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The Word of Truth Ministries | |
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________________ The Principles of the Doctrine of Christ
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What are the steps/methods into perfection? First, it should be said that this perfection of the saints is a life transforming activity that starts at the new birth/rebirth and continues until Christ returns for us in rapture. Rebirth (being born again) positions a believer into a place where he/she can be renewed in the mind/heart. In speaking of John the Baptist, Jesus said, "Of men born of a woman, there has not arisen a greater than John the Baptist, yet he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than John the Baptist." [Mat. 11:11; Lk.7:28] Of those who are born of women, John the Baptist was/is the greatest of that class, but once we are born again, we are in a different class--a class of twice born men and women; the second birth places us into a class much higher than the class of those born only of women. And in that class the one who is least is still greater than any in the class of men born of women, including John the Baptist. When we are born again, we are in that higher class; we are in the Kingdom of God, and that status allows and affords us a condition of perfection that can never be achieved outside of that class. The world's belief that no one is perfect is true to the world, but not true to those who are inside the Kingdom of God. We not only know that we can be perfect, we also know that we have been commanded by God to be perfect, and God has given us the wherewithal to be as He has commanded us to be. Yet being born inside the Kingdom of God does not make one perfect; it merely positions him for becoming perfect. A child is perfectly born into the world, but if he/she continues in life as a baby, that person is retarded/defective/wrong. A baby is born to grow into maturity. That is why Paul said, "Leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfect." [Heb. 6:1] Once you are inside the Kingdom then you can become perfect; outside of the Kingdom of God one can never to perfect, regardless of his behavior or ethical stance. Be clear about what I am saying: yes, outside the Kingdom of God one can live a very morally clean life based on the power inherent in the fact that man was made in the very image/authority of God. But though one lives a very strict and morally clean life, he is in a class that is too low to measure up to the standard of God--he is one born only of a born and not born of God. To God, that once-born person's moral behavior or righteousness outside the Kingdom of God is little more than filthy rags in God's sight. [Isa. 64:6] Born Again Correctly: First Step of Perfection In Ephesians 4:11-15, Paul explains that God has given five ministries to the church for a specific purpose. Notice what this passage says: He has given some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers. These ministries are given for 1.) the perfection of the saints, 2.) for the work of the ministry, 3.) for the edifying of the body of Christ until we all a.) come into the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, b.) unto a perfect man, c.) unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. So that we henceforth be no more children--tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive. But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things…. These ministries were given for the various purposes stated above, but if they are not allowed to function among the saints, the saints will never become perfect. The result of the saints never becoming perfect is that the ministry of Christ will not work as it is supposed to. Resultantly still, if the ministry of Christ is not at work the body of Christ is not edified and we can never come to the unity of the faith or the knowledge of the Son of God or the fullness of the stature of Christ. Since these ministries are vital to the growth and development of the saints and the body of Christ, (and be assured, these ministries are not found in one person, say a pastor, but they are spread among many) Satan's trick today is to have pastors lockout these ministries and he alone ministers to the saints. Satan knows that the people are harmed by that technique of shutting the doors on God's ministers. If the saints cannot get the full range of the ministry God has given them, they cannot be perfected, and if they are not perfected, they will fall for any of Satan's ministers and tricks of the ministry because they are too weak to be aware of his devices. They are therefore children toss to and fro as the scripture says. This is Satan's third trick that flows into his second one to harm God's people and make them weak. There use to be a time when, if a person said he was a minister of God, an evangelist, prophet, etc., we would want to see if he has anything from God. We would put him up, and if he had nothing, we were strong enough in scriptures to show him and others who heard him that he had nothing. Today, because of the weakness of the ministry, we will allow no prophet, teacher, evangelist to minister to God's people for fear he may say something that is irrefutable but goes contrary to the pastor's teaching. Such a pastor should not be pasturing God's people. For the role of a pastor is to ensure that the ministry is at work among God's people so that they can grow into Christ, grow into perfection. So there are at least three devices Satan uses to stop God's people from growing into perfection. I speak here about how to be perfect only to those who have been born again according to God's word. Just as the world defines perfection in a way that is different from God, so do many define being born again differently from