Category: Dispensation of the Grace of God

Wednesday, June 9, 2021

“And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:1 KJV).

How can we prevent ourselves from being “Christianettes?”

As touching the nation Israel’s spiritual immaturity, the Holy Spirit through the writer of the Book of Hebrews commented in chapter 5: “[11] Of whom [Christ] we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. [12] For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. [13] For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. [14] But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”

When Hebrews was written—the latter half of the Acts—the seven years of Tribulation should have already passed, Christ should have already returned at His Second Coming, and He should have already established Israel in His earthly kingdom (thus evangelizing Gentiles). By this time, however, the nation is unable to teach God’s words to non-Jews. The Jews themselves must first learn fundamental truth before they can share it with others. Like the Corinthians, they have responded poorly to the spiritual light given to them. Hence, they are “unskilful in the word of righteousness”—like a baby sucking on a milk bottle! They are not spiritual adults, “them that are of full age,” so they cannot eat spiritual meat (solid food): essentially, they are useless to God’s ministry. Hebrews is the Holy Spirit re-teaching Israel the basics, preparing them for Christ’s return and kingdom once our mystery program terminates.

Likewise, Father God would like us members of the Body of Christ to move from “babe” to “full age”—milk to meat, unskilful to experienced, students to teachers! Most importantly, He wants us to grow up now (as opposed to waiting to reach maturity in Heaven). The Pauline Epistles are the means whereby we undergo this transformation….

Tuesday, June 8, 2021

“And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:1 KJV).

How can we prevent ourselves from being “Christianettes?”

God’s current dealings with mankind, His present will, is “the Dispensation of the Grace of God” (Ephesians 3:2). This is the information He has in effect today: what He believes and expects us to believe, and what He is doing and expects us to do. He has dispensed or distributed this body of truth via the Apostle Paul’s ministry—particularly the 13 Pauline epistles, Romans through Philemon. Ephesians chapter 3 opens: “For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;….”

Every church member knows prophetic truth: “[19] Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. [20] And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: [21] Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began” (Acts 3:19-21). However, practically no one in any church is aware of mystery truth: “…the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest,…” (Romans 16:25,26).

Church traditions taking preeminence for 2,000 years, Paul’s unique apostleship has been diminished or totally ignored: it is considered to be nothing more than an extension of the 12 Apostles’ ministry/message, or viewed as completely illegitimate and therefore worthy of exclusion from Scripture. We have failed (!) to follow the pattern of the edification of the believer outlined in Romans chapter 16, so believers are mere “Christianettes,” weak and confused, not much better off than they were before coming to Christ by faith….