Greetings,
"I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing." John 15:5
What Is The Church?
Christ Jesus came to fulfill His Father's plan of redemption for Israel and Gentiles. For all the world, for all the generations, for all the nations; God sent forth His only Begotten Son to bring forth salvation. 'Thou shalt call His Name, Jesus; for He shall save His people from their sins". and who is His'people? Not just the lost sheep of Israel, but the Gentiles as well. "I have come to do My Father's will", Christ said in foretelling that He would have to die and be resurrected and undo the works of darkness and death. Throughout Christ ministry and throughout the book of Acts we see the Gospel, the Good News, going forth to Jews and Gentiles to bring them out of lostness and bring them into salvation with Christ. 'For there is no other Name given among men whereby we must be saved, but that Name of Christ Jesus".
Jesus declared in John 3, to the religious Nicodemus, 'Verily, verily I say unto you, Unless a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.' And in John 1, "To as many as would receive Christ, to them gave He the power to become sons of God.' Be born again and receive Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior all the days, time and effort that remains for that lost soul to make them a child of God. And when they are born again and receive Christ into their minds, hearts and soul, they become a new creature in Christ; old things are past away and all things become new in Christ. And this is the body of Christ; and to those that enter in they become Christs' church. The body of born and again believers who follow their Master, who love Him and obey Him. For Christ said, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments."
We see that this thing called the Church, it is a Divine thing; it is of God. God receives lost men in to make them like Him. For the definition of a Christian is to become - 'Christ-like'. Not Christ like in some ways, but in all ways; 'let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.' But the problem for the church is that those that enter in to the church do not all come in rightly with God. We see in the book of Acts, there was lies, controversy, divisions, and other earthly, wordly things. And when such things come against Christ's church, it must be recognized and overcome. When it is overcome and put right, then God is glorified and His Spirit continues to work wondrously. but when it is not made right, then there is the issues of sin in the camp.
Men have long sought to put their defiled, dirty hands on that which is Holy. The church, because it is of God, by God, for God is Holy as He is holy. But when sinful, sodden hands of this world seek to touch it, they defile it. The Old Testament warning, 'touch not the ark, lest thou die'; which Uzza, who sought to touch the ark to steady it, died. Good intention, to steady it, but wrong act, for it was an act of disobedience - ';Touch not the ark'. Is it not different than God's warning to Adam and Eve? Taste not; touch not; look not upon the fruit. And yet, knowing God's instruction, Satan cause her to question and she looked, then she touched, and then she ate. And then the wages of sin became death.
so long as religion, hell, man seek to help God with their ways, rather than His ways, they will usher forth sin upon God's Holy church. And when sin enters in, it ceases from being holy; and become unholy. It ceases from being spiritual, to being carnal; it ceases from being eternal, to being temporal. It undoes the work of God for His glory and for His purpose. And the Spirit is grieved and quenched, limited and resisted. The power of God is withdrawn, for God will not receive mans defilement and bless it. These acts of men to 'touch the ark'; 'to help God with worldly ways'; to disobey God's Word and ways' is called HUMANISM. Humanism is the work of man and it is not the work of God.
How Is It To Operate?
We are given numerous ways in which the church is to operate. These directives from the Lord are clear and necessary to avoid contamination of humanism. But when men seek to compromise, seek to change these established ordinances, it opens the door for Satan to come in and do his worst work. Now these directives are not negotiable; they are not pick and choose, but they are given for following and obeying in all points. May we be mindful of such actions that seek rebellion rather than obedience.
Humanism Impacts
1. Salvation/Regeneration - In this day and age of the church, we have spiraled down an awful slope away from True Salvation. We see far too often, many that are not truly born again by the Spirit & the Word welcomed into the church as born again believers. But in reality, they died to nothing and they know not what they was saved from or saved too. Old things were not passed away and all things did not become new.
2. Worship - worship is all about God; Worship is declaring Who God is; what God has done; Worship is filled with God's great Name(s); Worship is filled with God's mighty and great attributes. The Christian should know these very well so that they may adore Him. Adoration is silent, gazing upon Him, Who is worthy to be adored. Taking in all of His features, ways and decalrations of His doings. it is directly to Him and about Him. But when men seek to add to or take away from this then it is no longer worship. It is something less. We do not need to add earthly, fleshly words, phrases and jargon to describe God when He has already declared Who He is and what He has done.
Worship is to Him and not about Him. Too many in worship today, songs, dramas, and other means
3. Preaching/Teaching
4. Denominations
Started: August 15, 2019
Continued: 8/16;
Finished:
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