A Bible study called Sunglasses and understanding

    A person’s understanding is altered by many factors.
   Consider the following. Let us say that a person is wearing a pair of sunglasses that have red lenses. As he looks around, everything he sees appears to be red. He looks at a white building, but it appears to be red. He looks at a white car, but it appears to be red. He looks at the blue sky, which has white clouds, but it all appears to be various shades of red.
   Because of the sunglasses he is wearing with red lenses, many of the things he looks at are not seen correctly.|
   It is the same with traditions in the church. If a person is brought up in a church that teaches (the tradition) salvation cannot be lost, he usually bends the Scriptures to fit this belief.
   If a person had a father that forsook him when he was young, he might choose to believe that salvation could never be lost. He would not want to believe that his heavenly Father would allow him to perish, if he lost his faith and went back into intentional, continuous wickedness and sin. Thus, both the person that had been brought up with wrong traditions in his church and the person whose father forsook him may have on a so-called pair of "red sunglasses." Thus, they don’t see things as they really are.
   A person that is brought up with a tradition that a man and woman can move in with each other, have sex, and call it a marriage, has been brought up with a wrong tradition. Such a thing is called fornication. Yet because they have been brought up this way, their understanding of the Scriptures—which show this is wicked and wrong—is distorted. They bend the Scriptures to fit their own beliefs that they have been wrongly taught. In a manner of speaking, they have on a pair of red sunglasses and cannot see things clearly or correctly.
   Consider: a person goes to his preacher to ask advice on the subject of marriage. However, the preacher is himself living in fornication. How then can he give biblical advice on God’s way of marriage? He cannot. The preacher, it may be said, has on a pair of black sunglasses; he cannot see or understand.
   Consider: a person goes to his preacher to ask advice on the subject of the Rapture. However, the preacher does not believe in the Rapture. How then can the preacher give biblical advice regarding the Rapture? The preacher, it may be said, has on a pair of black sunglasses and cannot see or understand.
   Suppose a person named Abel asks someone named Cain to help him get a small object out of his eye. However, Cain has a large object in his own eye, so he cannot see clearly to help Abel remove the small object out of his eye.
   In the same way, a person goes to his preacher to ask help to remove a small object out of his eye. He needs correction, regarding a certain area of his life. However, his preacher has a large object in his own eye. Thus, it may not be possible for him to correctly help remove the small object out of the person’s eye. It may not be possible for the preacher to give good and correct advice to the person that needs help. As it is written, Mt 7:3-5-AND WHY BEHOLDEST THOU THE MOTE THAT IS IN THY BROTHER'S EYE, BUT CONSIDEREST NOT THE BEAM THAT IS IN THINE OWN EYE?
   4-OR HOW WILT THOU SAY TO THY BROTHER, LET ME PULL OUT THE MOTE OUT OF THINE EYE; AND, BEHOLD, A BEAM IS IN THINE OWN EYE?
   5-THOU HYPOCRITE, FIRST CAST OUT THE BEAM OUT OF THINE OWN EYE; AND THEN SHALT THOU SEE CLEARLY TO CAST OUT THE MOTE OUT OF THY BROTHER'S EYE.

    If a person has on a pair of sunglasses called "lying," he may think all people lie at one time or another.
   If a person has on a pair of sunglasses called "adultery," he may think everyone commits adultery at some time in their life.
   If a person has on a pair of sunglasses called "rejection," many things that happen to him he will label as rejection, even though it is not true. He sees through a pair of red sunglasses called "rejection" that distort the truth.
   If a person has on a pair of sunglasses called "easily offended" or "anger," when certain things happen to him, he will not perceive them correctly—even though he thinks he does. Certain verses will be distorted in his thinking.
   If a person has on a pair of sunglasses called "envy and jealousy," he may not see many things clearly.
   If a person has on a pair of sunglasses from his childhood called "inferior," he may not see many things clearly.
   If a person has on a pair of sunglasses called "desire to get married," he may look at a woman and not see her as she really is, as the red sunglasses or his desires have distorted his vision and understanding. He may be deceived and think the woman is following Jesus, when she really is not. He then gets married and is horrified to find—after he is married—that she has no true desire to follow Jesus the rest of her life. The sunglasses called "desire to get married" have deceived him.
   If a person has on a pair of sunglasses called "deserted," because his father deserted the family, he may always believe his heavenly Father will do the same thing. In other cases, he may choose to believe his heavenly Father would never leave any one, even if they lost their faith and did not repent, but continued to practice sin.
   In some cases, a person’s understanding of Scripture is darkened or changed from the correct understanding because of their sunglasses. They may have had horrible experiences as a child, a horrible marriage, or other catastrophic things happened to them. Their heart may have become very calloused as a result. Thus their darkened sunglasses distort what the Holy Spirit is trying to teach them from God’s Word.
   This is one reason some people will make the following statement when they do wrong: "Doesn’t everybody do it?" If they lie, they think others do also. If they deceive people, they think others do also. If they steal, they think others do also. They see other people through the sunglasses they have on. The way they are, is the way they think others are. If they bend the truth, they think others also bend the truth. If they tell "little" lies, they think others will do the same. If their heart is set on this world, they may seek to go to a church that teaches worldly prosperity. If they love this world, they would seek a church that does not preach heavily on sin, repentance, and the soon coming of Jesus Christ. If they want riches, they may not seek a church that teaches on the deceitfulness of riches. If they do not obey the Gospel, they will think others also do not obey the Gospel.

