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THE DOCTRINE OF CHRIST
Learning From Christ Jesus the model of
perfect humanity
8/28/2012
By
Bro Eric Okhuakhua (Winter), A follower of Christ Jesus By the grace of God
Almighty
‘It is a beautifyING THOUGHT THAT
"Christ has gone to heaven to represent His disciples before the Father
and holy angels, while the church is left here to represent Christ to the
world." This, we believe to be the duty and exalted privilege of the
church. Nevertheless, to secure the utmost safety of our souls, Jesus says to
each individual "follow thou me;" if you wish a model of perfect
humanity, "learn of me;" study my character, "I am meek and
lowly of heart”. O my brother, my sister, self interest
requires that you now drop everybody else, out of this account, and, for the
present, lay aside all theory and stand up thyself alone by the side of our
Elder Brother and his holy word; and tell me, does your experience measure up
thereto? "’ ’Daniel
Sidney Warner (June 25, 1842 to December 12, 1895)
Greetings in the name of the LORD who
bought me, HALLELUIAH!!!
One may not see
why a man who should author a proverb would begin his writing by counting
himself “more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man.” I
feel no better myself, as I try to articulate what the Lord has laid in me. Although,
I have not learned religion from any Seminary or Bible College, I trust that
the Lord God, who has taught me wisdom, will use this humble piece to His own
glory. The Jew desire a sign and the Greek seek wisdom. And men, who search for
sparkling stones because of the title of this write up, may be saddened to dig
up mere gravels. However, since God can use the foolish things of the world to confound
the wise, I am hopeful that He is able of these stones to raise children unto
Abraham. I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy. I have
received the knowledge of the saints by His spirit. I have no glory of my own.
But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people. So
look not on me, as though by my own wisdom, power or holiness, I write this
treatise. I have nothing that I have not received. These graces that I now
enjoy are but gifts from above. How should I glory save in that which the Lord
has done? I owe much thanks to Him for revealing His saving doctrine to me to
both save myself, and them that hear me. I also glory in the church of the
living God, the ground and pillar of the truth, which has both birthed and
strengthened my faith in Christ Jesus; wherein I have so learned Christ and
taken upon me His yoke of meekness. For He has come to the Earth in the flesh
for this very purpose (1John3:8). Therefore, it’s my humble prayer that the
eyes that look upon these lines will grow a desire within their breasts to
hunger and thirst after that which the Son of God has manifested here on the
Earth. Amen.
What could this be?
By Doctrine is
meant the whole teaching and practices of a faith, especially for the
regulation of the moral conduct of the adherent. Therefore, the doctrine of
Christ reveals His mission to the world. Christianity is centered on the
teachings and person of Christ Jesus. To understand this doctrine, we must
first come to terms with His personage. Peter’s inspired answer to this great
question is a pointer to the fact that no man can of his own understand who the
man Christ Jesus is. For the Lord Himself affirmed that flesh and blood did not
reveal it to him. Every follower of Christ needs this divine revelation to
properly discern Christ and His flesh or His body, which is the church. The
Lord Jesus Christ started His ministry by first, selecting twelve humble men of
different background, in order to teach them the right way life should be
lived. Yes, God made man to live in a specific way, but man chose various other
ways, which are defective and pervert. (Eccl 7:29 Lo, this only have I found,
that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions. Eph
1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world,
that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.) Christ actually
trained the first disciples and followers, or the first church. He taught them
by example how to live not for themselves, but for the Father. He himself did
not please Himself in the flesh (Ro 15:3 For even Christ pleased not himself;
but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me).
This fact accounts for the highly disciplined life that they lived here on
Earth.
Apart from the
physical aspect of this training, which is actually focused on pleasing the
Father Almighty, and not oneself, He promised to empower them spiritually, to
make for the inward depravity which baulked man from achieving the goal of
moral purity. He did this on the day of Pentecost. We can find the account in
the book of Acts chapter two. He gave them a commission to make disciples of
men of every nation on Earth. On this day, He fulfilled the prophecy of
Malachi: “…he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall
purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer
unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.” These later disciples or church
were to learn to “…observe all things whatsoever (the Lord Jesus had) …
commanded…” Discipleship is not merely an ideology but a practice. The
disciples imitated the Master. Those who they trained also learned their way of
life. The Apostle, Paul said: “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of
Christ”… “Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and
heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you” . . . “thou
hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering,
charity, patience” . . . “For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of
God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus”; and Peter, the Elder, also said: “For
even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us
an example, that ye should follow his steps”. This is true Christianity or
Christ-likeness, not the church going social activities of modern day perverts;
the name “Christian” has now become so cheap that even arrogant politicians, wayward
street urchins, sly craftsmen, feminists, clowns, shameless fornicators, cursed
gays and brazen divorcees lay hold to it. The laity is deliberately shielded
from the lay so that the private life of the pulpit is hidden, and the pew is
left with no real model to copy. The grace and love of God has been turned into
lasciviousness. Sin sick souls know deep within their consciousness that they
are in need of sound doctrine of life to become healed indeed from their
spiritual hurt. They will not be persuaded or satisfied with “slight healing”,
or doctrines of “Peace, peace”, when there is no peace (Jeremiah 6:14; 8:11,
Isaiah 5:20). It has become necessary to state here that the doctrine of
Christ, which is also known as love, is a life of faith, long suffering,
humility, selflessness, separation, denial of worldly pleasures and lusts, etc.
I shall hereafter endeavor to make a distinction between God’s unconditional
love and the senseless concept the world has to offer.
What a great thought!
A great thought
is set before us by this subject: THE DOCTRINE OF CHRIST. But, who can fully
exhaust all that is entailed herein? What mere man? None at all, methinks. Has any ascended into
the heavens to learn the mind of God who dwells there; or descended thence down
here to teach men below what he had learned above. No man can fully know and teach us these
things unless he hath been in heaven, and sent down from there to the earth for
that purpose. Since there be no man, O pray, that there be a hungering and
thirsting of the soul that follows hard after the Lord and His Spirit that searches
all things, yea, the deep things of God. We have endeavored here to rest upon the
Holy Spirit and a more sure word of prophecy, which was written for our
learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have
hope. Ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things; and the
anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that
any man teach you: but as the same anointing teaches you of all things, and is
truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
Word of Life … made flesh!
Every word of God
is pure. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made
that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. That life is
the doctrine, which we here bring unto thee, O man, that there may be light in
you. This light is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. In this
life, there is safety from the evil one. If you desire inexplicable peace and
joy unspeakable, seek out the wholesome doctrine of Christ, which is the rock
upon which the church of God is founded. It is a compact doctrine. It works as
a whole. Therefore, we are not to add unto God’s words, nor detract from it,
lest He reprove us, and we be found liars. Who is a liar but he that denieth
that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the
Son. But how do I deny Him as the Christ? Yea, there are some who profess that
they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient,
and unto every good work reprobate. With their lifestyles they deny the
Lordship of Christ Jesus. Worse still, they deny His flesh and bone, the body
of Christ, who walk after His footsteps. By their stealth denial of the power
of God, the world is left continually in the dark, and cannot see the true body
of Christ. No wonder the senseless drunk can boldly say “every man is the
same!” Yea, you deny His spotless body, when you do not abide in His teaching
in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye ought to shine as
lights in the world. Indeed, you deny before the world that He has come in the
flesh, through the souls of sanctified ones, who have not defiled their
garments. A song writer said, “You are the one to tell the world, through the
way you live your life, so that the world … might believe.”
Two things have I
required of the Lord; which I trust He will not deny me them before I die: one,
That I be removed far from vanity and lies: and, two, That I be given neither
poverty nor complacent riches of knowledge; I need spiritual food convenient
for my welfare: I do not desire to be so full and spiritually independent of
Christ that I deny His saving power and grace, and say, Who is the LORD? This
is the error whereof some do claim equality with God. They teach of a
transcendental experience that makes them gods. I do not need such riches of
knowledge. Neither do I wish to be destitute of the true doctrine of Christ,
and act shamefully and blame worthily, and so take the name of my God in vain.
Many today do take or rather wear His name in vain, in that they are known as
Christians but do not live like Christ. Christ came in the flesh and lived life
the way it ought to be. He did not live in isolation, like the clergy, but
mentored few men, who have testified unto us His doctrine of life. Brother John
the beloved proclaims, thus:
·
That
which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our
eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of
life;
·
(For
the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto
you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)
·
That which we have seen and heard declare we
unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is
with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
It therefore
follows that the doctrine of Christ is not abstract, or something
impracticable; for the disciples actually saw with their eyes, heard with their
ears, and handled with their hands that which was from the beginning. This
heavenly life has been right from the beginning with the Father. It became
flesh and dwelt among men. It is the word of life, through which everything was
made. It was manifested to the disciples. This Word became flesh and noticeable
in them, as the church of God. They thus became members of his body, of his
flesh, and of his bones. It would be safe to say that they were
Christ-in-the-flesh to those who knew Him not. They had imbibed His doctrine of
love. They had learned of Christ and received His yoke. They in turn have
declared unto us this heavenly life, which they saw and heard and handled.
