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Confused?

    Becoming a Christian means learning an entirely different way to live. The adjustment feels weird at first because we are learning to live by our Spirits and not by our flesh, as we had done previously. After our salvation we are perpetually in this process, being changed into the image of Christ. Naturally, we want to know how to do this! What does it look like to walk out life with Christ?

    Unfortunately, there are a lot of churches that are living by the law and give half-Biblical answers to this question. They view scriptures through a worldly perspective and interpret them to mean something different than they actually do. People do this so that they can continue to live in their flesh, feeling justified by a verse taken out of context or interpreted incorrectly. This way of living is not only misleading, it is confusing!

    When scriptures are misinterpreted, they won't align with the rest of the word. The Bible will never contradict itself! If you are finding contradictions, you have misinterpreted or misunderstood the meaning somewhere along the way. There is nothing more disconcerting than a contradiction in the values that we are to be living with! The word was never meant to be confusing-- it was made to be simple.

    When Jesus spoke, he compared Kingdom concepts with every day situations that His audience could relate to. There are countless examples in the gospels of Jesus using parables and analogies to make His point. The gospel was made to be relatable! When we are studying it today, we should look into the meanings of His comparisons so that they do not lose their value to us today. Likewise, a good teacher will make the principles of the Kingdom relate to our lives today. Jesus' ministry was relatable and simple.

1 Corinthians 14:33 For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints (ESV)

    Beware of those who try to confuse the word with misinterpretations and cunning words, making things more complicated than they ought to be. Be careful of those who try to twist scripture to mean something different than it actually does. Satan will always try to sow confusion into our lives so that we can't find the direction God wants us to be going in. In the words of Harry S. Truman, "If you can't convince 'em, confuse 'em." If you are confused, do research for yourself on the topic. And no matter who is speaking, always test for yourselves whether what they are saying is Biblically sound. The Holy Spirit will testify to you the state of their teaching.

1 John 4:1-4 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. (ESV)
Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (ESV)

1 Thessalonians 5:21 But test everything; hold fast what is good. (ESV)

John 15:26 But I will send you the Advocate--the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me. (NLT)

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