As you are reading this, consider:
WHAT KIND OF SUNGLASSES ARE YOU WEARING?

    As we recall, a certain news reporter visited a certain preacher. The reporter said, "I know you take some of the money that comes into your ministry for yourself . Tell me—off the record—how much do you take (from ministry finances) that you don't report?" The preacher thought for a moment and then answered the reporter, "Let me ask you a question. If you were in my position, would you steal some of the money that came in?" The reporter answered, "Sure, I would." The preacher then said to the reporter, "That's why you believe I would do it." The reporter believed the preacher would steal, because he would steal if he had the opportunity. He looked at the preacher through a pair of sunglasses called "greed and a thief." Because he would do it, he believed others would also do it.
   It may be said that what a person wants to believe is what he may choose to believe, even when he is shown he is wrong.
   Thus, the type of sunglasses one has on can greatly affect how he look at things. In other words, things that are in his heart can greatly affect his understanding of God’s Word. The things he has not overcome can greatly affect his understanding of God’s Word. Thus, if he has been hurt, or rejected, or abused, or slandered, or other things—and has not overcome this—then verses that deal with these areas are distorted in his heart. His understanding of some verses is wrong. His obedience to some of the Bible is lacking. His emotions are affected, and his understanding is distorted. He thinks he sees clearly, but does not.

    It is written, Jn 3:19-21-AND THIS IS THE CONDEMNATION, THAT LIGHT IS COME INTO THE WORLD, AND MEN LOVED DARKNESS RATHER THAN LIGHT, BECAUSE THEIR DEEDS WERE EVIL.
   20-FOR EVERY ONE THAT DOETH EVIL HATETH THE LIGHT, NEITHER COMETH TO THE LIGHT, LEST HIS DEEDS SHOULD BE REPROVED (or exposed).
   21-BUT HE THAT DOETH TRUTH COMETH TO THE LIGHT, THAT HIS DEEDS MAY BE MADE MANIFEST, THAT THEY ARE WROUGHT IN GOD.

    Heb 5:12,13-FOR WHEN FOR THE TIME YE OUGHT TO BE TEACHERS, YE HAVE NEED THAT ONE TEACH YOU AGAIN WHICH BE THE FIRST PRINCIPLES OF THE ORACLES OF GOD (or, it may be said, the basic doctrines); AND ARE BECOME SUCH AS HAVE NEED OF MILK (or basic doctrines), AND NOT OF STRONG MEAT (or perfection).
   13- FOR EVERY ONE THAT USETH MILK (or, it may be said, basic doctrines) IS UNSKILFUL IN THE WORD OF RIGHTEOUSNESS: FOR HE IS A BABE.
   Ro 8:7-THE CARNAL (or worldly) MIND IS ENMITY AGAINST GOD: FOR IT IS NOT SUBJECT TO THE LAW OF GOD, NEITHER INDEED CAN BE.
   1 Cor 3:1-4-AND I, BRETHREN, COULD NOT SPEAK UNTO YOU AS UNTO SPIRITUAL, BUT AS UNTO CARNAL (or worldly) EVEN AS UNTO BABES IN CHRIST.
   2- I HAVE FED YOU WITH MILK (basic doctrines), AND NOT WITH MEAT (or perfection): FOR HITHERTO YE WERE NOT ABLE TO BEAR IT, NEITHER YET NOW ARE YE ABLE.
   3- FOR YE ARE YET CARNAL (or worldly): FOR WHEREAS THERE IS AMONG YOU ENVYING, AND STRIFE, AND DIVISIONS, ARE YE NOT CARNAL (or worldly), AND WALK AS MEN?
   4- FOR WHILE ONE SAITH, I AM OF PAUL; AND ANOTHER, I AM OF APOLLOS; ARE YE NOT CARNAL (or worldly)? In other words, people say, "I am a Baptist, or Assemblies of God, or some other denomination."
   A carnal Christian, one that needs basic doctrines, is wearing colored sunglasses. Their understanding is distorted; they cannot see clearly. If they think their understanding is clear, when it is not, then they are in serious difficulty. If they think that Satan cannot deceive them, then they are already deceived. Their sunglasses may be turning black, and the darkness is blinding their eyes.