Their declaration was not only verbal, but was also practical, in that they
lived out the life of Christ for all to see. And all who believe in Christ
ought also to live the way He did. For He has said: “whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come
after me, cannot be my disciple”. Therefore, the doctrine of Christ speaks much
about the cross of suffering. For in bearing the cross, one must first of all
deny himself. If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up
his cross, and follow me.OUN
Will any man
propose to build a house and not consider what it would cost him? This is
exactly what we seek to state in this write up. It is not enough to admire this
write up and say, “Yea, it’s nice one”. COUNT NOW, WHAT IT WILL COST YOU TO
FOLLOW JESUS. Some of you will have to make drastic decision that may alter the
course of your life for the utmost good of your very soul. What is that vain
lifestyle you have been endeared to? It is a yoke that needs to be broken by
the anointing. Put it away and live. The life of Christ, which is contained in
His doctrine, is the real life God has fore ordained for all men. It is life
and peace. Check the lessons in Matthew chapters five, six and seven. Which one
does not fit the way you live? Is it clear to you now that more needs to be
done to become a disciple who should not to be ashamed?
Oh, saint, I
write these things unto you, so that both of us also may have fellowship with
the first apostles. We are children of the light, who walk not after the flesh,
but after the Spirit. How do we have fellowship one with another if we are not
preserved from false doctrine? To have true fellowship with one another and
also with the Father and Son, we must abide in the apostles doctrine, which is
the doctrine of Christ. This doctrine is the light of God which has come down
from heaven. Oh, disciple of Christ, I write these things unto you, so that
your joy may be full. This fullness of joy in the Holy Ghost instills
righteousness and peace into your life because you have believed the gospel of
Christ.
What’s this doctrine thing?
“This … is the message which we have heard of him, and
declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” This is
the whole gospel and doctrine of Christ! God is the Father of lights, with whom
is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. His doctrine is the light of
men. This is the life that lights up the whole world, which hitherto lieth in
darkness or wickedness. This light is the righteousness of God, which was shown
to us all in the life of Christ Jesus. This doctrine is centered on His life,
and established by His death. He is love, but not the kind of love that the
apostles of Satan have presented to the world. This love suffereth long, and is
kind; it envieth not; it vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, it doth not
behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh
no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth. It’s not the
kind that is self-seeking. Nay! It lays down its life for others. It’s not the
type that condoles evil. It reproves it! Think not that it brings the kind of
peace the world desire, think not that it promotes the sort of union fleshly
minds seek for. Yea, the love of God brings a sword and not worldly peace. It
brings judgment on the wicked. It brings a righteous division to a mixed
multitude. It sets a man at variance against his father, and the daughter
against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. There’s
a division in the Earth, and a great gulf irreconcilable. Who is on the LORD'S
side? Let him come unto Christ Jesus and be one with the saints. Be ye not
unequally yoked together with unbelievers:
for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion
hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what
part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I
will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall
be my people. For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify
yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile
yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. Wherefore come
out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.
But who are these creeping and unclean things which are on the earth? Are they
not the heathens that know not God, and that obey not the gospel or doctrine of
our Lord Jesus Christ? A disciple keepeth himself unspotted from the world (see
James 1:27). Are you a friend of the world? If you are, I must be frank enough
to let you know you are a self acclaimed enemy of my God. James 4:4 Ye
adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is
enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy
of God. You cannot marry both worlds! If you try, you show yourself an
adulteress or an adulterer. Both worlds are irreconcilable forever. Choose ye
this day whom ye shall serve. You cannot serve the two masters. You are either
a disciple of Christ, practicing His doctrine, or you’re a disciple of Satan
practicing profanity, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good
work reprobate. You cannot live in pleasure and be a disciple of Christ. A
disciple of Christ is sober, not prodigal. He desires to walk in the light and
not in darkness. He finds delight in his God in whom is no darkness at all.
Even if the world turns against him, he counts himself fortunate to abide in
the doctrine of Christ alone, and not in the creeds of men. He thanks his God
he’s not alone in the faith. There are clouds of witnesses, yea, a great
company, “and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all
nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues.” We are the church of the living
God! The New Jerusalem, our mother, which is free and above, suffices us. We
need not make friends of the world. For we are holy unto our God and King: a
holy nation and a peculiar people. If we say that we have fellowship with him,
and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the
light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the
blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
But wholly lean on Jesus name
There is a
generation that is pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their
filthiness. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth
is not in us. The hypocrites trust in the outward form of religion and ignore
heart purity. This is because it has become evident to them that their effort
to keep their heart pure is only futile. Their external acts of righteousness
are as a filthy rag before God. No man can live a sin-free life on his own
accord. For Satan has held man captive at his will (2Tim2:26). God spoke of a
time that the Anointed One would break this yoke of sin, from off the shoulder
of them that turn back to Him (Isa 10:27). For this purpose the Son of God was
manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. I thank God through
Jesus Christ our Lord, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus
Christ. A victorious life over sin made possible only in Christ Jesus. If we
confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Are you now cleansed from all
unrighteousness? Go and sin no more. God’s grace will keep you from sin. But,
if like Peter, you fail to fix your eyes on the Author and Finisher of our
Faith, and fall into temptation, despair not, drown not. For we have an
advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the
propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the
whole world. He is able to restore you in fellowship with the Father, and with
the church.
Hearing and doing
Ro 2:13 … not the
hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be
justified.
Jas 1:22 But be
ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
Mt 7:24 Therefore
whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto
a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25 And the rain descended, and
the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not:
for it was founded upon a rock. 26 And every one that heareth these sayings of
mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his
house upon the sand: 27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the
winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of
it.
I wish to quote
Charles E Orr here: ‘"Ye are manifestly declared to be
the epistle of Christ." (2 Cor. 3:3). "All can see that you are a
letter from Christ." (20th Cent.) The Christian is Christ's "Open
Letter." His life is a message from Christ to the world. His daily walk is
a genuine letter from the Saviour of men. The Christian life is written by the
same hand that wrote the New Testament and they read just alike, word for word.
If you profess to be a Christian, be sure your daily life is the handwriting of
Jesus. Your life in your home amid its trials and provocations should read like
God's Word. It is very confusing and discouraging to others if your life and
the New Testament read differently.’
Christ in the flesh
Who do you say He
is? Your answer may decide your future. Peter says He is Christ, the Son of the
living God. What about you? Paul says He “is over all, God blessed for ever.
Amen.” What about you? Are you having any problem discerning who He is? One
group says He is completely divine, and denies He has human nature. To such, I
am sure that Hebrews 4:15 has some wisdom to share. While another admits He has
come in the flesh, but denies He is completely divine. To such, I have little
words, but to Christ Jesus, I say, “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever” (Psalm
45:6, Hebrew 1:8). If we agree that Christ is divine but deny He is one with
the Father, then we may have to explain why God would share His glory with any
other. He is a jealous God. Salvation is of Him alone. He is the only One that
saves. For Some hold that He is merely a
mediator between God and man. If you worship one who is not the Almighty God,
you must be an idolater. But the church have always worshipped Jesus. See Luke
24:52 and Matthew 28:9, 17. The disciples or the first church of God actually
worshipped Jesus. This is not idolatry, because Jesus is God. Here is what Adam
Clarke says about what they did after Christ had left them and ascended into the
heavens: “Verse 52. They worshipped him]
Let it be observed that this worship was not given by way of civil respect, for
it was after he was parted from them, and carried back into heaven, that they
offered it to him; but acts of civil respect are always performed in the
presence of the person. They adored him as their God, and were certainly too
much enlightened to be capable of any species of idolatry.” I so affirm in my
spirit. You had better discern by the Holy Spirit, who the Lord is and save
your soul from damnation.
But some, who are
sincere but wrong, hold that He is only the Son of God, and not God. They may
need to contemplate what it means to be a Son of God. The Sons of God are the
church of the sanctified, the first born. They are Christ in the flesh, bought
by the Holy blood, washed from sins and preserved in holiness without spot or
wrinkle. The Word of God, through which life was created, became flesh, a Son, bringing
many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through
sufferings. He emptied Himself, made himself of no reputation, and took upon
him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found
in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even
the death of the cross. Here now is a divine truth: O what Riches of the glory of the mystery: Christ in you (the church),
the hope of glory! This is the church of the living God: God in the midst
of men! It is indeed a pointer to our future glory with the Father forever. God
instituted marriage to show us what He intends for cleansed mankind to be one
flesh with Him. “For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and
shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.” Unity. “It is
a great mystery”, says Paul. “But I speak concerning Christ and the church”,
not just about married couples. To my mind, I am sure that God in His design of
the union of Adam and Eve intended to point out the union of Christ and the
Church. Eve was made from the flesh and bone of Adam who was put into a deep
sleep, likewise was the church made out of the flesh and bone of Christ Jesus
on the cross. Thus we can indeed say, “We are members of his body, of his
flesh, and of his bones.” This is indeed a great mystery, but I speak
concerning Christ and His church. They are but one flesh. But they are not His
church who yet glory in unrighteousness. They that are Christ's have crucified
the flesh with the affections and lusts. For His redemption is unto them that
turn from transgression.
Without
controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh,
justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed
on in the world, received up into glory. Yes, He lived in the flesh. He can be
touched with the feeling of our infirmities. He was in all points tempted like
as we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15). So we have no cover or excuse for
our sins (John15:22). He is still here with us today in the church of the
living God. We are His holy temple. We are His flesh and bone. We are one with
the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, since we have baptized in the Blessed
name of the thrice holy God, being made conformable unto the death of Christ.
