Category: The Church the Body of Christ

Fearful Versus Fearless

Monday, February 4, 2013

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7 KJV).

As our world wallows in fear and uncertainty, we have peace and strength in Christ.

In recent months, I have spoken to Christians and lost people who are concerned about national and world events. Both lost and saved people alike know that our culture, especially in the United States, is undergoing significant change. Decades ago, one Christian brother lamented, “Society’s moral fabric is rotting.” I wonder what he would say today?! To exacerbate the situation, the quality of much of Christendom’s teaching and preaching is just as godless and unscriptural as society’s morality. But there is hope!

God did not take us to heaven the moment we trusted Christ as our personal Saviour. Instead, He left us here on earth. Why? Jesus Christ, “the light of the world” (John 8:12), now lives in us members of His Body. We Christians are the vessels in which God has deposited the life of His Son, so He can then manifest His spiritual light to this dark world! Beloved, it is our privilege to be here as “ambassadors for Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:20). Let us not shrink away in fear.

Instead of being fearful and hiding in our homes to avoid the evil world system, we can be fearless beacons of hope and light in and to this lost and dying world. Paul’s encouraging words to the Philippians were: “Do all things without murmurings and disputings: that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain” (2:14-16).

We, the Church the Body of Christ, may be a small group of people, and yes, we King James Bible Pauline dispensationalists are a remnant within that remnant, but God Almighty is on our side, and nothing He does is in vain. Let us fearlessly continue in sound Bible doctrine!

Twice-Guilty Thieves #6

Friday, January 18, 2013

“For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face” (2 Corinthians 11:20 KJV).

Beloved, take today’s Scripture to heart, lest religion take your heart so they can take from you!

Today’s “name it and claim it” preachers instruct us to claim Israel’s verses for healing and material wealth. Did this work for our Apostle Paul and other members of the Church the Body of Christ?

Paul described his life: “In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness” (2 Corinthians 11:27; cf. 1 Corinthians 4:11-13; 2 Corinthians 6:4,5). He knew what it was to “be full and be hungry, to abound and to suffer need” (Philippians 4:12). Consider the Macedonian Christians who knew “deep poverty” (2 Corinthians 8:2). Paul begged God for deliverance three times regarding his troubles, and yet they continued (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). Verse 10: “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” Which “name it and claim it” preacher quotes those passages?! None! (They ignore them because they are not conducive to funding.)

Rather than temporary physical healing, as God promised Israel, today in the Dispensation of Grace, the Lord promises us everlasting spiritual healing. We have forgiveness of sins in and through Christ (Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14). At the rapture, we Christians will be eternally delivered from these bodies of sickness and death, and we will receive new glorified bodies (Romans 8:18-25; 1 Corinthians 15:51-55; 2 Corinthians 5:1-5; Philippians 3:20,21). We are already “blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3). Everything God can give us, He did so the moment we trusted Christ as our personal Saviour. We did not work for those blessings; Jesus Christ did!

Dear reader, let not religion take advantage of you by (mis)using Israel’s verse to gain the purse (today’s Scripture). Stand by faith in your identity in Christ, and be not moved. Do not confuse yourself with Israel.

Established Saints #7

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

“For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end that ye may be established; that is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith of you and me” (Romans 1:11,12 KJV).

Today’s Scripture is God’s will for every believer.

I speak from experience when I claim that denominational teaching hides God’s will from Christians. Religious tradition deceived me for nearly 15 years, so I was scripturally ignorant. Today’s average “Christian” church is so fixated on vain customs, rites, ceremonies, programs, rituals, prayers, dogmas, and experiences, its members have little to no time to study the Bible for themselves. The method whereby God grows us spiritually is Bible study, so if we are distracted by everything else, is it any wonder why most professing Christians know little to nothing about what God is actually doing today, and know everything they presume Him to be doing today?

Dear saints, if we are to be used of God to the fullest extent, we must be “established:” we need to be Christians who have a solid footing in sound Pauline Bible doctrine. This is only possible when we study and believe the Bible “rightly divided” (2 Timothy 2:15). Unless we understand where we are in God’s Word, and where in the Bible to find ourselves, we will never appreciate our identity as members of the Body of Christ, and we will never know what God wants us to do in this the Dispensation of Grace. We do not go to the non-Pauline books of the Bible to try to find God’s will for us there (although we study all of the Bible!).

