10/04/2025
ARE YOU?
Sitting in the Authority of Messiah or the Idol of Man**
**Author: Jeremy Best**
# # # **Introduction**
In an age of overwhelming religious noise, where countless voices claim to speak for God, a critical question echoes from eternity into the hearts of every sincere believer: Upon whose authority are you building your faith? The modern spiritual landscape is saturated with teachings that mesmerize and captivate, promising secret knowledge and mystical pathways to God. Yet, this very allure often leads believers away from the profound simplicity and absolute clarity of our Father's revealed will.
This book is a call to return to the foundation. It is an urgent plea to discern the source of the teaching we consume. The choice presented is stark and binary: are you seated in the **Seat of the Messiah**, serving as a faithful ambassador of the Father's direct words, or are you seated in the **Seat of Your Idol**, propagating the private interpretations, cunning fables, and man-willed religion that rob God of His glory?
We will explore the ancient biblical model of the "Seat of Moses"—a position of authority dedicated solely to repeating the words of God without addition or subtraction. We will then contrast this with the damning indictment of "cunningly devised fables" warned of by the Apostle Peter. Through a careful examination of Scripture—from the Law and the Prophets to the very words of the Lord Jesus Christ—we will expose the methods false teachers use to deceive, particularly through the misuse of mystery and the twisting of texts. Our journey will lead us to the feet of the one true Teacher, the Messiah, who alone possesses the words of eternal life and who commands us to hear and obey Him.
The house built upon the rock of His words will stand. All others are destined for a great fall. The time to inspect your foundation is now.
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# # # **Chapter 1: The Two Seats: Moses and the Messiah vs. Man and the Idol**
**Chapter Summary:** This chapter introduces the core analogy of the book: the choice between two seats of authority. It begins by explaining the historical "Seat of Moses," a place of honor where a teacher would read the Law of God verbatim, acting solely as an ambassador of a pre-existing authority. This is contrasted with the "seat of your idol," where teachers, regardless of their organization's size, preach their own will, emotions, and private interpretations. The chapter establishes that we are in a season of divine judgment where God is separating His true children from the chaff, making this discernment critically urgent.
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The spiritual conflict of our time can be understood through the imagery of two seats of authority. The first is the **Seat of the Messiah**, which finds its prototype in the ancient **Seat of Moses**.
> “Then Jesus spoke to the multitude and to His disciples, saying: ‘The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, *that* observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do.’” (Matthew 23:1-3, NKJV)
Historically, this was a literal chair in synagogues where a priest or Levite would read from the Torah scroll. His role was not one of innovation or interpretation; it was one of representation. He was to read the text "letter for letter, word for word, grammar for grammar," speaking on behalf of the authority that originated long before he sat down. He was an ambassador of Moses' Law.
This is the model for the true teacher of God: one who sits in the seat of the Messiah and the prophets, declaring only what the Father has already said. His message is not his own.
Conversely, there is the **seat of your idol**. This seat is not defined by the size of a ministry, the grandeur of its buildings, or the number of its followers. I do not care if your church or religion has the biggest buildings, more churches, more money, more officials, more popes, more archbishops, or more elders than any organization on the planet. It does not validate that you are sitting in the seat of the Messiah. You could be sitting in a very large infrastructure that is seated in your idol, with your own will, emotions, and laws being brought forth.
This teacher uses God’s words to teach his *own* words. He is a thief and a robber, stealing the glory, words, and kingdom of the Father to bring people unto himself (John 10:8).
We are living in the time of the harvest, where God is gathering His children into His barn and binding the tares to be burned (Matthew 13:30). This divine separation necessitates a clear answer to the question: **Are you seated in the seat of the Messiah, or are you seated in the seat of your religion, your idol, your own man interpretation?**
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# # # **Chapter 2: Eyewitness Testimony vs. Cunningly Devised Fables**
**Chapter Summary:** This chapter delves into the Apostle Peter's warning against false teachings. It defines "cunningly devised fables" by examining the original Greek words, revealing them to be deceptive sophistries and mystical secrets designed to captivate and deceive. This is contrasted with the apostolic model of preaching what was plainly seen and heard, validated by the Father Himself. The chapter argues that God’s truth is simple, clear, and accessible, needing no mystical interpretation.
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The Apostle Peter provides the definitive test for identifying true God-given teaching versus man-made deception.
> “For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.” (2 Peter 1:16, NKJV)
Peter stakes his authority on historical, verifiable reality: “we saw Him, we heard Him.” He continues to describe the event of the Transfiguration, where God the Father Himself validated Jesus, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (2 Peter 1:17-18, NKJV). The apostolic message was not based on dreams, visions, or secrets learned in private, but on legal, eyewitness testimony.
This stands in stark opposition to the “cunningly devised fables” that captivate so many. Let us break down this potent phrase from the Greek:
* **Cunningly Devised (sesophismenois):** Rooted in *sophism*, meaning a fallacious argument, a clever device, or a stage trick used deliberately to deceive. It is reasoning made with ingenuity for the purpose of trickery, much like a magician’s illusion.