Having now, by
the grace of God, established that Jesus Christ is indeed the Son of the living
God, though, not the sense in which scoffing mohammedans relate the term, but
the sense of the Jews in John 5:18 and 10:33, and also in the sense in which
Thomas, a disciple, addressed Him, saying: “My Lord and my God”, let us now set
forth
The principles of the doctrine of
Christ
We get a better
understanding the whole scriptures when we realize that they all point to
Christ Jesus. All the law and ordinances and sacrifices all pointed to Him. For
a foundation, these rites were given to the Jews to guide them to perfection.
The law made nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better hope did; by this hope
of glory (the church) we draw nigh unto God. We are not to linger on the
principles or elementary teachings of foundation. Some spend their energy
proofing genealogies, types, and antitypes. It is good. But there is more. Let
us not rest on the basic principles of the doctrine of Christ: repentance from
dead works, of faith toward God, of baptisms, of the laying on of hands, of
resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. Do not misrepresent me, or
rather the inspired writer of the book of Hebrews, we are not advocating for the
abandonment of these doctrine. We are only beckoning for advancement unto
Perfection, which is the ultimate goal of the doctrine of Christ. Mind you,
perfection cannot be attained without first establishing the basic principles. For
instance, repentance from dead works may be properly called the basis of the
work of God in the human soul. It is through repentance that we forsake sin and
turn to God for mercy. Dead works are works that deserve death. They are the works
of those dead in sins. They are pronounced dead by sentence of the law, because
they had broken the law through their deeds. The law shows the severity of their
offences by its sentences.
The next
foundational principle before us is Faith toward God, without which it is
impossible to please God and obtain salvation.
Through repentance and godly sorrow, we feel the need for God's mercy. We
find that mercy by faith.
Baptisms of the
body in water, sprinklings, and washings, were frequent as religious rites
among the Hebrews, and were all a shadow of that cleanness and purity which the
holy God requires in his worshippers. In the faith of Christ, Baptism marks a
public demonstration of what God has performed in the life of a new believer. In
the sixth chapter of the book Romans, Brother Paul effectively shows how
through baptism or immersion, we identify with the death, burial and
resurrection of Christ. We also receive the baptism of God’s Spirit, to enable
us live that heavenly life that will draw men to the Kingdom of God. He also
helps us function in the body of saints in various ways by His unlimited
ability, by aid of spiritual gifts, imparted by the laying on of hands.
Lastly, the
doctrine of the resurrection of the dead and of eternal judgment, were much
stressed in the writings of the apostles and the prophets. They are points in
the doctrine of Christ that cannot be altered. Any teacher who denies or
downplays them only proves himself a heretic. All through scriptures, we are
told that man has one life to live, and after that life the judgment day comes.
A day has been set by God on which many that sleep in the dust of the earth
shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting
contempt (Dan12:2). The Lord Jesus confirmed this when He said, “Marvel not at
this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall
hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the
resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of
damnation.” He also stated in another part of the scripture that “When the Son
of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he
sit upon the throne of his glory: and before him shall be gathered all nations:
and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep
from the goats…” Even Paul corroborates this fact when he wrote, “…When the
Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming
fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel
of our Lord Jesus Christ…” and “the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the
quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom”. From the foregoing it is
very clear that the second coming of our Lord Jesus is synonymous with the Day
of Judgment. Although, this is not within the purview of this write-up, it
would be needful to state here on a sad note that many have devised another
doctrine of the resurrection of the dead and of eternal judgment from
disjointed scriptures. As for me, I am very satisfied with the teachings of
Christ and the apostles. Some even make light of everlasting judgment by
proposing annihilation of the wicked. Is it not a relieve for some wicked soul
who wish to take their own lives so that they may find peace at last, if on the
day of judgment, they are finally annihilated. On the contrary, scriptures
teach that punishment of the wicked is forever and ever. These few lines from H M Riggle might throw
in some light on the issue:
‘THE FIRES OF HELL WILL BURN FOREVER
‘We have seen that
the Scriptures clearly teach that the wicked in the great Day of Judgment will
be cast into hell, into a "lake of fire and brimstone," termed
"hell-fire." But how long will the fires of hell burn? "Then
shall he say unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into
everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels" (Matthew 25: 41).
"Cast into everlasting fire" (Matthew 18: 8). "Suffering the
vengeance of eternal fire" (Jude 7). "And if thy hand offend thee,
cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two
hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: where their
worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thy foot offend thee, cut
it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to
be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched; where their worm
dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it
out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than
having two eyes to be cast into hell-fire: where their worm dieth not, and the
fire is not quenched" (Mark 9: 43-48). "And these shall go away into
everlasting punishment" (Matthew 25: 46).
‘In plain, unmistakable
language the terrible doom of the guilty is here foretold. Whether men believe
it or not, some day they will awake to its awful realization. Some day they
will fully comprehend the eternal loss of their priceless souls. The many
scriptures I have cited teach that the wicked will be cast into an everlasting
hell and will there suffer everlasting punishment. Sixteen positive texts of
Scripture declare that the wicked will be turned into "hell," termed
"hell-fire," "furnace of fire," "lake of fire and brimstone";
that this fire will be an "everlasting fire," a fire that "never
shall be quenched"; and that in this fire the wicked will "wail and
gnash their teeth" and will suffer an "everlasting punishment." If
they suffer an "everlasting punishment," there will be no end to that
punishment. The everlasting fires of hell in which they will suffer this
punishment never will be quenched; hence they will burn forever.
‘These expressions,
some say, are only figures of the sinner's doom. If so, there would be no room
to ease the guilty conscience. For if such expressions as those I have quoted
are only figures of future punishment, I ask in Jesus' name, What must the
reality be? All must admit that the reality is greater than the figure. If all
the expressions in the texts cited above are but figures of future punishment,
then the reality will be far greater.’
Therefore,
leaving or rather building on these principles of the doctrine, let us now contemplate
on
The Doctrine of Perfection
The doctrine of
perfection is the doctrine of Christ, though rebellious religious professors so
deny. The Lord does not mince words when He says, “Be ye therefore perfect,
even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” (Matt. 5:48). Neither was
He equivocal when He told some persons to sin no more (John 5:14, John 8:11). I
find in our day that those who hold to the teachings of Christ on this subject
are derided with all manner of spiteful nomenclature. Much as I admit that many
who teach sinless perfectionism, do lead hypocritical lives because they know
not the power of God, I do not deny that the Lord God requires of those who
must follow Him, that they must be holy and without blame before him in love
(Eph 1:4). Some learned men or scribes argue that even though God requires for
us to be perfect, sinless perfection is not possible in this life. They seem
not to believe that the Lord can fulfill His promise to save His people FROM
their sins (Matt 1:21). How sad it is
these blind leaders of the blind think God would require the impossible of His
subjects. This does not sound too different from the voice of the unprofitable
servant who accused his master of being a hard man, intent on reaping where he
had not sown, and gathering where he had not strawed. (Mt 25:24). John Wesley paraphrased
the servant as saying that the master required more of his servants than he had
given them power to perform. This is the very same manner many an obstinate
sinner, in one way or another lay the blame of his own sins on God. We cannot
lower the holy standard and doctrine of Christ because carnal men and
denominations of Mystery Babylon are far below it. How forcibly and apt the
words of our beloved brother Paul apply here! "For do I now persuade men,
or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I yet please men, I should not be
the servant of Christ." Gal. 1:10. Now there is a gulf between God and the
people. He wants them to be holy, perfect and spotless in his sight. But they
are far from this. So if they will become one with God, it is either he will have
to come to them, or they to him. He must either cancel or change his
commandments, or the people will have to measure up to them. What shall we do,
as ambassadors of God, in this matter? Do we now persuade men or God? Should we
now persuade him to edit his Word, or should we rather persuade the people to
change their ways? "Or do I seek to please men?" God forbid;
"for if I yet please men, I should not be the servant of Christ." I
would be the servant of gain. An ancient prophet rightly spoke about this men-pleasing
spirit and doctrine when he said, "Which say to the seers, see not, and to
the prophets, prophesy not unto us right things; speak unto us smooth things;
prophesy deceits." (Isaiah. 30: 10). The doctrine of perfection is just
the same today, no matter what they say. Christ came for this purpose, to
destroy the works of the devil, which is the yoke of bondage that works in the
children of disobedience. Faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross is
the anchor that holds on to the saving grace of God, which has appeared to all
men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live
soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.
