As I read through some of the posts by Leaders in the Body
of Christ these days I grow quite concerned. This morning I posted my ‘Thought
For The Day’ on Facebook: “We must beware
of Hobby Horses. Some have an inclination or bend towards a particular doctrine
and ride it like a horse stressing it alone avoiding everything else. There is
great danger in that as it leads to unbalanced Believers. Apostle Paul said I
did not shrink back from declaring the Whole Counsel of God...neither should
we.”
About twenty years ago a team of Ministers and I conducted a
Minister’s Seminar. That particular day the Lord led me to deal with the topic:
“The Dangers Of Not Preaching The Whole Counsel Of God”. I would like to think
that the Church has made great strides and improvement over the last twenty
years since that seminar, and while in some areas we have, in this area it is
clear that we have not. Look at what Apostle Paul declared to the Elders of
Ephesus as they came to him at Miletus in Acts chapter 20.
“For I never shrank or kept back or fell short from declaring to
you the whole purpose and plan and counsel of God.” Acts 20:27 Amplified Bible Classic Edition
Notice what Paul said:
·
I Never Shrank or Kept Back or Fell Short From
Declaring…
·
Declaring What?
·
The Whole Purpose and Plan and Counsel of God!
It should be noted that the word Declare in this text in the
Original Greek carries the meaning: I bring back word, I report; I announce, I declare.
Paul was saying he made an announcement of the Whole Counsel of God. He
Declared the Whole Counsel of God. He Brought Back A Word…A Report of The Whole
Counsel of God.
To hear some people tell it there is only on doctrine in
Scripture. As much as I believe in Sonship and desire to pour into the next
generation raising up sons; there is more to the Whole Counsel of God than just
Sonship. As much as I believe in preaching the Kingdom, after all John the
Baptist preached the Kingdom, Jesus preached the Kingdom and Paul preached the
Kingdom; but there is more to the Whole Counsel of God than just the Kingdom.
The Whole Counsel of God contains Sonship. The Whole Counsel
of God contains the Kingdom. Neither Sonship nor the Kingdom as good as they
are; they are not the be all and end all of the Whole Counsel of God. If they
were…what do we do with the Major and Minor Prophets? What do we do with the
Psalms and Proverbs? What do we do with all of Israel’s history? I thought all
of their history was written as examples for us???? (1 Corinthians 10:10-12) I thought all Scripture was profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for
instruction in righteousness. (2 Timothy 3:16)
The Whole Counsel of God is all inclusive of all truth from
Genesis to Revelation. We must preach all of it from cover to cover. We were
never called to be “a one trick pony”…we were called to Declare and Announce
the Whole Counsel of God.
If we continue in Acts chapter 20 in the context we will
note some of Paul’s concern as to why it is so important that the Whole Counsel
of God be proclaimed:
“I know that after my
departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and
from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw
away the disciples after them.” Acts
20: 29 & 30 New American Standard Bible
Notice what Paul said:
·
Savage wolves will come in.
·
They won’t spare the flock.
·
From among your own selves men speaking false
doctrine will arise.
·
They will draw away disciples to themselves.
Now my Brother and Sister look across the landscape of the
church in our day and you can see that these very things are happening right
among us. The Church has been permeated from within by “Gooey Grace” and “Sloppy
Agape” to the point that folks no longer believe that repentance is required and
that we can live like the devil and still go to heaven.
We are in dire need of the Whole Counsel of God! The Bible
is clear: “I tell you, no, but unless you
repent, you will all likewise perish.” Luke
13:5 New American Standard Bible
“The Lord is not slow
about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not
wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” 2 Peter
3:9 New American Standard Bible
The Whole Counsel of God says that God wants all to come to
repentance and that none should perish. It says that unless one does repent
they will perish. That is surely a far cry from the damnable heresy of the
hyper-grace message being propagated today.
Can you see how important the Whole Counsel of God is? I
have only given a few examples, but these examples should prove the validity of
what I am saying. It is time to live and practice the use of ALL SCRIPTURE…Not
Just Our Pet Doctrine or Hobby Horse…IT IS TIME TO DECLARE THE WHOLE COUNSEL OF
GOD!