* **Fables (mythois):** Translated as myths, fables, or tales. Its root is *muo*, which means “to learn the secret,” or “to initiate into a mystery.”
This is the enemy’s strategy. He packages deception as sophisticated, secret knowledge that makes the listener feel special and initiated. This is what Satan offered Eve: “For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:5, NKJV). It is the allure of the hidden mystery.
Peter condemns this approach utterly.
> “knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke *as they were* moved by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:20-21, NKJV)
God’s word is not a Picasso painting open to a gallery of private interpretations. It is the clear, direct speech of the Father, delivered through holy men. God made His message simple so that even a child can understand it, leaving no room for the clever to deceive the innocent. The modern pulpit is often filled with these cunningly devised fables—mysteries, principles, and secrets—that desecrate the simple, powerful words of the Father and the Son.
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# # # **Chapter 3: The Method of the Deceiver: Omission, Addition, and Private Interpretation**
**Chapter Summary:** This chapter exposes the practical methods false teachers use to twist Scripture. Using a case study of Paul's writing in Romans 4, it demonstrates how false teachers cherry-pick verses, omit crucial context, and then surround the text with their own extensive commentary to create a new, man-made doctrine. This method is contrasted with the prophetic model seen in Ezekiel and others, where the word of the Lord is delivered verbatim.
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How does a teacher of cunning fables operate? He cannot simply invent a new text; instead, he must take the sacred text and twist it to his own ends. His primary tools are **omission, addition, and private interpretation.**
A powerful case study is found in Romans 4:7-8, where Paul quotes from Psalm 32:
> “Blessed *are those* whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed *is the* man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin.” (Romans 4:7-8, NKJV)
At first glance, this seems harmless. But let us examine the source text in its entirety:
> “Blessed *is he whose* transgression *is* forgiven, *whose* sin *is* covered. Blessed *is* the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, **and in whose spirit *there is* no deceit.**” (Psalm 32:1-2, NKJV)
The omission is critical. Paul removes the final clause, **“and in whose spirit there is no deceit.”** This phrase qualifies the entire verse, pointing to a repentance that is genuine, not deceitful. The one whose sin is not imputed is the one who comes to God in honest truth, not with false intentions.
Having omitted this key part, the false teacher then builds enormous, man-willed commentary before and after the cherry-picked verse (as Paul does in Romans 1-4), creating a new narrative. In this case, the narrative is that belief in a sacrifice alone, without a life of obedient repentance, is sufficient for God to not impute sin.
This method is the antithesis of how true prophets of God operated. Consider Ezekiel:
> “The word of the LORD came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the River Chebar; and the hand of the LORD was upon him there.” (Ezekiel 1:3, NKJV)
The true prophet tells you the time, the place, and the fact that the word of the Lord came to him. He then delivers God’s words directly: “Thus says the Lord GOD…” (Ezekiel 2:4). There is no private interpretation sandwiched around omitted scriptures. God speaks for Himself.
Men who preach their words using God’s words are sitting in the seat of their idol. They use a little bit of Him to build a lot of themselves.
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# # # **Chapter 4: The Father’s Clear Path: Repentance and Obedience**
**Chapter Summary:** This chapter presents the Bible's consistent message on how sin is forgiven and eternal life is obtained, as stated by God Himself through the prophets. It turns to Ezekiel 18 to show that God holds each individual accountable for their own actions, rejecting the idea of inherited sin or unconditional election. The path to life is clearly defined: turn from your wickedness, keep God's statutes, and do what is lawful and right.
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Having seen the deceptive method, we must now ask: What does God Himself say about how a man is cleared of his sin debt? How does God define the repentance that leads to life? We turn not to a commentator, but to the Father’s own words through the prophet Ezekiel.
The chapter utterly refutes the idea of inherited sin or unconditional election.
> “The soul who sins shall die. **The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son.** The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.” (Ezekiel 18:20, NKJV)
Each person is accountable for their own actions. A righteous son of a wicked father will live. But how does a wicked man find life?
> “But if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; **because of the righteousness which he has done, he shall live.**” (Ezekiel 18:21-22, NKJV)
This is the Father’s clear path. Forgiveness and life are granted **because of** the righteous works of repentance and obedience. This is the consistent biblical message. When Moses presented the covenant, God said:
> “Now therefore, **if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant,** then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people.” (Exodus 19:5, NKJV)
This is not a message of helplessness but of responsibility. God asks,
> “Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? and not that he should turn from his ways and live?” (Ezekiel 18:23, NKJV)
The way of the Lord is fair. He sets before us life and death and commands us to choose life (Deuteronomy 30:19). Any teaching that removes this choice and this responsibility is a cunningly devised fable.