I wish to quote Adam Clarke’s thoughts here on Matthew 5:48: ‘Be
ye therefore perfect-as your Father] God
himself is the grand law, sole giver, and only pattern of the perfection which
he recommends to his children. The words
are very emphatic, esomai humeis oun teleios, Ye shall be therefore perfect-ye
shall be filled with the spirit of that God whose name is Mercy, and whose
nature is love. God has many imitators
of his power, independence, justice, &c., but few of his love,
condescension, and kindness. He calls
himself LOVE, to teach us that in this consists that perfection, the attainment
of which he has made both our duty and privilege: for these words of our Lord
include both a command and a promise. ‘"Can we be fully saved from sin in this world?" is an important question, to which this text gives a satisfactory answer: "Ye shall be perfect, as your Father, who is in heaven, is perfect."-As in his infinite nature there is no sin, nothing but goodness and love, so in your finite nature there shall dwell no sin, for the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus shall make you free from the law of sin and death, Ro 8:2. God shall live in, fill, and rule your hearts; and, in what He fills and influences, neither Satan nor sin can have any part. If men, slighting their own mercies, cry out, This is impossible!-whom does this arguing reprove-God, who, on this ground, has given a command, the fulfillment of which is impossible. "But who can bring a clean out of an unclean thing?" God Almighty-and, however inveterate the disease of sin may be, the grace of the Lord Jesus can fully cure it; and who will say, that he who laid down his life for our souls will not use his power completely to effect that salvation which he has died to procure. "But where is the person thus saved?" Wherever he is found who loves God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength, and his neighbor as himself; and, for the honor of Christianity and its AUTHOR, may we not hope there are many such in the Church of God, not known indeed by any profession of this kind which they make, but by a surer testimony, that of uniformly holy tempers, piety to God, and beneficence to man?’
Some have unwittingly reduced the doctrine of Sanctification to mere separation. As much as it is agreed that Sanctification, or hagiasmos in the Greek, could mean to “set apart”, it is important to note that it however goes beyond mere setting apart. It is the setting apart for the use of the holy God, who has nothing to do with filth. Therefore, for anything or person to be set apart for Him, they must be purified, within and without. A lot of false prophets have founded cults whose members are set apart from non members; but this setting apart does not make them pure before God. It is the blood of Jesus Christ, through the word of God and by the power of the Holy Ghost that makes a man pure. The purified man is to touch no unclean thing anymore and to keep himself unspotted and separated from the world. But, if through faithlessness, he falls into sin, he can be restored into fellowship with the church of Jesus Christ through confession of his sins.
To fully grasp this doctrine of Perfection, let us consider
The Doctrine of Love
God is love. Love cannot be explained with mere words, but by action. God so love that He gave… Love suffers long, and is kind; it does not envy; it does not vaunt itself, nor is it puffed up. It does not behave itself unseemly; neither does it seek its own. It is not easily provoked and it thinks no evil. It does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; it bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. What is more? It will never fail. This love, for all it is, could be seen as hatred, in the eyes of sinful men, because God‘s way is not the way of man. This great love hates sin and punishes it wherever it is found. The love of God in a consecrated heart will preclude him from offending the Almighty. This love will keep God’s little children in the fold and away from wolves and snakes. This love makes them wise as serpent and harmless as doves. This doctrine makes the world know that they are the Disciples of Christ.
It may be expedient for me to state here that the doctrine of perfection is one and the same with the doctrine of love. How do I know so? The scripture is very clear that anyone who keeps God’s word has had the love of God perfected in him: and this is how we know that we are in him, as the church. It is the perfection of the love of God in us that makes keep His words. No man hath seen God at any time. But if we love one another, God dwells in us, and his love is perfected in us. It is the indwelling God that makes us the church of God. That means, without the Holy God dwelling in the midst of us, we are not His flesh and bone, neither are we His body, which is the church. Being His church means dwelling in Him and Him in us; He being love. This is exactly where our love is made perfect, so that we may have boldness in the Day of Judgment: because as he is perfect, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love cast out fear: because fear hath torment. He that is afraid has not been made perfect in love.
When the Lord said in Matthew 5:48, “Be ye therefore perfect…” Luke recorded the same words as “Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful,” in Luke 6:36. Oh, what can be more perfect than a loving bowel of mercy!
Our knowledge of God is proven by our obedience to His commandments. What are these commandments? This Doctrine of Christ shows us the commandments we are to keep. They are the entire New Testament. For God will judge no man by the laws of Moses on the last day, but by the gospel of Christ. Check the verses to be sure (2Thes 1:8, 1Pet 4:17). He that says, “I know him”, and keeps not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. Of course, flesh and blood cannot keep these commands which are way higher than the laws of Moses. It is the Spirit of God in the heart of man that makes the righteous fruit visible in the sanctified life. The degree of your resignation to God determines the depth of your perfection in love. Why not die to self and live for Christ from hence, oh friend?
This doctrine of love or perfection can be explained further by coming to terms with the virtues of joy, peace, longsuffering or patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, etc. However, this is not possible by mere exploration of intellectual or mental prowess, but by the baptism of the Holy Spirit. For the kingdom of God is not in word, meat and drink, but in power: righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. To receive this spirit of love and power to enter this kingdom and church, you have to first of all have an earnest desire to please God, then you can ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? Ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given you. Ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. He shall not receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
What again is this new commandment or testament we speak about? Brethren, I do not write any new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you have heard from the beginning. Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shines. This new commandment is a command to love. It is not new because it has been here with us since the beginning. Darkness of ignorance is now past. The true light that now shines in these last day makes the commandment even clearer. Whoever hates his brother is like Cain, who broke that everlasting law. Therefore the Doctrine of Christ promotes love among true believers. Any one that brings a body of teaching that does not advance this Doctrine of Love is
The Antichrist that Denies the Father and the Son
Is this just my opinion or the whole truth? Let me
explain why I am so sure this is the whole truth. The Doctrine of Love makes the
Christian humble, since love is not puffed up. He knows he is very unworthy. He
appreciates the great honor bestowed on him by God Father that calls him a son,
though he was a bastard. He feels indebted to the Father and to the Son, Jesus
Christ, and also by extension, to His body, the church, who represent Jesus
Christ in the flesh. For if a man says, “I love God”, and hates his brother in
Christ, who is also a member of the church of the living God, he is a liar: for
he that does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he
has not seen? So the love for God is shown in the love for the church.
Furthermore, the knowledge that the church is Christ Jesus, bodily or in the
flesh, sparks awe in the heart of a believer when he sees other believers in
Christ. He knows that anything he does to one of the least of these brethren is
being done it to Christ Himself. Another point to deduce from this thought is
that the saint, being an infinitesimal part of the great church, is humbled. He
does not see himself as anything, but sees Christ and His church as everything.
All his reverence goes up to heaven.
But the
antichrist is not so. He loves to have the preeminence among the humble
followers of Christ. He loves the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief
seats in the synagogues. He also loves greetings in the markets, in the streets
and public places, including social interactive media, such as the internet, to
be called of men, His Holiness, Senior Apostle, Pope, Arch-Bishop, Most
Reverend, Man of God, Pastor, Teacher, etc. He is fond of speaking perverse
things, to draw away disciples after himself. He is like a grievous wolf in the
sheep fold, not sparing the flock. I tell you the truth; he is that man of sin,
which was to be revealed, the son of perdition! He opposes and exalts himself
above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sits in
the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. He was being withheld during
the era of the first apostles that he might be revealed in his time (2Thes2:3-6).
His time came after the great falling away or apostasy of the third century. He
reigned without let or hindrance for a space of one thousand, two hundred and
sixty years (Rev13:5). By the means of the working of Satan with all power and
signs and lying wonders, he has deceived many who received not the love of the
truth or the doctrine of Christ that they might be saved. In place of the
doctrine of Christ, he speaks perverse things, which are smooth to the hearing
of vile men. He has departed from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits,
and doctrines of devils. He speaks lies in hypocrisy; having his conscience
seared with a hot iron. His doctrine is the wine of spiritual fornication,
which influences his followers to lust after various abominable idols of the
world. That is why they are all the more lovers of their own selves, covetous,
boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without
natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce,
despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of
pleasures more than lovers of God. He subverts whole houses, teaching things
which he ought not, for filthy lucre's sake. This man I write about is the
enemy of the cross of Christ. His end is destruction; his God is his belly, and
whose glory is in his shame. He minds earthly things. His messages are inspired
of the earthly things: motivational and sensual doctrines. A sin sick soul may
tarry in his fold because he receives sensual or slight healing for his hurt.
This antichrist which ye have heard
that should come has come; yea, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we
know that it is the last time (1Jo 2:18). While, they feed the unsuspecting
with wormwood, they promise them that the antichrist would not come until a new
temple is built in Jerusalem. Their followers who have been sent a strong
delusion, that they should believe a lie, fail to realize that God does not
recognize a physical structure as temple any more in the gospel day; and that
any prophecy of a future temple after the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple,
refers only to the body of Christ. For sure, they went out from us, the church
of God, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no
doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made
manifest that they were not all of us.
Here now is a
test to know differentiate the doctrine of Christ from the doctrines of devils:
Every doctrine that confesses, both orally and in practice, that Jesus Christ
has come in the flesh is of God. How do we establish that? The one, who
acknowledges Christ in the flesh to have come, will accept the very purpose for
His coming in the flesh, and his life will show the fruit of the human mission
of the Messiah. Such a one is of God. He has the love of God in him. But every
spirit or doctrine that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the
flesh is not of God: this the doctrine that denies the power to God to save man
from his sinful nature, and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have
heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. Yea, modern
Christianity is antichrist! The fruit of it are obvious to the world that they
are not of God. They have presented to the world a Christ who is indifferent to
sinfulness.
Whosoever sins,
and do not continue in the doctrine of Christ, do not have God. He that abides
in the doctrine of Christ, he has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes
to you, and bring another doctrine, do not receive him into your house, neither
should you wish him well: for in so doing, you partake of his evil.