Trusting Christ as our personal Saviour is our birth into God’s family. Learning that Paul is our apostle is the first “baby step” in the Christian walk. Delving deeper and deeper into Paul’s epistles to discover God’s Word to us, and our belief in those doctrines we read, will mature us spiritually. We can then become adult Christians, who have a clear understanding and an immense appreciation of God’s will for us. Be ye “established saints!” 🙂

Established Saints #6

Monday, January 7, 2013

“For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end that ye may be established; that is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith of you and me” (Romans 1:11,12 KJV).

Today’s Scripture is God’s will for every believer.

God wants “perfected” (matured) saints, an “edified” (built up) Body of Christ (Ephesians 4:12). Thus, the layout of Paul’s epistles in Scripture is designed to educate the grace saint from spiritual infancy to spiritual adulthood, so the Christian can understand God’s will, delight in His will, and then work with Him to accomplish His will, like an educated, grown son would help his father in the “family business!” Hence, the “doctrine, reproof, correction, instruction in righteousness” of the Holy Bible makes “perfect” Christians who are “throughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16,17).

“For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age [spiritually mature], even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Hebrews 5:13,14). As 1 Peter 2:2 says, “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.”

The Apostle Paul, in today’s Scripture, wanted to visit Rome and teach the saints sound Bible doctrine. The Holy Spirit through Paul desired these saints to be “established,” that their minds would be firmly settled in a clear understanding of God’s Word to us. However, Paul was repeatedly hindered by Satan’s policy of evil (verse 13). So, he wrote an epistle—the book of Romans—and sent it to Rome.

Dear saints, as in the case with the Roman saints, Satan will attempt to prevent you from learning God’s truth, too. Denominationalism hinders your spiritual growth, stunting the growth of your inner man as junk food does your outer man, thus robbing you and leaving you ignorant of God’s will. According to today’s Scripture, if you want to be “established” spiritually, you must rely on what Paul wrote 2,000 years ago, and forget appealing to church tradition!

Established Saints #5

Sunday, January 6, 2013

“For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end that ye may be established; that is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith of you and me” (Romans 1:11,12 KJV).

Today’s Scripture is God’s will for every believer.

God wants us believers “established;” that is, to have us understand His Word as the Apostle Paul did. Our Lord Jesus Christ desires to His fill us with His life, but He cannot live His life in and through us until we know the doctrine that is His life!

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16,17). Paul’s epistles follow this “doctrine, reproof, correction” pattern. Notice:

  • Romans – basic grace doctrine (Calvary’s finished crosswork: how it saves us and impacts our daily living; Israel’s past, present, and future statuses; practical grace living)
  • 1&2 Corinthians – reproof (carnality/spiritual immaturity, fornication, philosophy, pagan idolatry, denial of bodily resurrection, abuse of spiritual gifts, misuse of the Lord’s Supper, denial of Paul’s apostleship, embracing false teachers, condemned)
  • Galatians – correction (works-religion/legalism [Mosaic Law-keeping] condemned)
  • Ephesians – advanced form of Romans (Calvary’s finished crosswork: how it forms the Body of Christ and accomplishes God’s overall plan in creation).
  • Philippians – advanced form of 1&2 Corinthians (reproving disorderly saints)
  • Colossians – advanced form of Galatians (correcting asceticism, “self-denial” for religious purposes)
  • 1&2 Thessalonians – doctrine of the Lord’s coming for the Church Body of Christ (1), and for the nation Israel (2). After our glorification in heaven, reproof and correction are unnecessary.
  • 1&2 Timothy – church order
  • Titus – church order and good works
  • Philemon – brotherly love and Christian fellowship

The moment we trust Christ as our Saviour, we are spiritual babies. But, God wants us to grow spiritually, to become mature believers, to learn more and more and more about what He is doing and why He is doing it. We can then appreciate His Word and understand His purpose and plan for creation.

Established Saints #1

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

“For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end that ye may be established; that is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith of you and me” (Romans 1:11,12 KJV).

Today’s Scripture is God’s will for every believer.

