What Ever Happened To The Whole Counsel Of God?
As I read through some of the posts by Leaders in the Body of Christ these days I grow quite concerned. This morning I posted my ‘Thought For The Day’ on Facebook: “We must beware of Hobby Horses. Some have an inclination or bend towards a particular doctrine and ride it like a horse stressing it alone avoiding everything else. There is great danger in that as it leads to unbalanced Believers. Apostle Paul said I did not shrink back from declaring the Whole Counsel of God...neither should we.”
About twenty years ago a team of Ministers and I conducted a Minister’s Seminar. That particular day the Lord led me to deal with the topic: “The Dangers Of Not Preaching The Whole Counsel Of God”. I would like to think that the Church has made great strides and improvement over the last twenty years since that seminar, and while in some areas we have, in this area it is clear that we have not. Look at what Apostle Paul declared to the Elders of Ephesus as they came to him at Miletus in Acts chapter 20.
“For I never shrank or kept back or fell short from declaring to you the whole purpose and plan and counsel of God.” Acts 20:27 Amplified Bible Classic Edition
Notice what Paul said:
I Never Shrank or Kept Back or Fell Short From Declaring…
Declaring What?
The Whole Purpose and Plan and Counsel of God!
It should be noted that the word Declare in this text in the Original Greek carries the meaning: I bring back word, I report; I announce, I declare. Paul was saying he made an announcement of the Whole Counsel of God. He Declared the Whole Counsel of God. He Brought Back A Word…A Report of The Whole Counsel of God.
To hear some people tell it there is only on doctrine in Scripture. As much as I believe in Sonship and desire to pour into the next generation raising up sons; there is more to the Whole Counsel of God than just Sonship. As much as I believe in preaching the Kingdom, after all John the Baptist preached the Kingdom, Jesus preached the Kingdom and Paul preached the Kingdom; but there is more to the Whole Counsel of God than just the Kingdom.
The Whole Counsel of God contains Sonship. The Whole Counsel of God contains the Kingdom. Neither Sonship nor the Kingdom as good as they are; they are not the be all and end all of the Whole Counsel of God. If they were…what do we do with the Major and Minor Prophets? What do we do with the Psalms and Proverbs? What do we do with all of Israel’s history? I thought all of their history was written as examples for us???? (1 Corinthians 10:10-12) I thought all Scripture was profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. (2 Timothy 3:16)
The Whole Counsel of God is all inclusive of all truth from Genesis to Revelation. We must preach all of it from cover to cover. We were never called to be “a one trick pony”…we were called to Declare and Announce the Whole Counsel of God.
If we continue in Acts chapter 20 in the context we will note some of Paul’s concern as to why it is so important that the Whole Counsel of God be proclaimed:
“I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.” Acts 20: 29 & 30 New American Standard Bible
Notice what Paul said:
Savage wolves will come in.
They won’t spare the flock.
From among your own selves men speaking false doctrine will arise.
They will draw away disciples to themselves.
Now my Brother and Sister look across the landscape of the church in our day and you can see that these very things are happening right among us. The Church has been permeated from within by “Gooey Grace” and “Sloppy Agape” to the point that folks no longer believe that repentance is required and that we can live like the devil and still go to heaven.
We are in dire need of the Whole Counsel of God! The Bible is clear: “I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” Luke 13:5 New American Standard Bible
“The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9 New American Standard Bible
The Whole Counsel of God says that God wants all to come to repentance and that none should perish. It says that unless one does repent they will perish. That is surely a far cry from the damnable heresy of the hyper-grace message being propagated today.
Can you see how important the Whole Counsel of God is? I have only given a few examples, but these examples should prove the validity of what I am saying. It is time to live and practice the use of ALL SCRIPTURE…Not Just Our Pet Doctrine or Hobby Horse…IT IS TIME TO DECLARE THE WHOLE COUNSEL OF GOD!