“Hear ye the word of the LORD” and “Take heed therefore how ye
hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from
him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have”.
Greetings in the name of the LORD who
bought me, HALLELUIAH!!!
One may not see
why a man who should author a proverb would begin his writing by counting
himself “more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man.” I
feel no better myself, as I try to articulate what the Lord has laid in me. Although,
I have not learned religion from any Seminary or Bible College, I trust that
the Lord God, who has taught me wisdom, will use this humble piece to His own
glory. The Jew desire a sign and the Greek seek wisdom. And men, who search for
sparkling stones because of the title of this write up, may be saddened to dig
up mere gravels. However, since God can use the foolish things of the world to confound
the wise, I am hopeful that He is able of these stones to raise children unto
Abraham. I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy. I have
received the knowledge of the saints by His spirit. I have no glory of my own.
But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people. So
look not on me, as though by my own wisdom, power or holiness, I write this
treatise. I have nothing that I have not received. These graces that I now
enjoy are but gifts from above. How should I glory save in that which the Lord
has done? I owe much thanks to Him for revealing His saving doctrine to me to
both save myself, and them that hear me. I also glory in the church of the
living God, the ground and pillar of the truth, which has both birthed and
strengthened my faith in Christ Jesus; wherein I have so learned Christ and
taken upon me His yoke of meekness. For He has come to the Earth in the flesh
for this very purpose (1John3:8). Therefore, it’s my humble prayer that the
eyes that look upon these lines will grow a desire within their breasts to
hunger and thirst after that which the Son of God has manifested here on the
Earth. Amen.
What could this be?
By Doctrine is
meant the whole teaching and practices of a faith, especially for the
regulation of the moral conduct of the adherent. Therefore, the doctrine of
Christ reveals His mission to the world. Christianity is centered on the
teachings and person of Christ Jesus. To understand this doctrine, we must
first come to terms with His personage. Peter’s inspired answer to this great
question is a pointer to the fact that no man can of his own understand who the
man Christ Jesus is. For the Lord Himself affirmed that flesh and blood did not
reveal it to him. Every follower of Christ needs this divine revelation to
properly discern Christ and His flesh or His body, which is the church. The
Lord Jesus Christ started His ministry by first, selecting twelve humble men of
different background, in order to teach them the right way life should be
lived. Yes, God made man to live in a specific way, but man chose various other
ways, which are defective and pervert. (Eccl 7:29 Lo, this only have I found,
that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions. Eph
1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world,
that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.) Christ actually
trained the first disciples and followers, or the first church. He taught them
by example how to live not for themselves, but for the Father. He himself did
not please Himself in the flesh (Ro 15:3 For even Christ pleased not himself;
but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me).
This fact accounts for the highly disciplined life that they lived here on
Earth.
Apart from the
physical aspect of this training, which is actually focused on pleasing the
Father Almighty, and not oneself, He promised to empower them spiritually, to
make for the inward depravity which baulked man from achieving the goal of
moral purity. He did this on the day of Pentecost. We can find the account in
the book of Acts chapter two. He gave them a commission to make disciples of
men of every nation on Earth. On this day, He fulfilled the prophecy of
Malachi: “…he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall
purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer
unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.” These later disciples or church
were to learn to “…observe all things whatsoever (the Lord Jesus had) …
commanded…” Discipleship is not merely an ideology but a practice. The
disciples imitated the Master. Those who they trained also learned their way of
life. The Apostle, Paul said: “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of
Christ”… “Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and
heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you” . . . “thou
hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering,
charity, patience” . . . “For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of
God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus”; and Peter, the Elder, also said: “For
even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us
an example, that ye should follow his steps”. This is true Christianity or
Christ-likeness, not the church going social activities of modern day perverts;
the name “Christian” has now become so cheap that even arrogant politicians, wayward
street urchins, sly craftsmen, feminists, clowns, shameless fornicators, cursed
gays and brazen divorcees lay hold to it. The laity is deliberately shielded
from the lay so that the private life of the pulpit is hidden, and the pew is
left with no real model to copy. The grace and love of God has been turned into
lasciviousness. Sin sick souls know deep within their consciousness that they
are in need of sound doctrine of life to become healed indeed from their
spiritual hurt. They will not be persuaded or satisfied with “slight healing”,
or doctrines of “Peace, peace”, when there is no peace (Jeremiah 6:14; 8:11,
Isaiah 5:20). It has become necessary to state here that the doctrine of
Christ, which is also known as love, is a life of faith, long suffering,
humility, selflessness, separation, denial of worldly pleasures and lusts, etc.
I shall hereafter endeavor to make a distinction between God’s unconditional
love and the senseless concept the world has to offer.
What a great thought!
A great thought
is set before us by this subject: THE DOCTRINE OF CHRIST. But, who can fully
exhaust all that is entailed herein? What mere man? None at all, methinks. Has any ascended into
the heavens to learn the mind of God who dwells there; or descended thence down
here to teach men below what he had learned above. No man can fully know and teach us these
things unless he hath been in heaven, and sent down from there to the earth for
that purpose. Since there be no man, O pray, that there be a hungering and
thirsting of the soul that follows hard after the Lord and His Spirit that searches
all things, yea, the deep things of God. We have endeavored here to rest upon the
Holy Spirit and a more sure word of prophecy, which was written for our
learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have
hope. Ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things; and the
anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that
any man teach you: but as the same anointing teaches you of all things, and is
truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
Word of Life … made flesh!
Every word of God
is pure. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made
that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. That life is
the doctrine, which we here bring unto thee, O man, that there may be light in
you. This light is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. In this
life, there is safety from the evil one. If you desire inexplicable peace and
joy unspeakable, seek out the wholesome doctrine of Christ, which is the rock
upon which the church of God is founded. It is a compact doctrine. It works as
a whole. Therefore, we are not to add unto God’s words, nor detract from it,
lest He reprove us, and we be found liars. Who is a liar but he that denieth
that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the
Son. But how do I deny Him as the Christ? Yea, there are some who profess that
they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient,
and unto every good work reprobate. With their lifestyles they deny the
Lordship of Christ Jesus. Worse still, they deny His flesh and bone, the body
of Christ, who walk after His footsteps. By their stealth denial of the power
of God, the world is left continually in the dark, and cannot see the true body
of Christ. No wonder the senseless drunk can boldly say “every man is the
same!” Yea, you deny His spotless body, when you do not abide in His teaching
in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye ought to shine as
lights in the world. Indeed, you deny before the world that He has come in the
flesh, through the souls of sanctified ones, who have not defiled their
garments. A song writer said, “You are the one to tell the world, through the
way you live your life, so that the world … might believe.”
Two things have I
required of the Lord; which I trust He will not deny me them before I die: one,
That I be removed far from vanity and lies: and, two, That I be given neither
poverty nor complacent riches of knowledge; I need spiritual food convenient
for my welfare: I do not desire to be so full and spiritually independent of
Christ that I deny His saving power and grace, and say, Who is the LORD? This
is the error whereof some do claim equality with God. They teach of a
transcendental experience that makes them gods. I do not need such riches of
knowledge. Neither do I wish to be destitute of the true doctrine of Christ,
and act shamefully and blame worthily, and so take the name of my God in vain.
Many today do take or rather wear His name in vain, in that they are known as
Christians but do not live like Christ. Christ came in the flesh and lived life
the way it ought to be. He did not live in isolation, like the clergy, but
mentored few men, who have testified unto us His doctrine of life. Brother John
the beloved proclaims, thus:
·
That
which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our
eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of
life;
·
(For
the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto
you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)
·
That which we have seen and heard declare we
unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is
with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
It therefore
follows that the doctrine of Christ is not abstract, or something
impracticable; for the disciples actually saw with their eyes, heard with their
ears, and handled with their hands that which was from the beginning. This
heavenly life has been right from the beginning with the Father. It became
flesh and dwelt among men. It is the word of life, through which everything was
made. It was manifested to the disciples. This Word became flesh and noticeable
in them, as the church of God. They thus became members of his body, of his
flesh, and of his bones. It would be safe to say that they were
Christ-in-the-flesh to those who knew Him not. They had imbibed His doctrine of
love. They had learned of Christ and received His yoke. They in turn have
declared unto us this heavenly life, which they saw and heard and handled.
Their declaration was not only verbal, but was also practical, in that they
lived out the life of Christ for all to see. And all who believe in Christ
ought also to live the way He did. For He has said: “whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come
after me, cannot be my disciple”. Therefore, the doctrine of Christ speaks much
about the cross of suffering. For in bearing the cross, one must first of all
deny himself. If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up
his cross, and follow me.OUN
Will any man
propose to build a house and not consider what it would cost him? This is
exactly what we seek to state in this write up. It is not enough to admire this
write up and say, “Yea, it’s nice one”. COUNT NOW, WHAT IT WILL COST YOU TO
FOLLOW JESUS. Some of you will have to make drastic decision that may alter the
course of your life for the utmost good of your very soul. What is that vain
lifestyle you have been endeared to? It is a yoke that needs to be broken by
the anointing. Put it away and live. The life of Christ, which is contained in
His doctrine, is the real life God has fore ordained for all men. It is life
and peace. Check the lessons in Matthew chapters five, six and seven. Which one
does not fit the way you live? Is it clear to you now that more needs to be
done to become a disciple who should not to be ashamed?
