A major error in the reading the Bible by believers and unbelievers alike, can be by reading His words with a natural mind, and so we miss the true things of the Spirit, by whom we are sanctified unto life.
Natural man can have and speak of having faith alone without works. And so when we read the words of of the Bible, that speaks of faith, without any other words mentioned beside it, then we naturally think the Bible is teaching of having faith alone. That is how some Christian fervently believe the Bible teaches being saved and justified by faith alone. They read the Bible like all other books with natural eyes and comprehension.
However, in the Bible God is not using man's words in a natural way, but in His own spiritual way.
For my thoughts 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.
We see here the reason why God's thoughts are not as natural man's thinking, and that is thoughts are higher than natural man. It's not because God is the great Guru with majetic thoughts from on high, that mere mortals cannot possibly conceive. But rather it's closer to home and more down to earth than that. As the saying goes, True spirituality is utter practicality.
What the Bible is simply saying, is that God's thoughts are greater than man's, because His thought are His ways. His thoughts are never separated from what He is doing. Gen 1 shows all men, that God is not just a hovering thinker only, but is always a Doer of His word. So it is with the baser and useless thoughts of man, who thinks having faith can be alone and separate from our works.
Only man can sit around thinking thoughts and having things in the mind, that have nothing to do with what we are doing in life. With God, that is not possible, and throughout His Bible He says so. That is why we are warned against men's philosophy and other vain deceit robbing us of our simplicity in Christ.
That simplicity is simply to be doers of the word, and not hearers and believers only, whose thoughts and faiths are separate from our ways.
Natural man can have and speak of having faith alone without works. And so when we read the words of of the Bible, that speaks of faith, without any other words mentioned beside it, then we naturally think the Bible is teaching of having faith alone. That is how some Christian fervently believe the Bible teaches being saved and justified by faith alone. They read the Bible like all other books with natural eyes and comprehension.
However, in the Bible God is not using man's words in a natural way, but in His own spiritual way.
For my thoughts 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.
We see here the reason why God's thoughts are not as natural man's thinking, and that is thoughts are higher than natural man. It's not because God is the great Guru with majetic thoughts from on high, that mere mortals cannot possibly conceive. But rather it's closer to home and more down to earth than that. As the saying goes, True spirituality is utter practicality.
What the Bible is simply saying, is that God's thoughts are greater than man's, because His thought are His ways. His thoughts are never separated from what He is doing. Gen 1 shows all men, that God is not just a hovering thinker only, but is always a Doer of His word. So it is with the baser and useless thoughts of man, who thinks having faith can be alone and separate from our works.
Only man can sit around thinking thoughts and having things in the mind, that have nothing to do with what we are doing in life. With God, that is not possible, and throughout His Bible He says so. That is why we are warned against men's philosophy and other vain deceit robbing us of our simplicity in Christ.
That simplicity is simply to be doers of the word, and not hearers and believers only, whose thoughts and faiths are separate from our ways.