Where
In The Bible Will I Find:
God's
Ways Are Not Our Ways?
Several Bible references express this thought,
but one of the actual verses that teach that our ways and God's ways are not
equal other is Isaiah 55:8-9: "For my thought are not your
thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are
higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts
than your thoughts."
This is true as we consider the church of Christ
and the differences found in men's churches. Men make their own names, acts of
worship, plans of salvation, etc., but none of them are equal to God's (Matt.
15:9). Men claim that one does not have to be a member, and can be saved
outside their churches, but God's Word says one must be in Christ and a member
of His church to be saved (Acts 4:12; Eph. 5:23, Jn. 3:5; Acts 2:38-41;
Rev. 14:13.) Also there is a great difference in the kind of music that the
Lord specified, SINGING (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16), and the swinging and swaying
and waving to the "hip, jazzy music" of men's churches.
Paul said, "...I will sing with the
spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also" (I Cor. 14:15);
and, “Let all things be done decently and in order” (I Cor. 14:40).
Instrumental music may appeal to the "feelings" and the foot, but not
to the heart, in teaching, admonishing, and encouraging the worshipper. In
this, God's way is different! A few years ago the comic strip Dennis the Menace
showed Dennis coming out of a large cathedral holding his mother's hand and saying,
"Mommy, I like that spooky music!"
God's ways and man's ways are different! There
is a huge difference noticed in the plan of salvation taught by God in the New
Testament and the many plans of salvation taught by men in their churches and
creeds. The main difference is that God's saves and man's does not! God's plan
is for men to bear His Word, believe it with all their heart, repent genuinely
of their sins, confess their faith in Christ publicly, and be buried with their
Lord in baptism that sins may be blotted out (Rom. 10:17; Lk. 13:3, 5; Rom.
10:9-10; Acts 3:19).
Men say, infant baptism saves; faith only saves;
grace only saves; just say the "sinners prayer" saves; sign a card
saves and then you may choose the church of YOUR CHOICE! Just a small examination
of the facts certainly shows that what God said of His will and man's will is
true! "Choose ye this day whom ye will serve...." (Josh.
24:15). Remember, Christ is the only Way to the Father eternally (Matt. 7:13-14;
Jn. 14:6).
--Gary Colley
