THE FALSE DOCTRINE OF "LIVING UNDERSTANDING"
by Pam Clark (pamclark@prophetic.net)


There is a false doctrine that has permeated society today and it is what I call the false doctrine of living understanding. Its premise is that we are all going to sin anyway because of our human nature, so we just need to understand that and forgive people and live with things as best we can.

While it has a righteous sound to it, it is a heresy doctrine. It's like the moldy garment mentioned in Jeremiah that is no longer suitable for wearing because it is rotten and falling apart. It's what termites are to a tree. It may have a false appearance for a while, but you'll soon discover that you have no substance when you need it or lean on it.

This false doctrine is tearing down souls by the millions. Some have called it "greasy grace." It's false grace and it is the devil's counterfeit for true grace. In times past we used to have many "testimony services" where people would share the great and gracious things that God did for them. In the beginning, these testimonies brought great glory to God.

But because there was a glory going on, some people got jealous. They wanted attention too and so they began to make up their own wild stories so they would have a story too and they were competing with the latest trend going around. People love to hear other people say "Wow!" So why not soup it up a little?

Of course that is deceitful, but people would justify that they did it for the Lord. So it goes with this false living understanding doctrine. When confronted with their sin, they demand that you have living understanding for them. Of course they are trying, of course they don't mean to, but you just need to ACCEPT it because "they can't help it."

Now it is true that many make attempts and fail and many fall short - and we all have fallen short of the glory (or perfection) of God, but saying that "it is okay to fail God" is sin. It's a lie. It's a heart issue. We either believe or we don't. If we do believe, then we do make progress and it shows. If we love Him, He says we keep His Commandments. But when His Commandments are sacrificed for "living understanding" it's sin because it is justifying the sin and saying that God cannot bring us into higher places.

It not only denies the sacrifices of men but it also denies the sacrifice of Jesus who died for our sins as the Son God and the Son of Man. He was sinless as the Son of God, but He became as a man to show the way of God in man. As a man, He was tempted in all points as we are and he suffered, striving against sin, even to the point of crucifixion and death. His victory was ours.

Through Him, because He was a Man who prevailed, we are given the enabling power of grace to overcome sin in our own lives, if we are IN HIM. As we overcome sin in our lives and as we overcome the sin of unbelief, we are taken from faith to faith, strength to strength AND from glory to glory. This is not about crucifying our flesh so much that we win "the game" of who died, but it's about getting to know, and love, and fellowship with a majestic God who is holy. It's fun and wondrous thing!

God is so incredible, He is so powerful, He is all Creative, and He gives us the power and ability to share that wonder with Him if we will posture ourselves correctly. He will take us into greater dimensions of life. He will show us things that no mind has seen, no ear has heard, nor has it even entered our hearts! There IS more!!! There is more inside of us and outside of us that we can share because of who He is.

We have to develop the skill of dealing well with those who fall short. Sometimes we fall short, but we do not justify it by the false doctrine of living understanding. We don't just say, "Oh well, anything goes," but "I'm sorry, let's press more into God. I want to see you succeed!" We have to say NO to the devil.

Some people can make a good game of it in their natural lives. Obviously the media has shared with us that for some people it is even a spiritual game! As end times approach, (praise God, it's the end of SIN! which is why we have these tribulation birth pangs), we know that false spiritual manifestations will seem to happen more and more. Those who are His will look, act and be like Him. We will see the Father through them because of the work of the Son, who came to make the way for His enabling Holy Spirit, and we will conquer the second heaven of false covering and bring the third Heaven to Earth, and restore it to clean, as it should have been, with constant interchange.

There are two kinds of shakings. There is the kind when things line up right and there is also a shaking when things line up wrong. The two kingdoms are colliding.

Hell is rising up to be victorious over man but Jesus made the way through His Cross. Some people stop and focus so much on the cross that all they see is death! But the focal point is not death but LIFE!!! --a life with liberty and freedom and joy and love and abundance in thriving.

The enemy will come in sneaky to rob, kill, steal and destroy. He hides from the Light. But Jesus came that we might have life, and that more abundantly.

A worm is a worm. Some make transformations and some don't. The choice is ours to CHOOSE LIFE!

The enemy's glory is death. He terrifies people with it. He terrifies them with sickness and disease and vilifies the living with lies and twisted perversions of truth. He says what is right is wrong and what is wrong is right. He will make it sound authoritative like God.

But you have a choice to be deceived and believe the lies, or believe the truth. You will know it is truth, because the truth sets you free and you know it! It resonates within. Your sins are forgiven because you do choose the righteous way. You may be working on a few things but you ARE working on it.

When you aren't you know you are backsliding because things just don't quite work out like they used to or should. Yes we are in a battle but we are also in a Body.

Jesus is the Head of this Body and His Resurrection Life fills this body of living beings. Every joint supplies to all of the different parts. There is rejoicing and singing. There is positive activity, not just laments for how it could be or should be. (Some major in criticism but it has no fruit!) The fullness of the God Head bodily dwells in us! But we must be connected with the Holy Head to do that Kingdom living and He does not compromise with sin.

So many have been victims because the enemy does not want them to see the joy and life and experience the love they could have and display to others if they really pressed on in to know Him. So the enemy badmouths the Lord and the things and the servants of the Lord so that a person will become suspicious and untrusting.

Recently on television I heard that one of the top broadcasters who has raked the media ministers over the coals of skepticism and attacked their lifestyles voraciously lives in a $50 million home in New York and has another one similar in another city. This was a show about some of the better homes in America. I wonder why that was never mentioned before?

Hurting hearts will attack those who are betraying them. So it is good if we work on having the ability to present Life, but it is not with the false doctrine of "living understanding." You see immoral celebrities wearing crosses, you see vicious people playing the role of righteous. And yes, we know it's wrong.

We see people every day who say they "just can't help it" but we also see their destruction too. As ministers, and we are ALL called to the work of the ministry, so we must do our best to help these people get on the path. We must appeal to their reasoning and we must show them the strength of our love through Him in us. We also must allow the supernatural of God to come in and be manifest to help them believe. It's all about a living relationship, not just a show. There is a right and wrong supernatural. His will bear the fruit of His Spirit.

God can shut this whole thing down at His will. It is by the tender mercies of God that we are not consumed! But people are crying out and God will reveal and manifest Himself and when He does, judgments will come. Do you have His REAL living understanding or are you competing with Him?

Many do not understand that the glory belongs to Him. They like attention, they want attention and they will hurt others for attention. Some want attention for the right reasons, to show forth the praises of God.

Keep crying out for His Glory to be revealed because it will bring the Light we need to break the chains of darkness. Captives will be set free.

When this happens, when truth prevails, then the blessings of the earth will manifest. And like it says in Hosea 2:18-23

    18 In that day I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, with the birds of the air, and with the creeping things of the ground. Bow and sword of battle I will shatter from the earth, to make them lie down safely.
    19 "I will betroth you to Me forever; yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and justice, in lovingkindness and mercy;
    20 I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness, and you shall know the LORD.
    21 "It shall come to pass in that day that I will answer," says the LORD; "I will answer the heavens, and they shall answer the earth.
    22 The earth shall answer with grain, with new wine, and with oil; they shall answer Jezreel.
    23 Then I will sow her for Myself in the earth, and I will have mercy on her who had not obtained mercy; then I will say to those who were not My people, 'You are My people!' And they shall say, 'You are my God!' " (NKJ)