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# # # **Chapter 5: The Supreme Authority: Hearing the Son**
**Chapter Summary:** This chapter establishes the Lord Jesus Christ as the final and ultimate Prophet like Moses, to whom we must listen. It examines His direct teaching to the rich young ruler, where He unequivocally states that obedience to the commandments is the path to eternal life. Jesus offers no mystical secret, only a call to full surrender and discipleship. He is the one who teaches all things, making any other intermediary, like Paul, not only unnecessary but suspect.
***
All authority culminates in the Son of God. Moses prophesied of this final Prophet:
> “The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. **Him you shall hear**.” (Deuteronomy 18:15, NKJV)
This Prophet is the Lord Jesus Christ. When a Gentile Samaritan woman spoke of the Messiah, she said, “He will tell us all things.” Jesus declared to her, “I who speak to you am He” (John 4:25-26, NKJV). He is the one who teaches us all things. We need no other.
This is perfectly illustrated in His encounter with the rich young ruler.
> “Now behold, one came and said to Him, ‘Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?’ So He said to him, ‘Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But **if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.**’” (Matthew 19:16-17, NKJV)
The man, likely influenced by Pharisees seeking mysteries, asked, “Which ones?” He was looking for a secret principle, a ringing of the bell. Jesus gave him no mystery. He listed the commandments: “You shall not murder,” “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “Honor your father and your mother,” and “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 19:18-19).
The man, still seeking a mystical bypass, claimed to have kept these and asked what he still lacked. Jesus then called him to the ultimate surrender: “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me” (Matthew 19:21, NKJV). Jesus was inviting him into discipleship, which is only for those prepared by obedience to the law.
The message of Jesus is simple, direct, and authoritative. It is about hearing and doing.
> “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock.” (Matthew 7:24, NKJV)
He is the rock. His words are the foundation. Any teaching that claims to reveal a new mystery that overrules or nullifies the direct commands of the Son of God is a destructive fable. We have no need for any teacher who does not direct us solely to the words that proceeded from the mouth of the Father, as delivered by His Son.
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# # # **Conclusion: The Call to the Sovereign Seat**
The choice before us is eternal. Will we be ambassadors of the Father’s words, sitting in the Seat of the Messiah, declaring what He has said without addition or subtraction? Or will we, entranced by cunningly devised fables and the allure of secret knowledge, remain seated in the idolatrous chair of man’s private interpretation?
The words of life are not hidden in mystical paintings or complex philosophies. They have been spoken plainly by the Father through Moses, the Prophets, and definitively in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. As He declared,
> “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:4, NKJV)
Let us therefore repent of seeking mysteries and turn to the brilliant, life-giving light of God’s clear word. Let us consume it, be transformed by it, and proclaim it with faithfulness. Build your house upon this rock. For when the rains descend, the floods come, and the winds blow, only the house founded on His word will stand.
**A Final Prayer:**
Mighty Father in heaven, we repent for being deceived by mysticisms and secrets, for evading Your clear and present word. Let us love the bread of life, and obey the Son of God, believing Your words and not turning our ears to any other personal, private, fabricated truths of men. We choose to live by every word that proceeds from Your mouth. Amen.
Review and call to action
Of course. Here is a review of the key lessons from the material, formatted with bullet points and a final call to action.
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# # # **Review: Key Takeaways**
* **Two Seats of Authority:** You are either sitting in the **Seat of the Messiah**, acting as an ambassador who faithfully repeats the words of God, or in the **Seat of Your Idol**, teaching your own will, emotions, and private interpretations, even if it's within a large, impressive religious organization.
* **Beware of Cunningly Devised Fables:** False teaching is not always obvious error; it is often sophisticated, deceptive, and packaged as special, secret knowledge (mysteries) to make you feel initiated. This is the direct opposite of the apostles' plain, eyewitness testimony.
* **God's Word is Not Privately Interpreted:** Scripture is not a collection of vague sayings open to endless personal meaning. It is the clear, direct speech of God, delivered through holy men. We are not to add our own extensive commentary that changes its meaning.
* **The Deceiver's Method is Omission and Addition:** False teachers twist Scripture by cherry-picking verses, omitting crucial context, and then surrounding the text with their own commentary to create a new, man-made doctrine.
* **The Father's Path is Clear:** God Himself defines the path to life: turn from all your sins, keep His statutes, and do what is lawful and right. This is a message of personal responsibility and obedience, not mystical bypasses or unconditional election.
* **Jesus is the Final Authority:** The Lord Jesus Christ is the ultimate Prophet to whom we must listen. His teaching is simple and direct: if you want eternal life, keep the commandments. He is the rock upon which we must build, and His words are the final standard.
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# # # **Final Call to Action**
The time for passive listening is over. This is a moment of divine separation and personal decision.
**Choose your seat.**
Will you sit in the Seat of the Messiah, committing to live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God? Or will you remain in the comfortable seat of your idol, content with the cunning fables of men?
**Act now.** Open your Bible. Read the words of the Father in the Law and the Prophets. Study the direct teachings of the Son in the Gospels. Test every teaching you hear against this clear, authoritative standard. Repent of seeking mysteries and commit to the brilliant, life-giving light of God's plain word. Your eternal foundation depends on it.