The Apostle Paul desired to come to Rome and see these saints many times, but he was “let [hindered] hitherto” (verse 13). He wanted to “impart unto [them] some spiritual gift.” His goal in doing so was to have them “established,” which is defined as “the mutual faith of [the Apostle Paul] and [them].”

The Holy Spirit through Paul is writing that He wants every believer to have a clear, firm understanding of the Pauline grace doctrine (Paul’s epistles of Romans through Philemon). God wants us to have the same understanding of His Word as the Apostle Paul did: What is God doing today? Forming the Church the Body of Christ. Why is He doing this? To have an agency He can use in the heavenly places in the ages to come, for His glory. How does the Christian life operate? By faith in sound grace Bible doctrine—not the Mosaic Law—which the Holy Ghost will use to transform the minds and lifestyles of believers.

As a dear brother in Christ says, “Your Christian life will not operate on the basis of ignorance!” Oftentimes, believers have such an extremely shallow understanding of Scripture that they are prone to be “tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine…” (Ephesians 4:14). Sadly, Satan’s religious system sweeps them away into serving a denomination, filling their minds with worthless “commandments and doctrines of men” (Colossians 2:22), and thus making their Christian life a “shipwreck” (1 Timothy 1:19).

Dear saints, God’s fervent desire, Paul’s fervent desire, and our fervent desire for you this year is that you be “established” in sound Pauline Bible doctrine—that you do not simply know about Paul’s ministry, message, and doctrine, but you also understand them and believe them. This will bring stability in your Christian life, and guard you against Satan’s deception in religion and philosophy.

A New Year’s Resolution

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21 KJV).

Today’s Scripture should be a New Year’s resolution for every Christian, every year.

Every New Year’s, people set goals they hope to accomplish in the next 12 months—lose weight, get organized, spend less and save more, stay healthy, quit smoking, get a job, enjoy life more, graduate, and so on. Life is filled with choices, and all too often, Christians struggle needlessly wondering about “God’s will” regarding every last detail.

Dear saints, make an effort to memorize today’s Scripture; keep it in mind throughout the year. The life that God has for us in Christ is the life that He wants to live in and through us. “We have this treasure in earthen vessels [our physical bodies], that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us” (2 Corinthians 4:7). God the Father has deposited within us the very life of His Son Jesus Christ (today’s Scripture). God wants Christ to “dwell in [our] hearts by faith” (Ephesians 3:17). Hence, we Christians are, “the body of Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:27; Ephesians 1:23).

What is God’s will for your life? God wants you to let Christ live His life in and through you (Galatians 2:20)! He desires the sound doctrine in His Word, the Holy Bible, to be believed, so He can then transform your life. God the Holy Spirit, who indwells us Christians, uses that doctrine to “strengthen [us] with might… in the inner man” (Ephesians 3:16). “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;” (Titus 2:11,12).

Although the sound doctrine regarding Christian living is found in Paul’s epistles, Romans through Philemon, God’s viewpoint regarding many of life’s issues are specifically discussed in Romans chapter 12, Ephesians chapters 3 and 4, and Colossians chapter 3. This year, walk by faith in an intelligent understanding of God’s Word to us, especially these verses, and you will be doing the will of God! I wish you all the best this coming year! 🙂

If you are interested in reading through your Bible in one year, is a printable schedule: One-Year Bible Reading Schedule.

‘Twas the Sunday Night Before Christmas

Sunday, December 23, 2012

“But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15 KJV).

During the Christmas Season, we wonder how many people are visiting church for the second time this year (the other being Easter Sunday). How many will be going to church today—the Sunday before Christmas—just to feel “religious” or “holy?” How many really know Jesus Christ? For many, visiting a church building is just an obligation; they do not have faith in God’s Word and have no interest in God’s Word.

We do not go to church to “feel closer to God,” for if we have trusted in Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour, we cannot be any closer to God than we already are in Christ! “[Before salvation, we were] without God in the world: but now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh [close to God] by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:12,13).

Furthermore, we do not go to church in order to get God’s blessings, for God has already given us “all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3). We go to church, not because we are keeping Israel’s Sabbath day, since we are not obligated to observe Israel’s religious days (Colossians 2:16). We go to church to fellowship with like-minded believers and hear sound doctrine… more than twice a year, by the way.