Oh, saint, I
write these things unto you, so that both of us also may have fellowship with
the first apostles. We are children of the light, who walk not after the flesh,
but after the Spirit. How do we have fellowship one with another if we are not
preserved from false doctrine? To have true fellowship with one another and
also with the Father and Son, we must abide in the apostles doctrine, which is
the doctrine of Christ. This doctrine is the light of God which has come down
from heaven. Oh, disciple of Christ, I write these things unto you, so that
your joy may be full. This fullness of joy in the Holy Ghost instills
righteousness and peace into your life because you have believed the gospel of
Christ.
What’s this doctrine thing?
“This … is the message which we have heard of him, and
declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” This is
the whole gospel and doctrine of Christ! God is the Father of lights, with whom
is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. His doctrine is the light of
men. This is the life that lights up the whole world, which hitherto lieth in
darkness or wickedness. This light is the righteousness of God, which was shown
to us all in the life of Christ Jesus. This doctrine is centered on His life,
and established by His death. He is love, but not the kind of love that the
apostles of Satan have presented to the world. This love suffereth long, and is
kind; it envieth not; it vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, it doth not
behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh
no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth. It’s not the
kind that is self-seeking. Nay! It lays down its life for others. It’s not the
type that condoles evil. It reproves it! Think not that it brings the kind of
peace the world desire, think not that it promotes the sort of union fleshly
minds seaek for. Yea, the love of God brings a sword and not worldly peace. It
brings judgment on the wicked. It brings a righteous division to a mixed
multitude. It sets a man at variance against his father, and the daughter
against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. There’s
a division in the Earth, and a great gulf irreconcilable. Who is on the LORD'S
side? Let him come unto Christ Jesus and be one with the saints. Be ye not
unequally yoked together with unbelievers:
for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion
hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what
part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I
will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall
be my people. For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify
yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile
yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. Wherefore come
out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.
But who are these creeping and unclean things which are on the earth? Are they
not the heathens that know not God, and that obey not the gospel or doctrine of
our Lord Jesus Christ? A disciple keepeth himself unspotted from the world (see
James 1:27). Are you a friend of the world? If you are, I must be frank enough
to let you know you are a self acclaimed enemy of my God. James 4:4 Ye
adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is
enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy
of God. You cannot marry both worlds! If you try, you show yourself an
adulteress or an adulterer. Both worlds are irreconcilable forever. Choose ye
this day whom ye shall serve. You cannot serve the two masters. You are either
a disciple of Christ, practicing His doctrine, or you’re a disciple of Satan
practicing profanity, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good
work reprobate. You cannot live in pleasure and be a disciple of Christ. A
disciple of Christ is sober, not prodigal. He desires to walk in the light and
not in darkness. He finds delight in his God in whom is no darkness at all.
Even if the world turns against him, he counts himself fortunate to abide in
the doctrine of Christ alone, and not in the creeds of men. He thanks his God
he’s not alone in the faith. There are clouds of witnesses, yea, a great
company, “and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all
nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues.” We are the church of the living
God! The New Jerusalem, our mother, which is free and above, suffices us. We
need not make friends of the world. For we are holy unto our God and King: a
holy nation and a peculiar people. If we say that we have fellowship with him,
and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the
light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the
blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
But wholly lean on Jesus name
There is a
generation that is pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their
filthiness. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth
is not in us. The hypocrites trust in the outward form of religion and ignore
heart purity. This is because it has become evident to them that their effort
to keep their heart pure is only futile. Their external acts of righteousness
are as a filthy rag before God. No man can live a sin-free life on his own
accord. For Satan has held man captive at his will (2Tim2:26). God spoke of a
time that the Anointed One would break this yoke of sin, from off the shoulder
of them that turn back to Him (Isa 10:27). For this purpose the Son of God was
manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. I thank God through
Jesus Christ our Lord, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus
Christ. A victorious life over sin made possible only in Christ Jesus. If we
confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Are you now cleansed from all
unrighteousness? Go and sin no more. God’s grace will keep you from sin. But,
if like Peter, you fail to fix your eyes on the Author and Finisher of our
Faith, and fall into temptation, despair not, drown not. For we have an
advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the
propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the
whole world. He is able to restore you in fellowship with the Father, and with
the church.
Hearing and doing
Ro 2:13 … not the
hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be
justified.
Jas 1:22 But be
ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
Mt 7:24 Therefore
whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto
a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25 And the rain descended, and
the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not:
for it was founded upon a rock. 26 And every one that heareth these sayings of
mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his
house upon the sand: 27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the
winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of
it.
I wish to quote
Charles E Orr here: ‘"Ye are manifestly declared to be
the epistle of Christ." (2 Cor. 3:3). "All can see that you are a
letter from Christ." (20th Cent.) The Christian is Christ's "Open
Letter." His life is a message from Christ to the world. His daily walk is
a genuine letter from the Saviour of men. The Christian life is written by the
same hand that wrote the New Testament and they read just alike, word for word.
If you profess to be a Christian, be sure your daily life is the handwriting of
Jesus. Your life in your home amid its trials and provocations should read like
God's Word. It is very confusing and discouraging to others if your life and
the New Testament read differently.’
Christ in the flesh
Who do you say He
is? Your answer may decide your future. Peter says He is Christ, the Son of the
living God. What about you? Paul says He “is over all, God blessed for ever.
Amen.” What about you? Are you having any problem discerning who He is? One
group says He is completely divine, and denies He has human nature. To such, I
am sure that Hebrews 4:15 has some wisdom to share. While another admits He has
come in the flesh, but denies He is completely divine. To such, I have little
words, but to Christ Jesus, I say, “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever” (Psalm
45:6, Hebrew 1:8). If we agree that Christ is divine but deny He is one with
the Father, then we may have to explain why God would share His glory with any
other. He is a jealous God. Salvation is of Him alone. He is the only One that
saves. For Some hold that He is merely a
mediator between God and man. If you worship one who is not the Almighty God,
you must be an idolater. But the church have always worshipped Jesus. See Luke
24:52 and Matthew 28:9, 17. The disciples or the first church of God actually
worshipped Jesus. This is not idolatry, because Jesus is God. Here is what Adam
Clarke says about what they did after Christ had left them and ascended into the
heavens: “Verse 52. They worshipped him]
Let it be observed that this worship was not given by way of civil respect, for
it was after he was parted from them, and carried back into heaven, that they
offered it to him; but acts of civil respect are always performed in the
presence of the person. They adored him as their God, and were certainly too
much enlightened to be capable of any species of idolatry.” I so affirm in my
spirit. You had better discern by the Holy Spirit, who the Lord is and save
your soul from damnation.
But some, who are
sincere but wrong, hold that He is only the Son of God, and not God. They may
need to contemplate what it means to be a Son of God. The Sons of God are the
church of the sanctified, the first born. They are Christ in the flesh, bought
by the Holy blood, washed from sins and preserved in holiness without spot or
wrinkle. The Word of God, through which life was created, became flesh, a Son, bringing
many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through
sufferings. He emptied Himself, made himself of no reputation, and took upon
him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found
in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even
the death of the cross. Here now is a divine truth: O what Riches of the glory of the mystery: Christ in you (the church),
the hope of glory! This is the church of the living God: God in the midst
of men! It is indeed a pointer to our future glory with the Father forever. God
instituted marriage to show us what He intends for cleansed mankind to be one
flesh with Him. “For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and
shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.” Unity. “It is
a great mystery”, says Paul. “But I speak concerning Christ and the church”,
not just about married couples. To my mind, I am sure that God in His design of
the union of Adam and Eve intended to point out the union of Christ and the
Church. Eve was made from the flesh and bone of Adam who was put into a deep
sleep, likewise was the church made out of the flesh and bone of Christ Jesus
on the cross. Thus we can indeed say, “We are members of his body, of his
flesh, and of his bones.” This is indeed a great mystery, but I speak
concerning Christ and His church. They are but one flesh. But they are not His
church who yet glory in unrighteousness. They that are Christ's have crucified
the flesh with the affections and lusts. For His redemption is unto them that
turn from transgression.
Without
controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh,
justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed
on in the world, received up into glory. Yes, He lived in the flesh. He can be
touched with the feeling of our infirmities. He was in all points tempted like
as we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15). So we have no cover or excuse for
our sins (John15:22). He is still here with us today in the church of the
living God. We are His holy temple. We are His flesh and bone. We are one with
the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, since we have baptized in the Blessed
name of the thrice holy God, being made conformable unto the death of Christ.
Having now, by
the grace of God, established that Jesus Christ is indeed the Son of the living
God, though, not the sense in which scoffing mohammedans relate the term, but
the sense of the Jews in John 5:18 and 10:33, and also in the sense in which
Thomas, a disciple, addressed Him, saying: “My Lord and my God”, let us now set
forth
The principles of the doctrine of
Christ
We get a better
understanding the whole scriptures when we realize that they all point to
Christ Jesus. All the law and ordinances and sacrifices all pointed to Him. For
a foundation, these rites were given to the Jews to guide them to perfection.
