Dementia (def) - Dementia is a term used to describe a group of symptoms affecting memory, thinking and social abilities. In people who have dementia, the symptoms interfere with their daily lives. Dementia isn't one specific disease.
The church in Galatia like so many churches today had developed "spiritual dementia" forgetting the truth that was taught to them by the Apostle Paul. Like the children of Israel throughout the Bible, we see a New Testament church forgetting what the "main thing" was, which was to preach the gospel. The churches in Galatians were full of converted Gentiles and they knew only Paul's teachings of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul's adversaries had infested the churches in Galatia. heir false doctrine of salvation through the law had been so dominant that it caused the Galatians to follow the errant teaching of the law for salvation. The churches were established during Paul's second missionary journey and this letter had been written to bring back to memory where true salvation comes from. The following six verses in Chapter three show Paul's approach to bring them back to the truth of God's Word.
Galatians 3: 1 Oh, foolish Galatians! Who has cast an evil spell on you? For the meaning of Jesus Christ’s death was made as clear to you as if you had seen a picture of his death on the cross. 2 Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ. 3 How foolish can you be? After starting your new lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? 4 Have you experienced[a] so much for nothing? Surely it was not in vain, was it?5 I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law? Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ. 6 In the same way, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” 7 The real children of Abraham, then, are those who put their faith in God.
Something to draw from the above verses are: 1. Evil was behind this errant teaching 2. The converts had quit thinking for themselves as Spirit-filled believers 3. The false teachers were strong and very persuasive, as evil surely it 4. Paul reminded them of who they were and how that identity happened through the Holy Spirit 5. Paul reminded them that the law was powerless. 6. Paul told them to remember when they were saved and that true saved people don't keep following false teachings.
I hear again and again of believers following the teaching of prophets who end up being false prophets. You can always identify false prophets because they wander away from teaching the gospel and grace. They try to make it seem like we are the ones who must do "more" to make God love us more. That teaching lessens the need for God and heightens the need for us to make the whole thing work. To say to these people, live the Spirit-filled life just causes them to freak out, because they are into what "they" can do to make everything work.
It takes very little for a believer to fall away from dependence on God alone and begin to think they must jump through some hoops or accomplish a level of obedience to be accepted and loved by God and the reason for that is good ole "pride!" The more dependent we are on ourselves the less dependent we become on God and that is the beginning of "Spiritual Dementia." Stay clear of false doctrines that cause you to forget the main thing and that is Jesus died so that we might have eternal life in glory offered to all who come to Him. I heard a false teaching from a preacher a few weeks ago and he said "Jesus did not die for the whole world." I disagree with this teaching and the man who said this. Jesus lived, died, and rose again so that the whole world might be saved. This very familiar scripture must never be lost in false teaching. John 3: 16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.
All of this is very clear, so don't forget what God did on the cross for you and all you share within your daily walk. Stay the course and don't forget who you are and Whose you are. Keep a good memory and never forget. The writer of Proverbs says it this way in Chapter 4: 5 Get wisdom; develop good judgment. Don’t forget my words or turn away from them. 6 Don’t turn your back on wisdom, for she will protect you. Love her, and she will guard you.
Vesselogical Out,
David Warren
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