In today’s Scripture, the Apostle Paul encouraged Timothy that whenever he would assemble with fellow Christians, certain behavior was acceptable and other types of behavior were not (described throughout the epistle of 1 Timothy). Recall that when the Bible refers to “the church,” it refers to the body of believers, not the physical building in which they meet.

As we get opportunities, let us make an effort to reach these dear souls misled by all the vain religious tradition and Christmas commercialization, and may we tell them of the wonderful Christ Jesus whose name is found in Christmas!

*Based on the poem “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.”

Wilt Thou Serve the Denomination, Or the Lord? #6

Saturday, December 8, 2012

“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ” (Colossians 3:23,24 KJV).

Beloved, we have a choice—we can serve a theological system (which is worthless), or we can serve the Lord (which is priceless).

We who have trusted Jesus Christ alone as our personal Saviour, are “heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ…” (Romans 8:17; cf. today’s Scripture). In eternity, we will inherit what Jesus Christ will! “But unto the Son he [God the Father] saith, “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever” (Hebrews 1:8). In the ages to come, Jesus Christ will rule the governments of heaven and of earth (Colossians 1:16-20)—God’s original intention before sin (Ephesians 1:9,10). He will use redeemed Israel to reign for His glory on earth (Exodus 19:5,6; Job 19:25,26), and He will utilize us, the Body of Christ, to rule for His glory in heaven (Ephesians 1:3; Ephesians 2:6,7).

Before we can serve in the heavenly places for Christ’s glory, God left us here so we can study and believe the doctrine regarding the program that He is operating today. We go not to the “Old Testament,” Four Gospels, early Acts, or even to Hebrews through Revelation, to find God’s will for us—that is Israel’s program. Our doctrine, duty, walk, and destiny as members of the Body of Christ are found only in Paul’s epistles, Romans through Philemon. Applying Israel’s program to our lives, as denominations encourage, profits us nothing, for we are not Israel!

At the Judgment Seat of Christ, when the Lord Jesus evaluates the doctrine we Christians believed, vain religious tradition (denominationalism) and philosophy we have stored in our inner man, will be consumed, while the sound Pauline Bible doctrine will remain (1 Corinthians 3:8-15). Hence, Scripture cautions, “take heed how [you] build thereupon” (verse 10). Be careful what doctrine you believe. Remember, Jesus Christ, not a denomination, “loved you and gave Himself for you.” Your loyalty should be to the Lord, not to man (today’s Scripture).

Saved from Religious Tradition!

Saturday, November 24, 2012

“Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee” (1 Timothy 4:16 KJV).

Having returned from a very refreshing Bible study meeting, I shall recount for you some of the highlights.

Although brief, our Bible study meeting was a spiritual “jumpstart!” Firstly, we discussed how, if we neglect to study the Bible “rightly divided,” as 2 Timothy 2:15 clearly declares, we will wind up in confusion, and our Christian lives will be in shambles. Secondly, we learned that the order of the Bible’s books—particularly Paul’s epistles—is no coincidence. It is meant to spiritually grow Christians from “babes in Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:1) to “full age” (Hebrews 5:14). If we fail to recognize how God has constructed His written Word—how God the Holy Spirit arranged the Bible’s canon (the order of its books)—it will hinder our spiritual maturity.

God purposed the wisdom contained in the Bible to help us know Him and what He is doing. Alas, sin and religious tradition keep us ignorant, shackled, and miserable, which makes Bible study burdensome and impossible. Oh, but what joy to simply study the Holy Scriptures as God designed them to be studied, for they radically transform the way we think! Oh, what a thrill it is to simply believe the Holy Bible, for it certainly revolutionizes our lives!

How refreshing it was to hear a faithful servant in the ministry teach God’s Word dispensationally. It was thrilling to see new Christian faces. How encouraging it was to see curious souls turning the pages of Scripture, and writing notes. Surely, I was “godly edified” (1 Timothy 1:4), and indeed the rest of the class was, too. These dear saints were just as eager to soak up sound Pauline Bible doctrine as I was. We share life in Christ, and it was very enjoyable to fellowship with them, eating and talking with them.

By simple faith in the precious Bible doctrine we learned yesterday, we saved ourselves from religious tradition (see today’s Scripture), and we rejoice in this liberty in Christ (Galatians 5:1)! 🙂