Thoughts
on Michael Wells’ teachings in Sidetracked In The Wilderness - # 11
Michael’s book is
available through:
Abiding Life
Ministries International
Littleton, Colorado
It
is difficult to find the best words to describe the impact upon man as he wanders
through life deceived by having eaten from the “Ever Growing Tree.”
But
as Michael continues his discourse he gives us some specifics that show that
devastation. Once a person really “sees”
and understands the deception that he has been living under (and its impact), the
need to get out of the wilderness can begin to be seen. Look at the deception Michael shows us…
NEITHER GOOD NOR EVIL
PLEASES GOD
excerpt
from pages 29-32 of SIW (5th printing,
March 1998)
excerpt
from pages 23-25 of SIW (14th printing,
March 2012)
(used with permission from
ALMI):
Good and evil come from the same tree and
are treated alike by God – rejected. “…Darkness and light are alike to Thee” (Psalm 139:12). Doing evil is a sign of disbelief that God exists or will judge, but
doing good is a sign of unbelief in God’s standard of acceptance. We prove we do not believe God at all when we add to this standard. We are touching upon one of the greatest
deceptions in Christianity. God does want us to do good
works, but what makes a work fitting is not the content but the origin; if the
source of the work is faith as Christ expresses Himself through us, then it is
acceptable. First Thessalonians 1:3 mentions
work produced by faith, which is acceptable.
But all other work is unacceptable, based on unbelief and
self-righteousness.
…There is a deep blindness that
comes from eating from the good side of this most forbidden tree…
…As
we can see, the deception from eating from the good side of this tree is in
many ways worse than doing evil…
…Do
you see the difference in eating
from this tree? It obliges us to add an
endless list for our acceptance by God, and in turn to put this big
bundle on others’ shoulders to carry, one which we ourselves cannot.
Eating from the tree will cause us to
advocate a very simple teaching that goes like this: You did evil, now do good. We find the elements of this tree in
Confucianism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and every
other world religion.
Yellow – VIP, Very Important Point Green
– IT, Incredible Truth
Red – GP, Greatest Promises
Turquoise – UR, Unfathomable Riches Pink
– PV, Priceless Victory
Isn’t it crazy how something can be “good,” and yet be so
devastating? Wow! It is so easy to see how man can get
sidetracked into the wilderness…and all the while think he is doing a pretty
good job at his religion. However, it is
imperative that we get the message out about the deception of the Tree of the
Knowledge of Good and Evil.
Notice how our belief system affects our doing either good or evil. Interesting, isn’t it? The deception is so subtle when it comes to
doing good from the wrong source.
Actually, this points out the constant need in Christianity today…whether
in the church, a small group, or just on an individual basis…we must keep the
emphasis on the truthful Source (Christ).
Without the constant emphasis on Him, we can get sidetracked very
easily.
Finally, we can see why so many teachers and preachers are always
harping on that “simple teaching that goes like this: You did evil, now do
good.” May we see a great movement of
God in the lives of His people around the world that brings us back to the New
Testament teaching of “Jesus is our life,” not us. Focus on Him, not on “good or evil.”
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