Mark 4:24: And He said to them, “Be careful what you are hearing. The measure [of thought and study] you give [to the truth you hear] will be the measure [of virtue and knowledge] that comes back to you—and more [besides] will be given to you who hear.”(Amplified Bible)
Prior to Jesus making this statement, He was explaining to His disciples about the parable of the sower who “sows” or plants the Word of God into the hearts of men. The interesting thing about the above Scripture is that Jesus warns us to be careful of “WHAT” we are HEARING. I like how the Amplified states “the measure of thought and study you give to this truth or “supposed” truth is what comes back to you.” Though someone may be teaching from Scripture, that doesn’t mean that “WHAT” they are teaching is the absolute TRUTH.
The Lord says that many are partaking of “processed” spiritual food. Let me elaborate a little on that statement. Just because “so and so” ministry that has been around for 20 plus years is teaching something from the Word, doesn’t mean that they are correct. Much like natural food here in America, it may look like cheese and even smell similar to cheese, but it is “processed” food. Which means that the contents of the package gives the appearance of being real, but it is made up of “MAN MADE” products with very little of the “REAL” thing in the product.
Matthew 16:12 states, then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees. (NKJ)
In this passage of Scripture, Jesus is warning His disciples about the doctrine or teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. The Pharisees were legalists and traditionalists, whose emphasis upon ritual was hypocritical and spiritually deadening. Unfortunately, this is still true in church today. Some leaders in the Body of Christ are still trying to keep us bound to a law, say that the devil is “still” in power, and proclaim that Jesus will return one day as a “victorious” King.
Mark 12:24 makes a very powerful statement, “Are you not therefore mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God?” Jesus was telling the religious leaders of His day that they were misinterpreting the Scriptures, and walking in error; He is saying the same thing today.
Why do leaders try to get people to uphold part of the law and not all of it? Did not the Apostle Paul say that if you become circumcised according to the law, or anything else for that matter, then you are in debt to keep the WHOLE law? (Galatians 5:3) Doesn’t Scripture tell us that Jesus triumphed over the devil, and disarmed him at the cross? (Colossians 2:14-15). Didn’t the Apostle Peter proclaim on the day of Pentecost that Jesus is NOW seated on the throne of David as a VICTORIOUS KING? (Acts 2:29-36)
My point is if we keep eating the wrong things from various teachers, then we will eventually become spiritually sick. 2 Timothy 4:3-4 states, for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.
Unfortunately, if we are not careful then we will become bound to a religious system rather than finding freedom and truth through intimacy with Jesus THE CHRIST.
Beloved friends, it is very important that we, as believers, learn to study the Scriptures to see if what people are saying is the ABSOLUTE TRUTH and not some man made doctrine or tradition that is being passed down, or some other non-sense that we are calling truth.
