Have you been disappointed in your pastor or the officers of your church or perhaps in Christian leaders in general? Have you placed great faith in some spiritual leader only to be disillusioned and to find out that your faith has been misplaced? Have you observed the growing popularity of some evangelist or Bible teacher whom you βknowβ to be insincere, while noting that another, whose fidelity and sincerity are beyond question, seems to get nowhere?
How it helps, in such situations, to be able to βrightly divide the Word of truth,β and to enjoy βthe full assurance of understandingβ that comes with βthe full knowledge of the mysteryβ (Col. 2:2).
In βthis present evil ageβ we are living under βthe dispensation of the grace of God.β
God is not saving good people today, nor even people who will repent and βdo works meet for repentance.β Rather, He is saving poor sinners who will come to Him with all their sin. This is Godβs gracious response to manβs rejection of the King and the kingdom as offered at Pentecost.
Look at the way believers lived together in love and harmony during the Pentecostal era and you are apt to exclaim: βWhy canβt we live that way today? Letβs get back to Pentecost.β But look at the way believers lived together after the raising up of Paul, even among his beloved Philippians, and you will say: βIt is no different today.β This is because the believers at Pentecost were all filled with the Spirit in fulfillment of a prophetic promise, while today He has in grace committed His message to failing men and women, who indeed possess the Spirit, but often grieve Him. source
