Be Ye Transfixed

Popular theology has moved many Christians away from the necessity of renewing their minds through studying, believing and obeying God's Word—the foundation for righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16-17). As we discussed before in "The Principality of Witchcraft" section, many have been misdirected from the truth. "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God" (Romans 12:2). Probably the most insidious misdirection is to get Christians to believe that because they are "saved"; they are not required to do anything else—yet another form of witchcraft. As a result, these Christians may go to church religiously (pun intended); however, they do not study the Word of God on their own, they do not deal with their sins, and they do not develop spiritual fruit. After all, they have been told that their salvation is assured. These Christians will posit elementary interpretations of the following scriptures to validate their negligence:

He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. (Mark 16:16)

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. (John 10:27-28)

And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Acts 2:21)

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (Romans 10:9)

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

They ignore scriptures that show that salvation is not based on the starting line but on the finish: "But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved" (Matthew 24:13). Holiness, not just being saved by grace, is the requirement to "see the Lord" upon his return. Without holiness, we will "fail of the grace of God" by which we were initially saved through faith: "Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled" (Hebrews 12:12-15). Moreover, God does not force anyone to stay in Christ; Judas Iscariot, who was chosen by Jesus, chose to agree with Satan instead: "Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve" (John 6:70-71). "Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve" (Luke 22:3).

Many of these misdirected Christians even believe that they are sanctified when they are not. Their "sanctification" is based on the false Pentecostal belief that "being baptized with the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues" signals sanctification (see the chapter on "Baptize with the Holy Ghost and with Fire"). Instead of being transformed from carnal to spiritual, they are transfixed by tradition—walking "according to the course of this world" (Ephesians 2:2). Of course, this is not done directly: "O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord" (Acts 13:10)? "For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God" (Romans 10:3).

Their "righteousness" is determined by comparing themselves to others (2 Corinthians 10:12) instead of evaluating themselves against God's Word—the word of righteousness; thus, they have not been transformed—they have not brought their thoughts, speech and actions in line with the Word of God: they are still babes in Christ (Hebrews 5:13), or worse, they are still carnal (1 Corinthians 3:1-3). "For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be" (Romans 8:6-7). Let us again use the parable of the sower, as we did previously in "The People" section, to emphasize the need of being "transformed by the renewing of your mind."

Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. (Matthew 13:18-23)

When we examine this parable, we can determine that there are four "foundations"; that is, four types of "dirt" that vary in ability to receive the Word of God.

No dirt (Waysiders)
Minimal dirt (Stony Christians)
Mingled dirt (Thorny Christians)
Fertile dirt—good ground (Disciples of Christ)

The parable of the sower expresses the need to have a sure foundation in the Word of God; that is, the Word can only be fruitful when it is received on a foundation of the Word (good ground). Anyone who has a water well, knows you have to "prime the pump" before you get out any water. In order to prime the pump, you have to pour a little water in so you can then pump out a lot. So too is the "well" of the Word of God, put some in and you can get a lot more out. Said another way, fully receiving the Word requires a scriptural context—the Word of God sown in our hearts, rooted, and bringing forth fruit. For spiritual things can only be discerned by spiritual things (1 Corinthians 2:13): understanding the Word of God requires the Word of God and the Spirit of God. "The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple" (Psalm 119:130). "We are in danger of getting the barter spirit when we come to God," states Oswald Chambers, "We want the witness before we have done what God tells us to do."

"Why does not God reveal Himself to me?" He cannot, it is not that He will not, but He cannot, because you are in the road as long as you won't abandon absolutely to Him. Immediately you do, God witnesses to Himself, He cannot witness to you, but He witnesses instantly to His own nature in you. If you had the witness before the reality, it would end in sentimental emotion. Immediately you transact on the Redemption, and stop the impertinence of debate, God gives on the witness.⁷⁶

Preaching to the children of Israel (Jews) in Jesus' time was done to people who already had, somewhat, a scriptural context. That is, Jews, for the most part, had the scriptures memorized—written in their minds; however, they lacked faith, obedience, understanding, and the Holy Ghost. In addition, ever since the prophecy in Genesis 3:15 and Deuteronomy 18:15-18, every Jew has been on the lookout for the Messiah. We see an example of this in Luke 4, when Jesus entered the synagogue and read from Isaiah 61 and stated that the prophecy was now fulfilled. The Jews knew instantly what he was ultimately referring to and tried to kill him for claiming to be the Messiah.

And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears ... And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. (Luke 4: 16-21, 28-29)

In contrast, the Gentiles had no context; that is, they did not have scriptures memorized nor were they expecting a Messiah. This necessitated the writers of the New Testament to document the new, sure foundation "that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." A sure foundation can come only by 1) continual personal study of the Word of God by someone with the Spirit of God, 2) faith (belief and trust) in the Word, 3) obedience to the Word gained through suffering, and 4) fellowship with others who also have "good ground." Christians must ensure that they have a context (Word of God) in order for the Word to take root. That is, we must ensure that we have "primed our pumps." "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in Psalm and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord" (Colossians 3:16).

The benefit of study, "to shew thyself approved unto God," is achieved by "rightly dividing the word of truth." We know that the Word of God is truth and the "words of eternal life" (John 6:68), and also that the Word of God is wisdom: "For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding" (Proverbs 2:6). Thus, we show ourselves "approved unto God" by studying: by getting to intimately know (not know about) him and Jesus Christ whom he sent (John 17:3). "So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom" (Psalm 90:12). Solomon defines for us the purpose of study:

To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding; To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity; To give subtlety to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion. A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels: To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings. (Proverbs 1:2-6)

The Holy Ghost only reminds you of the Word of God that is already in your heart. If no word has been put in, no Word can be pulled out in remembrance. "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you" (John 14:26). The Holy Ghost, then, replaces the many physical reminders, in the Old Testament, that the children of Israel were commanded to utilize (Numbers 15:38-40). The benefit of fellowship, whether it is two or two thousand, is so we can all hear the same Word and be unified in our understanding and knowledge of the Lord: one body, many parts (see "Personal Savior").

Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: 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; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. (Ephesians 4:13-16)

In the remaining sections in this chapter, let us examine how we moved away from transformation to transfixion. One of the more "recent" culprits in this is a doctrine set forth by John Calvin commonly called the Doctrine of Election or the Doctrine of Grace.

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