Category: Songs of Sound Doctrine – More About Jesus

More About Jesus #5

Monday, August 29, 2016

“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen” (2 Peter 3:18 KJV).

The chorus of Eliza E. Hewitt’s classic 1887 hymn, “More About Jesus,” highlight’s today’s Scripture.

“More, more about Jesus,
More, more about Jesus;
More of His saving fullness see,
More of His love Who died for me.”

Notice how the chorus has “More, more about Jesus / More, more about Jesus.” The hymn writer wants to continue “growing in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” How greatly lacking is that desire today in the professing church. Lord, deliver us from such appalling ignorance!

I just sat with a dear, confused Christian and taught her the Bible rightly divided. A “babe in Christ,” she has only been saved for about a year. She is a slow learner; however, I did not mind repeating phrases and verses many times. Since she has a lot of unanswered questions, I want to give her as much “room” as I possibly can. After spending over six decades as a lost person in a false religion (!), she is saved and now genuinely trying to learn God’s Word. What is problematic is people who have trusted Christ decades ago, they are still asking their same questions. They have been so busy learning the traditions of men, those worthless denominational teachings got them nowhere in their Christian life! Thankfully, God’s Word is becoming clearer for this dear lady. She has learned “more, more” about Jesus, “more, more” about His Word, and “more, more” about His purpose and plan for her.

In today’s Scripture, the Apostle Peter admonished believing Israel to continue growing spiritually. There were apostates and unbelievers in their day (verses 1-17), just as there are today. These believers were to remain faithful to their kingdom doctrine about Jesus Christ, that they not go the way of those Bible scoffers and unbelievers. We too had better take heed, friends. Satan’s policy of evil wants to discourage us from also learning more about Jesus! Let us take our stand on the Word of God rightly divided, that we may learn “more, more about Jesus!” 🙂

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Are we praying to God ‘long-distance?’”

More About Jesus #4

Sunday, August 28, 2016

“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen” (2 Peter 3:18 KJV).

The fourth verse of Eliza E. Hewitt’s classic 1887 hymn, “More About Jesus,” highlight’s today’s Scripture.

“More about Jesus; on His throne,
Riches in glory all His own;
More of His kingdom’s sure increase;
More of His coming, Prince of Peace.”

Jesus Christ is understood most fully by approaching the Scriptures dispensationally. God gave the Apostle Paul the final installment of His revelation to mankind (cf. Colossians 1:23-29). We get the complete picture by acknowledging “the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery” (Romans 16:25). Not only is Jesus Israel’s Messiah (prophecy), He is the Head of the Body of Christ (mystery).

As our physical body takes orders from our brain, so we members of the Church the Body of Christ serve our Head (Jesus Christ). We learn more about Him, thereby learning more about what He is doing and more about what He wants us to do. Father God’s purpose in creation is not simply to glorify His Son Jesus Christ in Earth (with Israel). His purpose is also to glorify Christ in Heaven (with us!). Ephesians chapter 1: “[9] Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: [10] That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him.”

One day, saints, when this earthly life is over, and we the Church the Body of Christ are caught up into heaven, we will function in the heavenly places in the ages to come. We will glorify Father God by Christ Jesus there: “Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen” (Ephesians 3:21). With the Body of Christ beginning to functioning in Jesus Christ’s heavenly kingdom, He will return to Earth as Israel’s Prince of Peace to have Israel function in His earthly kingdom. His kingdom will increase, so our knowledge of it should surge as well!

More About Jesus #3

Saturday, August 27, 2016

“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen” (2 Peter 3:18 KJV).

The third verse of Eliza E. Hewitt’s classic 1887 hymn, “More About Jesus,” highlight’s today’s Scripture.

“More about Jesus; in His Word,
Holding communion with my Lord;
Hearing His voice in every line,
Making each faithful saying mine.”

The Holy Bible is God’s inspired Word to man. No (!) believer should ever (!) have one (!) critical remark about the King James Bible (unless some lost person polluted his or her mind with anti-Bible rhetoric at “church” or “seminary!”). Why?