The law made nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better hope did; by this hope
of glory (the church) we draw nigh unto God. We are not to linger on the
principles or elementary teachings of foundation. Some spend their energy
proofing genealogies, types, and antitypes. It is good. But there is more. Let
us not rest on the basic principles of the doctrine of Christ: repentance from
dead works, of faith toward God, of baptisms, of the laying on of hands, of
resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. Do not misrepresent me, or
rather the inspired writer of the book of Hebrews, we are not advocating for the
abandonment of these doctrine. We are only beckoning for advancement unto
Perfection, which is the ultimate goal of the doctrine of Christ. Mind you,
perfection cannot be attained without first establishing the basic principles. For
instance, repentance from dead works may be properly called the basis of the
work of God in the human soul. It is through repentance that we forsake sin and
turn to God for mercy. Dead works are works that deserve death. They are the works
of those dead in sins. They are pronounced dead by sentence of the law, because
they had broken the law through their deeds. The law shows the severity of their
offences by its sentences.
The next
foundational principle before us is Faith toward God, without which it is
impossible to please God and obtain salvation.
Through repentance and godly sorrow, we feel the need for God's mercy. We
find that mercy by faith.
Baptisms of the
body in water, sprinklings, and washings, were frequent as religious rites
among the Hebrews, and were all a shadow of that cleanness and purity which the
holy God requires in his worshippers. In the faith of Christ, Baptism marks a
public demonstration of what God has performed in the life of a new believer. In
the sixth chapter of the book Romans, Brother Paul effectively shows how
through baptism or immersion, we identify with the death, burial and
resurrection of Christ. We also receive the baptism of God’s Spirit, to enable
us live that heavenly life that will draw men to the Kingdom of God. He also
helps us function in the body of saints in various ways by His unlimited
ability, by aid of spiritual gifts, imparted by the laying on of hands.
Lastly, the
doctrine of the resurrection of the dead and of eternal judgment, were much
stressed in the writings of the apostles and the prophets. They are points in
the doctrine of Christ that cannot be altered. Any teacher who denies or
downplays them only proves himself a heretic. All through scriptures, we are
told that man has one life to live, and after that life the judgment day comes.
A day has been set by God on which many that sleep in the dust of the earth
shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting
contempt (Dan12:2). The Lord Jesus confirmed this when He said, “Marvel not at
this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall
hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the
resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of
damnation.” He also stated in another part of the scripture that “When the Son
of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he
sit upon the throne of his glory: and before him shall be gathered all nations:
and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep
from the goats…” Even Paul corroborates this fact when he wrote, “…When the
Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming
fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel
of our Lord Jesus Christ…” and “the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the
quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom”. From the foregoing it is
very clear that the second coming of our Lord Jesus is synonymous with the Day
of Judgment. Although, this is not within the purview of this write-up, it
would be needful to state here on a sad note that many have devised another
doctrine of the resurrection of the dead and of eternal judgment from
disjointed scriptures. As for me, I am very satisfied with the teachings of
Christ and the apostles. Some even make light of everlasting judgment by
proposing annihilation of the wicked. Is it not a relieve for some wicked soul
who wish to take their own lives so that they may find peace at last, if on the
day of judgment, they are finally annihilated. On the contrary, scriptures
teach that punishment of the wicked is forever and ever. These few lines from H M Riggle might throw
in some light on the issue:
‘THE FIRES OF HELL WILL BURN FOREVER
‘We have seen that
the Scriptures clearly teach that the wicked in the great Day of Judgment will
be cast into hell, into a "lake of fire and brimstone," termed
"hell-fire." But how long will the fires of hell burn? "Then
shall he say unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into
everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels" (Matthew 25: 41).
"Cast into everlasting fire" (Matthew 18: 8). "Suffering the
vengeance of eternal fire" (Jude 7). "And if thy hand offend thee,
cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two
hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: where their
worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thy foot offend thee, cut
it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to
be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched; where their worm
dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it
out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than
having two eyes to be cast into hell-fire: where their worm dieth not, and the
fire is not quenched" (Mark 9: 43-48). "And these shall go away into
everlasting punishment" (Matthew 25: 46).
‘In plain, unmistakable
language the terrible doom of the guilty is here foretold. Whether men believe
it or not, some day they will awake to its awful realization. Some day they
will fully comprehend the eternal loss of their priceless souls. The many
scriptures I have cited teach that the wicked will be cast into an everlasting
hell and will there suffer everlasting punishment. Sixteen positive texts of
Scripture declare that the wicked will be turned into "hell," termed
"hell-fire," "furnace of fire," "lake of fire and brimstone";
that this fire will be an "everlasting fire," a fire that "never
shall be quenched"; and that in this fire the wicked will "wail and
gnash their teeth" and will suffer an "everlasting punishment." If
they suffer an "everlasting punishment," there will be no end to that
punishment. The everlasting fires of hell in which they will suffer this
punishment never will be quenched; hence they will burn forever.
‘These expressions,
some say, are only figures of the sinner's doom. If so, there would be no room
to ease the guilty conscience. For if such expressions as those I have quoted
are only figures of future punishment, I ask in Jesus' name, What must the
reality be? All must admit that the reality is greater than the figure. If all
the expressions in the texts cited above are but figures of future punishment,
then the reality will be far greater.’
Therefore,
leaving or rather building on these principles of the doctrine, let us now contemplate
on
The Doctrine of Perfection
The doctrine of
perfection is the doctrine of Christ, though rebellious religious professors so
deny. The Lord does not mince words when He says, “Be ye therefore perfect,
even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” (Matt. 5:48). Neither was
He equivocal when He told some persons to sin no more (John 5:14, John 8:11). I
find in our day that those who hold to the teachings of Christ on this subject
are derided with all manner of spiteful nomenclature. Much as I admit that many
who teach sinless perfectionism, do lead hypocritical lives because they know
not the power of God, I do not deny that the Lord God requires of those who
must follow Him, that they must be holy and without blame before him in love
(Eph 1:4). Some learned men or scribes argue that even though God requires for
us to be perfect, sinless perfection is not possible in this life. They seem
not to believe that the Lord can fulfill His promise to save His people FROM
their sins (Matt 1:21). How sad it is
these blind leaders of the blind think God would require the impossible of His
subjects. This does not sound too different from the voice of the unprofitable
servant who accused his master of being a hard man, intent on reaping where he
had not sown, and gathering where he had not strawed. (Mt 25:24). John Wesley paraphrased
the servant as saying that the master required more of his servants than he had
given them power to perform. This is the very same manner many an obstinate
sinner, in one way or another lay the blame of his own sins on God. We cannot
lower the holy standard and doctrine of Christ because carnal men and
denominations of Mystery Babylon are far below it. How forcibly and apt the
words of our beloved brother Paul apply here! "For do I now persuade men,
or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I yet please men, I should not be
the servant of Christ." Gal. 1:10. Now there is a gulf between God and the
people. He wants them to be holy, perfect and spotless in his sight. But they
are far from this. So if they will become one with God, it is either he will have
to come to them, or they to him. He must either cancel or change his
commandments, or the people will have to measure up to them. What shall we do,
as ambassadors of God, in this matter? Do we now persuade men or God? Should we
now persuade him to edit his Word, or should we rather persuade the people to
change their ways? "Or do I seek to please men?" God forbid;
"for if I yet please men, I should not be the servant of Christ." I
would be the servant of gain. An ancient prophet rightly spoke about this men-pleasing
spirit and doctrine when he said, "Which say to the seers, see not, and to
the prophets, prophesy not unto us right things; speak unto us smooth things;
prophesy deceits." (Isaiah. 30: 10). The doctrine of perfection is just
the same today, no matter what they say. Christ came for this purpose, to
destroy the works of the devil, which is the yoke of bondage that works in the
children of disobedience. Faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross is
the anchor that holds on to the saving grace of God, which has appeared to all
men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live
soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.
I wish to quote Adam Clarke’s thoughts here on Matthew 5:48: ‘Be
ye therefore perfect-as your Father] God
himself is the grand law, sole giver, and only pattern of the perfection which
he recommends to his children. The words
are very emphatic, esomai humeis oun teleios, Ye shall be therefore perfect-ye
shall be filled with the spirit of that God whose name is Mercy, and whose
nature is love. God has many imitators
of his power, independence, justice, &c., but few of his love,
condescension, and kindness. He calls
himself LOVE, to teach us that in this consists that perfection, the attainment
of which he has made both our duty and privilege: for these words of our Lord
include both a command and a promise. ‘"Can we be fully saved from sin in this world?" is an important question, to which this text gives a satisfactory answer: "Ye shall be perfect, as your Father, who is in heaven, is perfect."-As in his infinite nature there is no sin, nothing but goodness and love, so in your finite nature there shall dwell no sin, for the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus shall make you free from the law of sin and death, Ro 8:2. God shall live in, fill, and rule your hearts; and, in what He fills and influences, neither Satan nor sin can have any part. If men, slighting their own mercies, cry out, This is impossible!-whom does this arguing reprove-God, who, on this ground, has given a command, the fulfillment of which is impossible. "But who can bring a clean out of an unclean thing?" God Almighty-and, however inveterate the disease of sin may be, the grace of the Lord Jesus can fully cure it; and who will say, that he who laid down his life for our souls will not use his power completely to effect that salvation which he has died to procure. "But where is the person thus saved?" Wherever he is found who loves God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength, and his neighbor as himself; and, for the honor of Christianity and its AUTHOR, may we not hope there are many such in the Church of God, not known indeed by any profession of this kind which they make, but by a surer testimony, that of uniformly holy tempers, piety to God, and beneficence to man?’