God's definition. But remember, man's thoughts and ways are not God's thoughts and ways, and God will only accept his own defined way of being born again. [Isa. 55:7-8] King Saul attempted to give God partial obedience and was rejected by God. Likewise, those who are born again in ways different from that which the apostles of Christ employed and commanded DO NOT have the new birth according to God's word. And without the new birth, you can never reach the perfection of God. It is not only unwise, but it is deadly not to accept the light of those whom God has endowed with greater light. Apollos was a Jew of Alexandria and was mighty in scriptures, but he was not born again; he only had known the baptism of John the Baptist until he met Aquila and Priscilla who took him aside and taught the word of God to him more perfectly. He received that truth and their greater light and became a great minister of God. [Acts 18:24-26] It is of merit to note that God has given us patterns of those who are deformed and not thoroughly formed in God. Yes, they have had a touch from God, but they do not have it correctly or thoroughly, even as Apollos was imperfectly taught the way of Christ, and they need to go back to perfect their salvation or their vision. Those like Apollos who are serious and called of God will always accept God's word that is given by one with a greater light--that is a sign of their sincerity. But those who are not the chosen of God will continue in their own way, using every flawed reason they can muster up to overcome the truth and remain as they are--unsaved and blind. In Mark 8, Jesus healed a blind man and asked him how did he see. The man responded that he saw (which he had not done before; he was blind. Please get the import of this scripture.) men as trees walking. Jesus knew that was a defective way of seeing things, and this passage of scripture cites that Jesus touched the man again and asked how did he see. The man's response was that he saw men as men. That was the correct way of seeing men. Now God does not make mistakes, so we must see this healing as a message God is conveying to his people. There are many who are deformed in their birth and in their vision, and they need to go back to God to have their births and vision perfected. The Ethiopian Eunuch Phillip met was a wise man, and when Phillip asked if he understood the word of God that he read, his wise response was this: "How can I except some man guide me?" Likewise, one with partial or defective vision must have someone to guide him to the light of God's word. That is what happened to Apollos. [Acts 8: 30-31] Are you man or woman of God enough to allow someone to guide you? Or are you content in your own way? Also, when Phillip had preached and baptized Christians at Samaria, the Holy Ghost had not fallen on them, and one cannot be born again without the water and the spirit, the disciples sent Peter and John to Samaria who laid hands on them so that they would received the Spirit of God, that Peter said is promised to all believers. They had to have all that God required, not partial obedience to his word--ALL; King Saul tried that and God rejected it. These Samaria Christians were partially born and had to be completely born into the Kingdom of God to make any progress to the next level of salvation. [Acts 8:5-17] God has given us ample examples of partial and/or defective births that are unacceptable to Him. Therefore, let no one deceive you about whether you are born again correctly. As a primer, if you have been baptized in Jesus name but you have not received the Spirit of God, your birth is partial; if you have not been baptized in the name of Jesus but you have had someone to call over you these words, "I baptize you in the name of the father, son, and Holy Spirit/Ghost," you have not been baptized correctly. The disciples and apostles of Christ all used the name of Jesus Christ for baptism because they knew that saying the formula and not applying the actual name was defective and has no power to remove sins. If you have received the Spirit baptism but not the correct water baptism, you have not been born again correctly. Why take a chance when you can do it correctly and receive it just as the disciples received it? Eternal salvation is too importance to guess about, to take a chance with, to equivocate about. Obey God and be as sure as the word allows you to be sure through faith. If one does not believe the word of God concerning this issue of the name used, one can easily go to a historical accounting of the actual formula used and see that reciting this father, son, Holy Spirit formula as if it were the actual name was not done by any of the disciples or anyone else until 100 years or more after the apostles were dead. If you have not received the evidence that the Spirit has initially come within you, similarly as it did during the apostles' days, your new birth is defective, for he that has not the spirit of Christ is none of His. As the apostolic Christians received the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues, that is the way God still baptizes Christians today because he is the same yesterday, today, and forever. [Heb. 13:8] God is saying to all, through His word and this minister of his word, that only the fullness of God's word will be accepted by God; partial obedience is not acceptable or accepted by God. So before a person can go on to perfection, he must be born again correctly. Isaiah the Prophet said that line must be upon line, precept upon precept…[Isa. 28:10] All things, Paul said, must be done decently and in order (God's order). [1 Cor.14:40] []
I will discuss Perfection further next time; this is only step one. (See the first installment.) View my Preface on Perfection
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2007
The Truth of God