Maintaining Spiritual Stability

Articles

Ross Triplett
05/16/21 - Articles

When the apostle Paul told Timothy, ““Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness: that the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17),” he affirmed that not only do the scriptures contain God’s plan for man, but also that the scriptures contain “every good work” that God intends for man to do. When doctrines are established, or works are introduced that God did not authorize, the child of God falls from grace.

The history of the children of Israel speaks volumes in this area. The sons of Aaron: Nadab and Abihu, “took each of them his censer, and put fire therein and laid incense thereon, and offered strange fire before Jehovah, which he had not commanded them. And there came forth fire from before Jehovah, and devoured them, and they died before Jehovah” (Leviticus 10:1-2). What Nadab and Abihu did was introduce something into the worship that God had not authorized. There was no discussion of the matter, there were no excuses that would have sufficed: the fact is, when they “offered strange fire before Jehovah, which he had not commanded them,” they failed to sanctify God before the people. As a result of this event, Moses said to Aaron, “This is it that Jehovah spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified” (Leviticus 10:3).

When the children of God fail to adhere to the scriptures and introduce works that God has not commanded, they fail to sanctify, they fail to glorify God. When they do so there is a death, a separation that takes place, they “fall from grace” as assuredly as Nadab and Abihu. Jehovah told Israel, “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish from it, that ye may keep the commandments of Jehovah your God which I command you” (Deuteronomy 4:2).

The apostle John recorded these words: “I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, if any man shall add unto them, God shall add unto him the plagues which are written in this book: and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the tree of life, and out of the holy city, which are written in this book” (Revelation 22:18-19). When John wrote this letter, he was writing it to Christians. These Christians were warned that “God shall take away his part from the tree of life.” It’s obvious that you can’t take from someone what they never possessed: The child of God can sin so as to be lost. The danger is not imaginary. Spiritual stability is a duty every child of God must maintain. Ross Triplett, Sr.