In every book of that Book of books, we see glimpses of the Lord Jesus Christ—ark of safety (Genesis), faithful Creator (Job), perfect servant (Mark), kinsman-redeemer (Ruth), Son of God (John), Passover lamb (Exodus), et cetera. Without that written record, we have no trustworthy link to Him. We dare not be blasé when people alter the Bible text using “better” or “more scholarly readings.” With every tinker of the written Word of God, the portrait of the living Word of God is being further defaced!

The first and foremost way we commune with Father God is to read His Word—His communication to and fellowship with us. The second way we commune with Father God is to pray—our communication to and fellowship with Him. Notice! Any Christian life lacking sound Bible doctrine and/or sound Pauline prayer is already ruined or soon-to-be ruined!

All of the Bible is for us, no doubt. All Scripture is “for our learning” (Romans 15:4). We can learn from Israel’s mistakes. We can see how Father God was faithful to them, so He is faithful to us (Romans 15:13). We can trust Him. However, not all Scripture is to or about us. In Paul’s epistles alone, we find our doctrine, duty, walk, destiny, and hope as members of the Church the Body of Christ. Friend, if you are not thinking and praying according to the books of Romans through Philemon, you will especially not learn “more about Jesus!” You will be struggling to make everything in the Bible the same. Spare yourself the heartache and confusion!

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Why does 1 Corinthians 9:6 mention Barnabas, when he did not travel to Corinth with Paul?”

More About Jesus #2

Friday, August 26, 2016

“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen” (2 Peter 3:18 KJV).

The second verse of Eliza E. Hewitt’s classic 1887 hymn, “More About Jesus,” highlight’s today’s Scripture.

“More about Jesus let me learn,
More of His holy will discern;
Spirit of God, my teacher be,
Showing the things of Christ to me.”

Christian people often pray, “O Father, I need Thy wisdom here! What should I think about that? How should I respond in this situation? Show me Thy will!” Friends, this is all well and good. They sound genuine. But, this is the saddest prayer you could ever hear Christians utter. Why? These precious people usually spend little to no time in the Bible! As one would disregard the owner’s manual of a new gadget, and then complain in frustration, “I do not know how it works!,” so people leave God’s Holy Word unopened and cry out, “Give me wisdom, God!”

Second Peter says in chapter 1, verses 20 and 21: “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” And, 1 Corinthians chapter 2, verses 13 and 14: “Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” Finally, 2 Timothy chapter 3, verses 16 and 17: “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.”

Dear friends, the Holy Spirit will certainly teach you His written Word. BUT, you must take time to read and study it first!!!!! Unfortunately, most people refuse to do it. Please do not be like them. Be willing to learn “more about Jesus!”

More About Jesus #1

Thursday, August 25, 2016

“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen” (2 Peter 3:18 KJV).

The first verse of Eliza E. Hewitt’s classic 1887 hymn, “More About Jesus,” highlight’s today’s Scripture.

“More about Jesus would I know,
More of His grace to others show;
More of His saving fullness see,
More of His love Who died for me.”

It only makes sense that we as Christians should be interested in learning more about the most important Person in our belief system. Unfortunately, some professing Christians are not interested in learning about Jesus Christ. Rather, they want you to tell them about religion, the institutions that men have founded (supposedly in “Jesus’ name”). The Bible says that even some true Christians are willfully ignorant, deliberately unlearned in the things of God. They are particularly and willfully uninformed concerning the Lord’s words through the Apostle Paul’s special ministry (1 Corinthians 14:37,38).

Every believer should desire to “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (today’s Scripture). We should not remain babes in Christ as the Corinthians—behaving like spiritual children when we should act like spiritually mature Christians. Furthermore, we should most certainly be gracious, courteous, kind to others. After all, that is God’s attitude toward us. The Bible says we should be “gentle unto all men” (2 Timothy 2:24). Colossians exhorts, “Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man” (4:6).

Even after nearly 35 years of enjoying salvation in Jesus Christ, Paul confessed he still had not grasped the reason why the Lord had saved him! Philippians chapter 3: “[12] Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. [13] Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before….” May we learn more and more of Christ’s love for us, “his great love wherewith he loved us” (Ephesians 2:4)!