the truth and this brings joy to our Father in heaven.  Truth is found only in Scripture as it is God revealed, His will, and His commands for us so that we live according to His will and purpose for man. Scripture interprets Scripture, not man, not man’s suppositions, or presuppositions, his philosophy, his ideology, rather it Scripture determining our presuppositions, our suppositions, our philosophy, and our ideology. In man’s search for meaning, the origin for life, the soul, and for why there is evil he often begins with his own beliefs as foundational and then is led in a ship shod manner developing what seems correct, even at times using Scripture to support his presuppositions only to teach falsity, even heresy. You may walk in shallow water and enjoy the  cool of the water but you are not swimming. You may enjoy the water but you have never enjoyed the richness of the water, the joy of diving deep into its depths and seeing all that resides in the depth. The truth is to be found in the depths, skimming the surface will never lead a person to the fullness of truth found in the depths of Scripture. To accept without examination is the beginning of folly leading a person in things which are not bringing joy to God, and certainly in time not even to anyone. We live, as Christians say, eternally with God, but so often they live their lives as though eternity is only a dream. It is easier to just go about believing than to search out if what is believed is true. This is what I am attempting to do in these blogs; swim in the deep water, search Scriptures and find the truth, then apply that truth in daily living.

            It is incumbent to search out the truth, to know what is to be believed, then to apply that knowledge in our lives. We must strenuously resist any doctrine that is not aligned with Scripture even when we find that what is believed is not supported by Scripture. When it comes to the origin of the soul and for those who teach and assume the doctrine that the soul is divisible, or to be material must be resisted for it makes the nature of Jesus Christ, His soul, to be contaminated with sin. Be careful in your examination and do not become wiser than Scripture, that which is written for our learning and understanding. For instance; to say that we confess that generation, the production of a new individual of the human race is an inscrutable mystery, we must then also admit that life in all its forms in its transmission is a mystery. Many theologians and philosophers resist that the soul is ex nihilo, but if they did an did not insist on divisibility of the soul, or that of their belief that the identity of essence in all humans, then their evil would not be so great. But as has been shown, there is no Scriptural proof for their doctrines of the soul even if some would not go so far in their attempt to moderate such doctrines. Even if there are those who desire to moderate such obtrusive doctrines according to Scripture they do not explain the doctrine of sin as they have no value and lose all meaning as to the propagation of sin.

            It should be pointed out that to make a theory as to the origin of the soul the foundation or ground of a doctrine as that is to make it fundamental to make it the Christian system of the doctrine of original sin would be unreasonable and presumptuous. To do so those men who teach such doctrines as preexistence of the soul, or Traducianism that assert their doctrine of derivation, and the consequent numerical sameness of substance in men is make and then to admit that not to include such doctrine then original sin is impossible. They say that nothing can be true even if plainly taught in Scripture, by their not having the ability to explain this plain teaching in the Bible, they refuse to believe Scripture. Oh! How we see this done by people in denominations that when shown the truth of Scripture and the falseness of their practices and beliefs simple refuse to believe and follow Scripture. They will not “give up” their beliefs, especially when they point to tradition as their foundations for their beliefs: i.e., “If it was good enough for grandma and grandpa, it is good enough for me.” Never questioning what they believe, they just simply do not want to be bothered with facts even if they are Scriptural. Therefore, when it comes to those doctrines outside of Scripture that have led people into false teaching, even heresy and when it comes to hereditary depravity, they will not believe unless they can explain its transmission. They hold to one fact, right or wrong, unless hereditary depravity of the soul in a s child is not the same numerical substance as the soul of the parent, they won’t believe. Even if the plain assertions of Scripture which are God given by inspiration, even those verses or Scripture that seem obscure, unintelligible, and seemingly self–contradictory, those least received adoptions of Scripture, those theories of the constitution of man and the propagation of man be adopted; they refuse Scripture in favor of what has been propounded as truth even when not supported by Scripture. The truth of God is found in His word and to speak other than that truth, to teach what is not taught in Scripture and to make cause for people to believe a lie, is to hang a mill–stone around their neck.

            No man has this right!

Where there is no revelation,

            The people cast off restraint;

But happy is he who keeps the law.

                                    Proverbs 29:18

Read and Pray: Tarry and Learn

Richard L. Crumb