Watering down the word changes the meaning.
From the beginning, during the days of Adam and Eve, the enemy who most refer to as the devil, Lucifer, or Satan strategically used deception to skew or twist the truth; the meaning of the word of God. Both Adam and Eve received direct instructions that were key to living a life pleasing to God.
1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3: 1-5 NIV
The lie: this act of disobedience caused a spiritual death. Meaning, there was a separation from God that could only be mended by the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6 NIV
Just as Eve listened to a source other than God, mankind continues to make the same mistake by falling prey to temptations of one or all of the following: pride of life, lust of the flesh, and lust of the eye. The sad part is that in some cases, we know the results, but we reword scriptures to fit our purposes. Or, in other cases, we do not study scripture and dangerously depend on someone else to explain the truth to us. We were warned to be careful of wolves in sheep's clothing. These people have hidden agendas and influence others wrongly. Not reading and studying for ourselves is not an excuse and will not get you a pass into the kingdom of Heaven. Our salvation totally depends on us and our desire to be saved.
15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.16 But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. 2 Timothy 2:15-16
References to the first church are found in the Book of Acts. The Apostles obtained the great common from Jesus. He instructed: "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Matthew 28: 16-20 NIV. Today we live in a world with many denominations and beliefs. The Apostles preached a uniform message sharing "The Way" which is now known as Christianity to everyone.
We must be careful not to change the meaning of God's word. The enemy will do anything to trick you. Therefore, you must know the word to be able to resist temptation and escape the traps.
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