It sounds like I passed your litmus test of scriptures.
I was indeed talking about my experiences with the Holy Spirit and the Lord, not just knowledge of scriptures.
In fact, I didn't know/remember some of verses you quoted there and feel like I'm just reading them for the first time.
The Holy Spirit taught me many things. One of the most destructive biases of all is the bias of self-preservation. If you wish to save your life, then anyone can make you believe a lie if it will save yours. I'm not just talking about our fleshly bodies but also the desire to save our souls to have eternal life.
You will believe anything that promises eternal life and having the least bit of sense.
Matthew 16:25 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.
I'm not saying that eternal life is bad or does not exist. I'm just saying eternal life shouldn't become your god. Eternal life shouldn't have a place higher than God in your heart. Same thing as hell. You shouldn't fear hell more than God.
As I've said earlier, the Lord will not tell you anything you are not ready to receive, things you do not wish to seek, and things you do not suspect to be lies.
Many Christians say the Lord doesn't talk to them, it's not their gift. But the fact is they just don't care enough about the truth. They care just enough to save their soul but not go all the way through and start asking real, hard-hitting questions to the Lord. In fact, I can't even write examples of these questions as they might break forum rules but you probably know what these questions are. The Lord will not get insulted. What insults the Lord is when you care more about worldly things than seeking the truth.
Now that you mention it, the scriptures are anti-self preservation. Christ demonstrated that in the ultimate way at Calvary of course. And what you will see a lot among disciples of the modern religious system is they believe God is blessing them because they’ve acquired some sort of worldly gain, meanwhile they aren’t even doing what Christ said, keeping His commandments listed in Matthew Chapters 5-7, and Matthew 22:36-40. Their primary focus in life is self-indulgent pursuits such as material gain, entertainment, fun, doing hobbies, ‘your best life now’ as the New Age movement/psychology preaches. That is the law of the Baal system. The ‘do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law’ Aleister Crowley doctrine.
The religious system is founded on the traditions and doctrines of men and overtime becomes more permissive towards the elements of the Baal system. The truth is, God could care less about religious traditions, rites, and rituals. In fact; He actually hates them. As it once was, it will be again (Ecclesiastes 1:9).
“Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood. Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.”
—Isaiah 1:13-17
The last part of that passage is what truly matters to God, not religious building attendance, rites, and traditions.
“Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”
—James 1:27
So here we are today, the modern religious system is worth many many billions, likely trillions because the wealth of some religious organizations is not even known due to all the prestigious properties they’ve accumulated and lack of transparency. There would not be a single hungry or homeless person on earth if the religious system really was about what the Bible teaches, with the prodigious wealth it has amassed.
Meanwhile, the pagan and secular governments in the west are doing more for the afflicted than the religious system. That says it all. The last part of James 1:27 = ‘remain unspotted from the world’ = untainted by the world’s evil influence. But today there’s really no difference between the world and the modern building-based religious system. They all want the same things as the world. Even celebrate the pagan holidays with the world. True worship of God is defined in James 1:27, not attending a religious building once a week..on Sunday morning of all times.
“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God:
I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
I will be like the most High.”
—Isaiah 14:12-14
Interesting the meaning of ‘the north’ as it pertains to that passage. ‘Hidden’, ‘darkness’.
“Confounded be all they that serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols: worship him, all ye gods.”
—Psalm 97:7
“Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?”
—1 Corinthians 11:4
“Every man is brutish by his knowledge; every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them. They are vanity, the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.”
—Jeremiah 51:17-18
—Exodus 20:4-6
As it was, it will be again. You’re right, most people don’t care about the truth, even though God is to be worshipped in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). Many are more focused on a fun worldly life, fitting in, their traditions and religious systems, ‘the creation’ rather than the creator...changing the truth of God into a lie (Romans 1:25). A custom ‘jesus’ who conforms to the traditions of men. Distorting the scriptures to align with manmade systems. There’s no better example than that of a verse like Matthew 23:9, so easy to see. But Christ’s commandment doesn’t ‘fit’ with the modern religious system and it’s ‘fathers’. So you’ll have disciples of the system relying on carnal ways like academia to try and claim Christ was referring to blood relations, in a passage where He was clearly referring to roles of spiritual leadership as evidenced by the surrounding verses (Rabbi, Matthew 23:8, Master, Matthew 23:10) as well as the content of the entire chapter. When things don’t align with the narrative, some will make false accusations of hypocrisy or relying on semantics..accusing others of doing exactly what they are doing. Gaslighting and projection 101. Can’t waste time on such people. Paul made it clear how to deal with unrepentant sinful people who claim to be of Christ in 1 Corinthians 5. But there’s always a place for such folks in the pews, because empty seats don’t hand over offerings and tithes.
As you say, many are only concerned with self-preservation. Eternal bliss and hopefully some worldly prosperity and a feeling of security and belonging in the meantime. That is what keeps the pews full and the billions if not trillions of dollars flowing in. But the truth is all about God and His fight against spiritual wickedness, which has likely been going on long before man even existed. Most people want no part in that fight, it would surely interfere with their fun time and prosperity. They’d rather just play it safe and have faith that the system is legitimate. So the truth isn’t about man or their desire for a get out of hell free card (free of Godly sorrow and repentance of course) the truth is about God’s glory and His victory over spiritual wickedness. Man just has a choice on whom they will serve, on whom they will have Faith (trust) in. The Creator, the creation, self, or a combination of the last 2.