Keeping Your First Love

It is true what they say about Seminary and deep study. Seminary can become cemetary, a grave yard for once zealous souls who wanted to serve God. All the exegesis, apologetics, eschatology, numerology, Christology, theology, and doctrinology can effect an evangelist who was once excited and make them enigmatic. Suddenly the devout disciple finds their minds filled with doubt, confusion, apprehension, and mistrust. How can a person who was so full of holy zeal and the Holy Spirit find themselves almost shipwrecked at seminary? The answer lies in Christ's own words, "I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false.  I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. ⁷ He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God." (Revelation 2:1-7). The Church of Ephesus is very apologetic and knows how to rightly divide the word and fight against false apostles, and heresies. But Emmanuel corrects Ephesus because they have "abandoned your first love (Jesus)," (Rev 2:4) and they are commanded "to do the works they did at first." (Rev 2:5). Ephesus was gifted at exegesis, and like seminaries could seek the minute details, but in process they had fallen from their first love.

The Apostle Paul gives some insights on the shipwrecking power of certain teachers, even those who claim to be Christ's children. He says, "The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons, Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth."  (1 Timothy 4:1-3), and "For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear." (2 Timothy 3:5). The apostle Paul knew by the Holy Spirit that times were coming when people we be lead astray from the faith, even by supposed teachers of repute in the community. He goes to talk about certain characteristics of these wicked false teachers, "always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth," (2 Timothy 3:7) and "having a form of godliness (act religious) but denying its power (that could make them godly). Have nothing to do with such people." (2 Timothy 3:5). Those who seek to shipwreck a serious saint, a person who loves the Savior and seeks to serve Him, will use their "always learning" and "form of godliness" to tempt a Truth seeker, but in the end these 'teachers' "never come to the knowledge of the truth," and they "deny the power of God."

Jesus Christ is where the true knowledge, wisdom, and theology lies, "that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." (Colossians 2:2-3). Jesus Christ said, "Don't let anyone call you 'Rabbi,' for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters. And don't address anyone here on earth as 'Father,' for only God in heaven is your spiritual Father. And don't let anyone call you 'Teacher,' for you have only one teacher, the Messiah/Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ." (Matthew 23:8-10). Clearly Christ Jesus is to be our teacher and instructor as He said,  and this is why often seminaries are enemies of the Savior, they ascribe these titles to their professors and give credence to the doxology, and theology of other men who are the God Man Christ Jesus! Seminarians and supposed masters of theology do like the Pharisees, "They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden," (Matthew 23:4) and "These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism (pious self denial and self abasement) and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh." (Colossians 2:23). But Jesus Christ does the opposite, "Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light," (Matthew 11:28-30).

Teachers at seminary, and religious institions can be antichrists, and they can try to hinder people. These professors are like Pharisees, "What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people's faces. You won't go in yourselves, and you don't let others enter either," (Matthew 23:13), and "What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you cross land and sea to make one convert, and then you turn that person into twice the child of hell you yourselves are!" (Matthew 23:15). These religious teachers make followers of the Messiah sons of hell at seminary because like the Pharisees they do not let people enter the Kingdom of Heaven by teaching students the "doctrines of demons," and the exegesis of antichrists. These seminary and religious professors bear the way, keep people bogged down in lies so that they cannot reach the Lord Jesus Christ.

Not all seminaries and professors try to shipwreck people. But there is a reason the Reformers coined the terms, "Solae Scriptura: Scripture Alone" and "Solus Christus: Christ Alone." For they knew that true theology, doctrine, and understanding and knowledge comes from Christ alone (Colossians 2:2-3) and studying His words, and words of the Father and Apostles under the tutor of the Truth (John 14:6) and Holy Spirit (John 14:26). As Christians today, more than ever we need to "return to our first love," (Revelation 2:4) and to do that is to seek Jesus, in prayer, deeds, thought, action, and reading; and to read the Holy Bible (NLT, ESV, KJV). Reading other commentaries, theology, histories, devotionals, and etc is fine, but remember they cannot be revered, held to standard, or even trusted like you trust Jesus Christ your First Love and His word, The Holy Bible.