Some have unwittingly reduced the doctrine of Sanctification to mere separation. As much as it is agreed that Sanctification, or hagiasmos in the Greek, could mean to “set apart”, it is important to note that it however goes beyond mere setting apart. It is the setting apart for the use of the holy God, who has nothing to do with filth. Therefore, for anything or person to be set apart for Him, they must be purified, within and without. A lot of false prophets have founded cults whose members are set apart from non members; but this setting apart does not make them pure before God. It is the blood of Jesus Christ, through the word of God and by the power of the Holy Ghost that makes a man pure. The purified man is to touch no unclean thing anymore and to keep himself unspotted and separated from the world. But, if through faithlessness, he falls into sin, he can be restored into fellowship with the church of Jesus Christ through confession of his sins.
To fully grasp this doctrine of Perfection, let us consider
The Doctrine of Love
God is love. Love cannot be explained with mere words, but by action. God so love that He gave… Love suffers long, and is kind; it does not envy; it does not vaunt itself, nor is it puffed up. It does not behave itself unseemly; neither does it seek its own. It is not easily provoked and it thinks no evil. It does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; it bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. What is more? It will never fail. This love, for all it is, could be seen as hatred, in the eyes of sinful men, because God‘s way is not the way of man. This great love hates sin and punishes it wherever it is found. The love of God in a consecrated heart will preclude him from offending the Almighty. This love will keep God’s little children in the fold and away from wolves and snakes. This love makes them wise as serpent and harmless as doves. This doctrine makes the world know that they are the Disciples of Christ.
It may be expedient for me to state here that the doctrine of perfection is one and the same with the doctrine of love. How do I know so? The scripture is very clear that anyone who keeps God’s word has had the love of God perfected in him: and this is how we know that we are in him, as the church. It is the perfection of the love of God in us that makes keep His words. No man hath seen God at any time. But if we love one another, God dwells in us, and his love is perfected in us. It is the indwelling God that makes us the church of God. That means, without the Holy God dwelling in the midst of us, we are not His flesh and bone, neither are we His body, which is the church. Being His church means dwelling in Him and Him in us; He being love. This is exactly where our love is made perfect, so that we may have boldness in the Day of Judgment: because as he is perfect, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love cast out fear: because fear hath torment. He that is afraid has not been made perfect in love.
When the Lord said in Matthew 5:48, “Be ye therefore perfect…” Luke recorded the same words as “Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful,” in Luke 6:36. Oh, what can be more perfect than a loving bowel of mercy!
Our knowledge of God is proven by our obedience to His commandments. What are these commandments? This Doctrine of Christ shows us the commandments we are to keep. They are the entire New Testament. For God will judge no man by the laws of Moses on the last day, but by the gospel of Christ. Check the verses to be sure (2Thes 1:8, 1Pet 4:17). He that says, “I know him”, and keeps not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. Of course, flesh and blood cannot keep these commands which are way higher than the laws of Moses. It is the Spirit of God in the heart of man that makes the righteous fruit visible in the sanctified life. The degree of your resignation to God determines the depth of your perfection in love. Why not die to self and live for Christ from hence, oh friend?
This doctrine of love or perfection can be explained further by coming to terms with the virtues of joy, peace, longsuffering or patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, etc. However, this is not possible by mere exploration of intellectual or mental prowess, but by the baptism of the Holy Spirit. For the kingdom of God is not in word, meat and drink, but in power: righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. To receive this spirit of love and power to enter this kingdom and church, you have to first of all have an earnest desire to please God, then you can ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? Ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given you. Ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. He shall not receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
What again is this new commandment or testament we speak about? Brethren, I do not write any new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you have heard from the beginning. Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shines. This new commandment is a command to love. It is not new because it has been here with us since the beginning. Darkness of ignorance is now past. The true light that now shines in these last day makes the commandment even clearer. Whoever hates his brother is like Cain, who broke that everlasting law. Therefore the Doctrine of Christ promotes love among true believers. Any one that brings a body of teaching that does not advance this Doctrine of Love is
The Antichrist that Denies the Father and the Son
Is this just my opinion or the whole truth? Let me
explain why I am so sure this is the whole truth. The Doctrine of Love makes the
Christian humble, since love is not puffed up. He knows he is very unworthy. He
appreciates the great honor bestowed on him by God Father that calls him a son,
though he was a bastard. He feels indebted to the Father and to the Son, Jesus
Christ, and also by extension, to His body, the church, who represent Jesus
Christ in the flesh. For if a man says, “I love God”, and hates his brother in
Christ, who is also a member of the church of the living God, he is a liar: for
he that does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he
has not seen? So the love for God is shown in the love for the church.
Furthermore, the knowledge that the church is Christ Jesus, bodily or in the
flesh, sparks awe in the heart of a believer when he sees other believers in
Christ. He knows that anything he does to one of the least of these brethren is
being done it to Christ Himself. Another point to deduce from this thought is
that the saint, being an infinitesimal part of the great church, is humbled. He
does not see himself as anything, but sees Christ and His church as everything.
All his reverence goes up to heaven.
But the
antichrist is not so. He loves to have the preeminence among the humble
followers of Christ. He loves the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief
seats in the synagogues. He also loves greetings in the markets, in the streets
and public places, including social interactive media, such as the internet, to
be called of men, His Holiness, Senior Apostle, Pope, Arch-Bishop, Most
Reverend, Man of God, Pastor, Teacher, etc. He is fond of speaking perverse
things, to draw away disciples after himself. He is like a grievous wolf in the
sheep fold, not sparing the flock. I tell you the truth; he is that man of sin,
which was to be revealed, the son of perdition! He opposes and exalts himself
above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sits in
the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. He was being withheld during
the era of the first apostles that he might be revealed in his time (2Thes2:3-6).
His time came after the great falling away or apostasy of the third century. He
reigned without let or hindrance for a space of one thousand, two hundred and
sixty years (Rev13:5). By the means of the working of Satan with all power and
signs and lying wonders, he has deceived many who received not the love of the
truth or the doctrine of Christ that they might be saved. In place of the
doctrine of Christ, he speaks perverse things, which are smooth to the hearing
of vile men. He has departed from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits,
and doctrines of devils. He speaks lies in hypocrisy; having his conscience
seared with a hot iron. His doctrine is the wine of spiritual fornication,
which influences his followers to lust after various abominable idols of the
world. That is why they are all the more lovers of their own selves, covetous,
boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without
natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce,
despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of
pleasures more than lovers of God. He subverts whole houses, teaching things
which he ought not, for filthy lucre's sake. This man I write about is the
enemy of the cross of Christ. His end is destruction; his God is his belly, and
whose glory is in his shame. He minds earthly things. His messages are inspired
of the earthly things: motivational and sensual doctrines. A sin sick soul may
tarry in his fold because he receives sensual or slight healing for his hurt.
This antichrist which ye have heard
that should come has come; yea, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we
know that it is the last time (1Jo 2:18). While, they feed the unsuspecting
with wormwood, they promise them that the antichrist would not come until a new
temple is built in Jerusalem. Their followers who have been sent a strong
delusion, that they should believe a lie, fail to realize that God does not
recognize a physical structure as temple any more in the gospel day; and that
any prophecy of a future temple after the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple,
refers only to the body of Christ. For sure, they went out from us, the church
of God, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no
doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made
manifest that they were not all of us.
Here now is a
test to know differentiate the doctrine of Christ from the doctrines of devils:
Every doctrine that confesses, both orally and in practice, that Jesus Christ
has come in the flesh is of God. How do we establish that? The one, who
acknowledges Christ in the flesh to have come, will accept the very purpose for
His coming in the flesh, and his life will show the fruit of the human mission
of the Messiah. Such a one is of God. He has the love of God in him. But every
spirit or doctrine that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the
flesh is not of God: this the doctrine that denies the power to God to save man
from his sinful nature, and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have
heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. Yea, modern
Christianity is antichrist! The fruit of it are obvious to the world that they
are not of God. They have presented to the world a Christ who is indifferent to
sinfulness.
Whosoever sins,
and do not continue in the doctrine of Christ, do not have God. He that abides
in the doctrine of Christ, he has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes
to you, and bring another doctrine, do not receive him into your house, neither
should you wish him well: for in so doing, you partake of his evil.
“Hear ye the word of the LORD” and “Take heed therefore how ye
hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from
him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have”.
T H E E N D
“If the reading of this little book
encourages
Any
on their pilgrim way;
If
it arouses them to greater diligence;
If
it creates in them a stronger desire
To
live more like Christ; If it gives them a better understanding
Of
how to live,
—This
poor servant of the Lord
Will
be fully rewarded for all his labor…
“It
is not enough to know much about the doctrine of the Bible, to be acquainted
with this present reform, and to live a fair outward life; we must be filled
with the Spirit. We must be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, whose
leaf does not wither. Take plenty of time to gain heaven. Take time to be
spiritual. A home in heaven is worth laboring for. Work out your salvation with
fear and trembling. Spiritual dryness is the result of spiritual indolence. Be
active and you will not be unfruitful.” C E Orr
