"They Reasoned Among Themselves"

Hello To All:

It is my most fervent desire, that many of you, are making the connection between unbelief and leaven. The lifeblood of "unbelief," is "the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees." When we come together, with agreement regarding the revealed truth of the King's Book; then, "the leaven," is driven out; and, "unbelief," is overcome! But, our agreement must be absolutely grounded in the "revealed truth of the King's Book." If we allow human reason to influence our understanding; then "the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees," will come rushing back; and the "Oppression of Unbelief," will continue it's destructive and victory robbing ways, in our lives and in the lives of our brethren.

Returning to our text, from the previous posting ("Beware of the Leaven"), we find written, at verse seven, the following, regarding the disciples: "And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread." In the previous verse, it is written: "Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees." The disciples are given a clear warning from our Lord Jesus Christ; and, instead of looking to Jesus, for help in understanding the meaning of His warning: "They reasoned among themselves." After "they reasoned among themselves," they came to a conclusion, regarding the meaning of God's Word: they decided, that they were being rebuked, because they had forgotten to bring some bread with them. They came to a wrong understanding, of the meaning of God's Word, because: "They reasoned among themselves."

Further on, in the text, Jesus rebukes them, when He says: "...why reason ye among yourselves..." He further rebukes them, by twice taking them to task, because: they "...do not understand..." Finally, at the end of our text, the disciples do come to an understanding of the meaning of what Jesus has said to them. They recognized that "the leaven," was referencing: "the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees." Can we all say: Thank you Jesus, for opening their hearts and minds, to understand the truth of your Words.

Now, many of us are probably smugly sitting back, and thinking about how foolish the disciples were. We are congratulating ourselves, because we think that we would not have missed the meaning of the Word of Jesus. But, if we are willing to humble ourselves before the Lord our God; we should be looking at ourselves, in a mirror, and seeing that very same foolishness, in our own lives. The institutional church is filled with "leaven," that has been embraced as truth; because, we have reasoned among ourselves, and decided that our conclusion is true: never mind the reality, that others, "reasoning" about the same portion of the King's Book, have come to an entirely different conclusion, based on their reasoning processes; and the leaven continues to pour, in seemingly endless waves, into our assemblies and into our individual lives: robbing us of the power and authority, that our Lord Jesus Christ, would pour into our lives - if only we would believe!

We find the following, recorded in the gospel of John, in chapter 8 and verses 31 and 32: "Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." We have looked at this text, in a previous post, but it is good to do so again. Our Lord Jesus Christ is clearly claiming the Word of God as His own Word. The King's Book belongs to the King Jesus. If we are to purge out the old leaven, from our lives, we must look to Jesus Christ; and to no one else. Jesus is the Truth; and if we want to know what is true: then we must know Jesus and trust Him to reveal the Truth of His own Book. We must reject the "leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees." We must stop being as those that: "Reasoned Among Themselves." This is absolutely essential and foundational to being: "Victorious Disciples in Jesus Christ." Can the church say Amen and Amen and Amen!

Until next time, my beloved brethren, in Christ Jesus, I continue to be:

Your servant and your fellow pilgrim,
Elder Theophilus