1. Misunderstand the whole thing: The Scriptures are God's Word. He honors and gives life to them but they are not a substitute for Him. The result? A worship of the Bible, an abandonment of its Author.
2. Twist: This man makes the Scripture mean whatever he wants it to mean. The result? Very strange forms of religion with no resemblance to anything seen in the Bible.
3. Out of context: Entire doctrines run through the thinking of the modern church that are based entirely on verses of the Bible taken out of context. The result? Uncertain foundations producing uncertain believers, producing uncertain results.
4. Out of covenant: This man seems to be unaware of the new and better covenant. Much of what he believes is drawn from a covenant that has decayed and passed away. The result? He is cheated out of his covenant inheritance and blessing.
5. Overemphasis: These men take one portion of Scripture or idea they favor and build their whole world of understanding around it. Every word they say may be true, but the pre-eminence of God suffers. The result? Very shallow, often one-dimensional believers.
6. Fail to take literally: This person reads with religious sunglasses, tinted by his background, family, religion, etc.. Everything he reads is shaded by those glasses. The results? Since he does not literally read and believe what God has said, he seldom ever hears what God is saying.
7. Insists on interpreting where none is needed: Many religious people, not aware of the new covenant in which God speaks plainly, simply and clearly, insist on interpreting what does not interpreting. The result? They only believe what they interpreted something to mean.
8. Piece meal proof: This religious habit involves taking a verse from the old, one from the new, one from somewhere else, mix in a little interpretation and present it as a truth. The result? Very strange doctrines. Very little confirming manifestations of God.
9. Trust your own understanding: This person ends believes only what he understands, which may or not be what the Scripture actually says.The result? Failure to ever mature.
10. Ignorance: This person does not take the Bible serious enough to pay much attention to it. His comfort comes from whatever he belongs to. Others can read for him and say whatever they want to say and it doesn't matter. The result? The Bible says we are alienated from the life of God by ignorance.
11. Reads backwards: Religion typically tries to interpret the realities of the new covenant with their interpretation of the shadows and types. In truth, the real explains the shadow, not vice-versa. The result? Religion in which the realities of God never appear.
12. Education: This person sees the Bible as merely an educational tool. His security is based on his education. The result? He is ever learning but never coming to the reality of what has studies. The Word he knows, never comes to life.
13. Hear but never do: This man never reads the Scripture with the intention of doing what he reads. The result? Total self-deception.
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