“6 He answered and said unto them, Well has Isaiah prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.
7 Howbeit in vain do they worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” Mark 7:6-7
Willfully ignorant, many professing preachers teach for doctrine the commandments of man. These vain philosophies from the minds of men appeal to the intellect but have nothing to do with growing in the Grace and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
“17 You therefore, beloved, seeing you know these things before, beware lest you also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.
18 But grow in Grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” 2 Peter 3:17-18
Intellectual knowledge of vain philosophies are birthed of man and produce fruit unto death. Illumination, revelation knowledge of the Word of God birthed of the Holy Spirit produces fruit unto God. It is a river of living water that flows out or our belly from the utter most depths of our soul causing us to not be moved. Precept upon precept and line upon, we grow in knowledge and transform more and more into His image from glory to glory.
This is the ministry of the Holy Spirit; the circumcision or our hearts without hands that comes through the Grace of God by faith in the Son of God, Who He is and what He has done for whosoever will believe. God’s Grace is available for all. He is no respecter of persons. What He has done for one, He will do for another upon the condition of faith in Jesus Christ and Him crucified as the Source and the means by which His Grace is made available for all.
Growing in the intellectual knowledge of doctrines of man leave the Believer swept to and fro. Bouncing from one belief to another, they may have indeed renounced their religion, but their religiosity remains and is merely rewrapped in another fig leaf. The devil doesn’t care the religion, or lack of religion for that matter, one may decree. He just cares that your bound by the religion because there is no liberty in religious rites or man mad philosophies but only self righteousness and pride which leavens the lump of which they dwell and produces fruit unto death.
“That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;” Ephesians 4:14
It IS possible to grow in Grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Whether you have been Save 5 days or 50 years, God gives the increase to those who diligently seek HIM and not merely intellectual superiority or material prosperity. The prodigal son’s heart turned from his father and to his father’s possessions and he found himself dining with the swine. Worldly wisdom that comes not from above, intellectualism, is wicked (James 3:15) and is also the result of a heart that has turned from God and to His possession; namely, His knowledge.
“So then neither is he that plants any thing, neither he that waters; but God that gives the increase.” 1 For. 3:7
Trust God for the increase. He wills that ALL will come to the Saving knowledge of Him. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness and all of these things shall be added unto you. KNOW in Whom you have believed. Be still and see the Salvation of the Lord work in your hearts and lives. Be determined to know nothing else among you, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
-Donna Clark Warren
Living in The Spirit 