Just Who Should Christians Listen To?

It is important that Christians should understand who is the Vicar of Christ on earth? Who it is who represents the Father and the Son until Jesus returns, it is the Holy Spirit and no - one else, either angel or man, can usurp his place; and anyone who tries to is inevitably an Antichrist.

Is this strong language? Yes it is, but it is basic to the understanding of spiritual things. No one wants unnecessary controversy, but when fundamental truths are involved it is essential to combat error.

For example: Jesus tells us that we are to give no-one the title - Father - except our Father in heaven.

"But you are not to be called Rabbi’, for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth ‘father’, for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called ‘teacher’, for you have one Teacher, the Christ" -
Matthew 23: 8 to 10

How far much of Christendom has strayed from these principles: it is time to return to them, so that the Lord may revive us again and we may successfully combat resurgent false religions and the aggressive atheism that threatens the Church.

But let me encourage you by quoting again Jesus’ words -

"I will build my church and the gates of hell will not overcome it" -
Matthew 16: 18

In the western world today relativism rules the minds of many, it can be summarised like this - No-one is completely right or completely wrong. The only people who are wrong are those who insist that they are right - Relativists are people who tell us that "it is better to travel than to arrive", and who the apostle Paul condemns as "always learning, but never able to acknowledge the truth".

But the Bible insists that there is objective truth and that it is, above all, embodied in the person of Jesus Christ, he himself said -

"I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me" -
John 14: 6.

This is, of course, much too exclusive for the relativist, who will always want to say, "Yes but -". However, when God’s Word states a basic truth there are never any "buts", or maybe’s or grey areas.

The Bible tells us that God himself is the Truth and the fountainhead of it, so we read -

He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he -
Deuteronomy 32: 4

Let God be true, and every man a liar. As it is written: "So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge -
Romans 3: 4

God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged -
Hebrews 6: 18
Jesus declared -

If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free -
John 8: 31

I would like to ask you if you have come to Jesus who is the truth and the life and experimented freedom from the curse of sin. If not: why not now this very minute?

Pray this prayer to Jesus:-

"Lord Jesus I come to you, just as I am, a sinful man/woman, and I ask you to forgive my sin, change the direction of my life and teach me the truth that I may be free from the bonds of the past and follow you. Thank you for saving my soul on the Cross of Calvary and giving me the hope of eternal life - Amen!"

Gordon Guillermo Burgess
The Pastor - Church Of The Good Shepherd
San Juan De Alicante