The Difference Between Mental Assent To God's Word and Real Commitment
Expository teaching of Luke 5:1-11. Area Fellowship in Kansas during 1976 Twig Hopping 5575 miles.
Publication Date: 07-20-1976
Victor Paul Wierwille was a Bible scholar and teacher for over four decades.
By means of Dr. Wierwille's dynamic teaching of the accuracy and integrity of God's Word, foundational class and advanced class graduates of Power for Abundant Living have learned that the one great requirement for every student of the Bible is to rightly divide the Word of Truth. Thus, his presentation of the Word of God was designed for students who desire the in-depth-accuracy of God’s Word.
In his many years of research, Dr. Wierwille studied with such men as Karl Barth, E. Stanley Jones, Glenn Clark, Bishop K.C. Pillai, and George M. Lamsa. His formal training included Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Theology degrees from Mission House (Lakeland) College and Seminary. He studied at the University of Chicago and at Princeton Theological Seminary from which he received a Master of Theology degree in Practical Theology. Later he completed his work for the Doctor of Theology degree.
Dr. Wierwille taught the first class on Power for Abundant Living in 1953.
Books by Dr. Wierwille include: Are the Dead Alive Now? published in 1971; Receiving the Holy Spirit Today published in 1972; five volumes of Studies in Abundant Living— The Bible Tells Me So (1971), The New, Dynamic Church (1971), The Word's Way (1971), God's Magnified Word (1977), Order My Steps in Thy Word (1985); Jesus Christ Is Not God (1975); Jesus Christ Our Passover (1980); and Jesus Christ Our Promised Seed (1982).
Dr. Wierwille researched God's Word, taught, wrote, and traveled worldwide, holding forth the accuracy of God's "wonderful, matchless" Word.
Below is an excerpt taken from the teaching: The Difference Between Mental Assent To God's Word and Real Commitment
Before I ever left International Headquarters, the things that are happening around the world and around the country and many other places, I felt in my heart that the one thing that I would like to share with my people wherever I went was the difference between mental assent to God's Word and real commitment. And I felt that what we needed across the country and among The Way people is just a commitment to God's Word. Now we have a lot of people across the world committed to God's Word but I'll never be satisfied until everybody who has taken a class called Power for Abundant Living is really committed. And there's a tremendous difference between just mentally assenting to God's Word or getting committed to it and say again in the innermost part of your being, “Thus saith the Lord,” and believe it.
That's why tonight I'm going to share the same thing basically with you that I've shared with all the twigs across the country because I believe that it will bless you. I know it will. Because it's so easy to sit with a group of believers in a twig meeting and that twig coordinator has, she or he has just bled their heart out working the word for that twig meeting so they can really share the love of God from that word and pray with you and lift you up. And then so many times people go home and say, “Oh, wasn’t that a great twig meeting? That Word of God was sure wonderful. That twig coordinator really spent some time working on that word.” And the next day they don't walk on it any more than they did before they heard it. And that’s not quite right, because if the Word of God is the will of God, it means what it says and it says what it means.
People we’ve got to come to the place in this day and time where you and I just commit ourselves to God’s Word and say, “yes, we believe God’s Word.” If it never comes to pass, we still believe it. We believe that the only way you can know the will of God is to know the Word God, so quit arguing. This is what the Word of God says. If you like it, fine. If you don’t like it, I love you, go the direction you are going. You've got to get to that place that you take a stand on God's Word first and foremost. What the neighbors think is secondary about you... The thing that we were after among our people, and I'm still electrified about it and still excited about it is because I just see day after day after day a greater commitment to the accuracy of God’s Word. It takes most people from three to five years to get around to believing God's Word after you first show it to them. Shouldn't, but it does, because we have been so acclimatize to doubt God and His Word that you can read it to people, it's plainer than the nose on my face, but immediately the enemy comes and says, “Hey, you better check that out. He could be lying.” Well, how can it lie if you can read it yourself? That’s right.
Well, there is a record in the Word of God that sets the difference between mental assent and commitment just like a diamond. It is in Luke chapter 5. I have taught this chapter among our people, many times in the past, but I have never shown it to our people from the depth that I want to show it to you tonight, from the mental assent to God's Word and the commitment of God's Word.
Luke chapter 5 verse 1…