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#36 Spiritual self-reliance
From Meditations on the Epistles of John, by Samuel Froehlich
I John 2:26 ff.
These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.
But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need
not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all
things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall
abide in him.
In reference to the besetting lying-spirits, the seducers and false brethren and
disguised servants of Satan (II Corinthians 11; Galatians 2), the apostle wished
it to be made known to his young brethren that they were self-reliant and
independent so that they, by means of the unction, might be in a position to
prove all teachers and teachings and discern the truth and the lie, so as not to
be deceived and led astray. He who can judge all teachers stands above them in
this respect and consequently is independent of the judgment of others in
reference to the truth, and it must be so with all the anointed or they would be
at the mercy of every seducer and lying-spirit (Romans 16).
Yet the believers, by reason of this spiritual self-reliance, are still not in
the same degree as independent from the teaching of the truth itself as it is
revealed by the older, experienced servants of Christ through the Holy Ghost.
Only the fathers in Christ are independent in this respect also, but all the
younger ones shall be desirous of the sincere milk of the truth (I Peter 2) and
continue stedfastly in the instruction and advice of the leaders (Acts 2), so
that they, through the same, may increase in the true wisdom and knowledge of
God. It is the same in this respect as with children: as long as the child is in
the womb of the mother, its life is wholly bound with that of the mother and is
dependent (absolutely) upon her, but when it is born, it, at that state, has
received a separate life, yet it is not so independent that it could sustain
itself, but must even then receive its nourishment from the mother that it might
live.
As necessary as self-reliance may ever be in reference to the erring spirits, to
slash them to pieces with the Sword of the Spirit (the Word of God), just as
destructive also is the high-minded conceit, self-knowledge and self-sufficiency
of so many beginners and novices who have been puffed up by the devil against
the truth and imagine that they need learn nothing more. They are the first to
become seducers of others. Paul warns us against this old and self-conceited way
(Romans 12; I Corinthians 8, etc.).
... if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he
ought to know.
Such independence is neither right nor good, for eccentricity, the lying-spirit,
is behind it and such inexperienced ones imperceptibly depart from the truth. "A
little leaven leaveneth the whole lump." For, as we are indebted and obligated
to accept the whole truth as the counsel of God unto our salvation, so must we
also avoid every lie if we are to be saved. It is not for us to be concerned
about adding to or taking away from the truth at discretion.
The self-reliance and independence of which John speaks is therefore not
absolute or unconditional, but conditional and relative, and we must guard
ourselves just as much from our own mind as from the strange lying-spirits so as
not to be deceived, for we can never finish learning the truth and wisdom of
God, and we must keep our heart pure from sin in order that the Holy Ghost may
dwell and abide in us, guide us into all truth and keep us from seduction.
View all episodes
By Timeless FaithFrom Meditations on the Epistles of John, by Samuel Froehlich
I John 2:26 ff.
These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.
But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need
not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all
things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall
abide in him.
In reference to the besetting lying-spirits, the seducers and false brethren and
disguised servants of Satan (II Corinthians 11; Galatians 2), the apostle wished
it to be made known to his young brethren that they were self-reliant and
independent so that they, by means of the unction, might be in a position to
prove all teachers and teachings and discern the truth and the lie, so as not to
be deceived and led astray. He who can judge all teachers stands above them in
this respect and consequently is independent of the judgment of others in
reference to the truth, and it must be so with all the anointed or they would be
at the mercy of every seducer and lying-spirit (Romans 16).
Yet the believers, by reason of this spiritual self-reliance, are still not in
the same degree as independent from the teaching of the truth itself as it is
revealed by the older, experienced servants of Christ through the Holy Ghost.
Only the fathers in Christ are independent in this respect also, but all the
younger ones shall be desirous of the sincere milk of the truth (I Peter 2) and
continue stedfastly in the instruction and advice of the leaders (Acts 2), so
that they, through the same, may increase in the true wisdom and knowledge of
God. It is the same in this respect as with children: as long as the child is in
the womb of the mother, its life is wholly bound with that of the mother and is
dependent (absolutely) upon her, but when it is born, it, at that state, has
received a separate life, yet it is not so independent that it could sustain
itself, but must even then receive its nourishment from the mother that it might
live.
As necessary as self-reliance may ever be in reference to the erring spirits, to
slash them to pieces with the Sword of the Spirit (the Word of God), just as
destructive also is the high-minded conceit, self-knowledge and self-sufficiency
of so many beginners and novices who have been puffed up by the devil against
the truth and imagine that they need learn nothing more. They are the first to
become seducers of others. Paul warns us against this old and self-conceited way
(Romans 12; I Corinthians 8, etc.).
... if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he
ought to know.
Such independence is neither right nor good, for eccentricity, the lying-spirit,
is behind it and such inexperienced ones imperceptibly depart from the truth. "A
little leaven leaveneth the whole lump." For, as we are indebted and obligated
to accept the whole truth as the counsel of God unto our salvation, so must we
also avoid every lie if we are to be saved. It is not for us to be concerned
about adding to or taking away from the truth at discretion.
The self-reliance and independence of which John speaks is therefore not
absolute or unconditional, but conditional and relative, and we must guard
ourselves just as much from our own mind as from the strange lying-spirits so as
not to be deceived, for we can never finish learning the truth and wisdom of
God, and we must keep our heart pure from sin in order that the Holy Ghost may
dwell and abide in us, guide us into all truth and keep us from seduction.