    Beware. If a person does not repent of wearing their red sunglasses, or, in other words, if a person does not repent of some wrong beliefs they have, it gives a place to the devil to overcome them. If a person does not repent of being easily offended, Satan can use it to cause him to fall. If a person does not repent of rejection, Satan can use it to cause him to fall. If a person does not forgive others, Satan can use it to cause him to fall. If a person does not repent of hurts, or fears, or a desire for pleasures, riches, or other things, Satan can use them to cause him to fall. If a person does not repent of men’s traditions, or his own distorted understanding, Satan can use it to cause him to fall. If a person does not repent of the sunglasses of trying to control people and situations (or pride), Satan can use this to cause him to fall. If a person is wearing the red sunglasses, it gives a place for Satan to speak to him in a voice of deception that his heart may choose to believe.
   How are God’s children to be? Ro 8:36,37-IT IS WRITTEN, FOR THY SAKE WE ARE KILLED ALL THE DAY LONG; WE ARE ACCOUNTED AS SHEEP FOR THE SLAUGHTER.
   37- NAY, IN ALL THESE THINGS WE ARE MORE THAN CONQUERORS THROUGH HIM THAT LOVED US.
   God’s children are to overcome all things. Thus, it is written, Lk 14:33-SO LIKEWISE, WHOSOEVER HE BE OF YOU THAT FORSAKETH NOT ALL THAT HE HATH, HE CANNOT BE MY DISCIPLE.
   Mk 8:34-WHOSOEVER WILL COME AFTER ME, LET HIM DENY HIMSELF, AND TAKE UP HIS CROSS, AND FOLLOW ME.
   Lk 9:23-AND HE SAID TO THEM ALL, IF ANY MAN WILL COME AFTER ME, LET HIM DENY HIMSELF, AND TAKE UP HIS CROSS DAILY, AND FOLLOW ME.

Heb 5:14- BUT STRONG MEAT (which is perfection) BELONGETH TO THEM THAT ARE OF FULL AGE, EVEN THOSE WHO BY REASON OF USE HAVE THEIR SENSES EXERCISED TO DISCERN BOTH GOOD AND EVIL. A spiritual Christian is one that has cast out the beam out of his own eye. He has gone through many wars and battles, and his faith failed not. He has believed the truth of God’s Word and trusted in God—no matter what came. He has not yet attained, but is overcoming through God’s mercy.

    Ro 12:3-FOR I SAY, THROUGH THE GRACE GIVEN UNTO ME, TO EVERY MAN THAT IS AMONG YOU, NOT TO THINK OF HIMSELF MORE HIGHLY THAN HE OUGHT TO THINK; BUT TO THINK SOBERLY, ACCORDING AS GOD HATH DEALT TO EVERY MAN THE MEASURE OF FAITH.
   Followers of Jesus need to cast out the beams out of their own eyes. They need to believe God’s Word in truth and not continue to wear the colored sunglasses of deception and distortion.
   They need to repent of being LUKEWARM and become HOT, because the lukewarm will be spit out. They need to repent of believing they have a good understanding and knowledge of God’s Word and humble themselves. They need to understand their true condition, which is WRETCHED, AND MISERABLE, AND POOR, AND BLIND, AND NAKED. They need to BUY OF ME GOLD TRIED IN THE FIRE, THAT THOU MAYEST BE RICH; AND WHITE RAIMENT, THAT THOU MAYEST BE CLOTHED, AND THAT THE SHAME OF THY NAKEDNESS DO NOT APPEAR; AND ANOINT THINE EYES WITH EYESALVE, THAT THOU MAYEST SEE.

They need to BE ZEALOUS THEREFORE, AND REPENT. They need to take off the colored sunglasses that deceive them and open the door of their heart and let the truth of God’s Word come in. They need to overcome-ref Rev 3:14-21. They need to put away deep-rooted, incorrect thinking, and traditions.
Rev 3:22-HE THAT HATH AN EAR, LET HIM HEAR WHAT THE SPIRIT SAITH UNTO THE CHURCHES.

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