The Great Innoculation

There is an overwhelming spiritual epidemic among God’s people, and among people in general, and it is nothing new. It is the exact same thing that Jesus addressed when he was here, as did the prophet Isaiah in his day: “And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them” (Mat. 13:14,15). The same thing that conditioned the people then to be in such a state is still the culprit today: “For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men… Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered” (Mk. 7:8,13). Whenever man adds his own traditions and doctrines into the faith of God, he takes away the truth of God at the same time. It is actually a substitution that gains something for man, and takes away glory and honor from God at the same time. When this is done on a massive scale, and it has been more than ever today, the result is an inoculation to God’s word in the hearts and minds of God’s people. Then when someone comes along speaking for God, such as Isaiah or Jesus for example, they are viewed as radical and alien to ‘the established truth:’ “I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother’s children” (Psm. 69:8). Those are the words of Jesus in prophecy my friend, and what people don’t realize is that NOTHING ever changes, ever. It was that way long before Jesus came, and it is that way today, long after Jesus has been here. The man-made traditions of the modern Christian religion have inoculated God’s people to his truth to such an extent that even many who SEEM like they hear are not hearing. Just say the word ‘baptism’ and EVERYONE’S mind goes straight to water. Never mind that Jesus suffered, died, and rose again to fulfill water baptism with his own personal heavenly baptism (Mat. 3:15; Acts 1:4,5; Eph. 4:5). Mention the word 'salvation’ and everyone’s mind goes straight to “getting saved” or “accepting the Lord.” Never mind that those myths are NOT in the Bible, and never mind that the scriptures are utterly consistent with the understanding that salvation is at the “END of [our] faith;” after we have been baptized with the Spirit into Christ, and have “endured unto the end” in “righteousness and true holiness” (I Pet. 1:3-7; I Cor. 12:13; Mat. 24:13; Eph. 4:24; Heb. 12:14).

Mention anything about God, and about his Son Jesus, and about the holy Ghost; and everyone either goes straight to ‘the Trinity,’ or to ‘Jesus Only.’ Never mind that there is absolutely NOTHING in the Bible that supports 'one person’ or 'three persons,’ and that the consistent scriptural evidence of the new testament clearly shows that there are TWO persons who have the same life substance, which is the Spirit ofGod (Eph. 4:5; II Jn. 1:3; Jn. 5:26; Rom. 8:2). And never mind that the ONLY way we can be “one, even as [Jesus and the Father] are one,” is if we also have and follow the SAME Spirit of love, power, and truth dwelling in us that abides in them (Acts 1:8; Rom. 5:5; Rom. 8:14 Jn. 14:17; Jn. 17:21,22; I Cor. 1:10). Oh yeah, and if you want to know what REALLY ruffles the feathers of God’s people, just labor in prayer every day and purify [yourself] even as he [Jesus] is pure,“ and "walk in the Spirit and [don’t] fulfill the lusts of the flesh;” and merely let someone know that they must live apart from sin, and that you are doing just that (I Jn. 3:3; Gal. 5:16; Rom. 6:1,2,6). By that time you’re REALLY NUTS! Just forget that the new testament scriptures are totally replete with the commandment to be without sin (Mat. 5:48; Jn. 8:34-36; Rom. 8:13,14; I Cor. 5:8; Gal. 2:17; I Pet. 1:22; I Jn. 3:5-8; etc.). And throw out all the scriptures that show us that anyone who takes sin to the grave will NOT be saved (Mat. 5:8; Mk. 9:43-45; Lk. 13:5; Jn. 15:4-6; Rom. 6:23; Rom. 8:13; I Cor. 6:9,10; Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 5:3-7; Heb. 3:6,14; I Jn. 3:8,10; etc.) The list just goes on friend, but I’m certain the point is graphically made. If you truly want to follow God’s Spirit of love and truth, you will have to be willing to hear his voice above the constant buzz of the religious rhetoric of Christianity; and you will have to be willing to follow that voice and be identified with Jesus and all who have identified with him and his Father through the ages (Jn. 10:4,5; Rom. 8:14; I Jn. 2:27; Rev. 2:7). God was not here on earth during the old testament, so the ridicule and wrath of those who opposed him fell out to the prophets, and to his Son when he came (Psm. 69:9). Likewise Jesus has not been on earth for almost two thousand years, so the resistance and scoffing of those who oppose his true word falls on those who are taught and led by his Spirit that he sent back (Mat. 5:11,12). It’s just that way, and it always has been; but there is great reward for those who will hear his voice and follow. Amen.