We must always be on the lookout for pride. It so easily creeps in. There are many things that we will not fully comprehend until they are eventually fulfilled. To study God’s Word is essential, but certain theological understandings might one day be proven incorrect as God’s plan moves forward. We must hold steady to the essentials and more lightly to the nonessentials. As Augustine said: “In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity.” What is essential? The Bible is God’s Word and is perfect. God’s love for us is unconditional and does not change. Jesus died for our sins and rose from the grave conquering both sin and death. If we repent of our sins, accept Him as our Lord and Savior, then we will one day get to spend eternity with Him. He is the only way to heaven. There are other essentials, but this is a short list which we cannot waver from.

We read of the healing of a deaf man in Mark 7:31-37. We read about the healing of a blind man in 8:22-26. What is so noteworthy concerning Jesus’ healings is that He often does the healing differently each time. His focus is not only on the physical healing but on their spiritually healing. This second point is brought out in His discussions with the woman healed of her bleeding in Mark 5:25-34, and the Gentile woman with the daughter having an unclean spirit in 7:24-30. Jesus healed them physically, but drew out their faith each time, which is more important than the physical healing. Jesus was not about a formula. He taught us to stop depending on our strength, our logic, our intellect, and submit to His authority. We would do well to realize this; that He is always right, we are not always right.

It is so easy to get caught up and close ourselves to His counsel by fixing ourselves to our own understanding. We read in 1 Peter 1:10-12, “Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven - things which angels desire to look into.” The prophets and the angels did not comprehend how Jesus’ first coming would be fulfilled. Both groups were extremely intelligent, they just didn’t know. Likewise, many hold to views now, as fact, of things yet to be fulfilled. We need to hold firmly to Jesus and the counsel in His Book, and loosely to all else. Through the years many seminaries have put forth theories which have since been abandoned or should be abandoned. Jesus said in Mark 8:34, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” To follow Jesus means to lay down our own ambitions, our pride, everything and come to Him in humility and full surrender. It is with our eyes on Jesus, and through the power of the Holy Spirit who resides within us, Who will walk with us every step of the way, that our daily paths become clear.