Passivity of Judgment and Reason
Passivity of judgment /reason defines Religious Fools
Religious fools manifest passivity of judgment/reason and therefore need their minds renewed so as to understand that the first step to truth is “to doubt.” The problem is how faithful Christians define “doubting.” Religious Christians oppose doubting because they think that doubting is like wavering. The bible says that wavering is being tossed to and fro, filled with confusion. So wavering is perceived as a lack of faith. No one wants to waver.
Yet doubting on the other hand is what is necessary to reach the truth. Actually the first step to try the spirits to see if they be of God is stand still and maintain a neutral position which is a form of doubting. It is our capacity to doubt that makes us free because the first doubt is a step closer to the truth, and as the Lord said, its the truth that MAKES us free.
When I was an ordained minister within the institutional church for 25 years, I did not doubt–EVER!. In fact, I was very sure of things that were later proven to be wrong. For example, I never doubted slain in the spirit. Never questioned it not one time in a decade. Without doubt, we tend to make assumptions. So I assumed that slain in the spirit was a good thing from God so I lusted after it. Once I got the power to cause members to fall on their backs when I touched their foreheads or waved my hand at them, shortly after, doubt set in.
Doubt usually begins with a question. So my first question was: “Why is it that the people who are constantly slain in the spirit around me cannot stand solid in Christ? “This was my first bit of doubting. In short, I ASKED MYSELF AN IMPORTANT QUESTION. My doubt erupted about the slain in the spirit practice because church members that I pastored were constantly falling in their spiritual walk.
So this particular situation caused me to begin to doubt the slain in the spirit practice. Also “War on the Saints” assisted me in doubting. IT WAS A GOOD THING. Here is what this great woman of God who has influenced Christian ministry in 3 centuries wrote about called “passivity of judgment and reason”:
Passivity of judgment and reason, which means that the man in this condition has closed the mind to all arguments, and statements upon which he has come to settled conclusions, and all effort to give him further truth and light is regarded as interference, and the person attempting it as ignorant, or intrusive. The believer in this stage of passivity lapses into a state of evil positiveness, and infallibility; from which nothing can release the “judgment,” but the rude shock of seeing that he has been deceived, and possessed by evil spirits. To undermine the deception of a believer in this condition, almost means the re-laying of the very foundations of his spiritual life. Hence the few–called “fanatics” and “cranks” by the world–who have been saved out of this degree of the deception of the enemy. (From “War on the Saints.)
This particular post began with a phone call. A woman is doubting her salvation after watching some of my videos. I told her that chances are, if she is doubting her salvation, it did not happen. Why? Because assurance is a major component of a bonafide born again experience. So,she is on the track to truth because she is defying her own passivity of judgment and reason. I asked yet another question. clearly she is not born again because when I asked her to define the resurrection, she gave the wrong answer.
It’s better to doubt than to be a blind fool. What say YOU?
Related
Paul’s time was chosen for him, not by him.
Someone once wrote, “In this day and age, MOST professing Christians are too proud and stubborn to consider the fact that the religious teaching they have grown to love Are All a Lie…and have NO IDEA about the darkness that has taken over the organized church.”
The enemy has long ago entered the visible church and propagated the lie that if a Christian has faith, speaks positively, and gives donations to religious causes, that financial blessings, “health and wealth, “ is assured as the will of God and that material wealth would even increase. Many Christians continue to chase this carrot while the enemy laughs. This is actually very simplistic and childish thinking.
And that isn’t the only or worst of false doctrines that have taken over the visible church. The single most damaging practice that has even spread throughout the world is, “praying to accept Jesus and asking Him into one’s heart.” This is otherwise known as the, “sinner’s prayer. ”Yes, that’s right. Please take a moment to consider, (throughout this article, all references to, “Jesus,” refers only to Jesus Christ who was born in Nazareth .” If that seems odd, it will be explained in a future article.), Jesus is actually, now, in His physical body, sitting at the right hand of the Father. He cannot enter any one’s heart. And the critical, “work,” of salvation is in no one’s hands but God Himself who draws one to their salvation.
On the contrary, the following scriptures appear to dictate that He already knows who will be His. And at any time during one’s lifetime, even to the last breath, one would have their time of visitation by the Holy Spirit. I site the following verses: Romans 8:29–30; Ephesians 1:5, 11; Colossians 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 1:4; and 2 Timothy 2:10.
Also know that the most important point in the understanding of the salvation experience is in understanding that without the physical, bodily resurrection of Jesus into immortality—there is no salvation. One must know and understand that it isn’t just His suffering on the cross that is critical, but His being raised up into immortality in His actual physical body. Remember, upon His return to His disciples, He spoke with them, ate with them, and Thomas was even able to physically touch Him to enhance his belief that this was truly Jesus. To further advance the monumental occasion of His resurrection was the fact that at that time, as we now read in Matt. 27:51-53:
…“Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.” As Paul warned the Corinthians, if one has a wrong belief, or does not believe in His resurrection or the resurrection of the dead, then there is no salvation. As Paul said in 1 Cor. 15:17, And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.
Also, consider that anything monumental that had ever been done for the ultimate benefit of man was done by God Himself. Refer to His leading Israel out of Egypt; His crafting His covenant with Abraham—remember, He gave Abraham instructions, but then put him to sleep while He cut the covenant (Gen. 15:9-18); and for us, salvation in Christ Jesus of Nazareth through the visitation of the Holy Spirit who convicts us of sin and gives us the faith to believe in the physical resurrection of Jesus Christ.
He, “calls,” us by the Holy Spirit, who chooses the time of His visitation and convicts us to repentance in much sorrow for who we ourselves are by our sin-nature that put Jesus on the cross. Again, He, “convinces,” us that we are sinners deserving of punishment but soon afterwards also brings our spirit to life with absolute joy in Him giving us the necessary faith to believe in His bodily resurrection.
This great work is done by Him, not us. We cannot convict ourselves nearly to the extent that the Holy Spirit does. We cannot produce our own faith as the Holy Spirit gives. This is totally His work. Not ours. Anything critical to man He does Himself so that—if you will—man would not mess it up.
My next post will further illustrate this point with my own testimony. But here now, please know that my own Pastor was an atheist from the word, “go.” And did not attend any house of institutional religion but one time in 33 years. For as long as she could remember she was an atheist until the Holy Spirit came upon her, quite out of the blue and convicted her of her sin-nature, gave her the faith to believe in Jesus’ suffering and bodily resurrection, and she became born again. What I didn’t say was that at the time she was deep into the occult! He saved her without a sermon, tract, or anything else but Himself.
Me, I was a false conversion, believing that I was, “saved, born again, etc.” because I repeated a, “sinner’s prayer. I “parroted,” a prayer based on intellectual knowledge, no true faith required, no true, through and through, into the marrow of my bones realization or acknowledgement of my sin nature, so did that count? No. But I went through all of the motions, attended a house of worship, did what I was told, etc., and was not, as I came to learn, was not born again. That came much, much later…
Finally, , take a moment and do as Paul had admonished, examine your salvation to see if you truly are in the faith. (2 Corinthians 13:5)
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