We Christians have a bad habit, I maybe should call it a nearly fatal habit, of
reducing everything about God and His Word into a series of “doctrines”. Now “doctrine” is not a bad word, and I understand somewhat why we do this. We are trying to wrap our tiny finite minds around the INFINITE GOD! And so we come up with a bunch of pieces called “doctrines” to satisfy our puny curiosity about Who this Indescribable God is. We have come up with a whole lot of studies with a whole lot of names, many of which are unpronounceable such as infralapsarian. Even some of the more beautiful truths end up with names such as “the hypostatic union". What? I know, even my spell check doesn’t recognize them, so I’m not sure I have spelled them correctly. And of course, the average “Christian” can’t understand, let alone pronounce these words so we have to have specially trained linguists/teachers to pass these doctrines on and on and on and on. What we have ended up with is processed food! Now in the physical realm, the latest health information advises strongly that we avoid processed food! I’ve heard it said, “if you can’t pronounce it, don’t eat it." And of course, in the midst of it all, we are told that “organic” is best. And what is organic? It is food grown and delivered much as my grandfather and great grandfather grew on their farms, and practically ate out of the field. The beauty and popularity of processed food is in that it doesn't spoil--because it doesn't have much life in it! Could there be a parallel here?
So what is my point? It is this. “For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin unto Christ. But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the SIMPLICITY THAT IS IN CHRIST!” (II Cor. 11:3-4) I fear that we have taken the organic Truth that the Father’s Will is to place all His Chosen in His Beloved Son that they might have LIFE (God as in I Jn 1:1-2) IN HIS NAME, and processed the very life out of it!!! I won’t go into the abundant evidences of this, but just read through the Acts and the Epistles, and then ponder the “visible church”. It’s not even recognizable to the simple vitality of the NT.
The Seed of this Truth can only be planted by the Holy Spirit of God (Rom 5:5, 8:1-10), and its only fertilizer is that same Holy Spirit (Eph 3:14-17, Gal 5:22-25). And the Key Nutrient in that Fertilizer is the intimate spiritual “knowing” of Christ Jesus-Who He IS, and what He Is to be made unto us!!! This is the Life each and every new man, new creation is to be involved in–directly under the teaching of the Holy Spirt as in Eph. 4:17-24. The Justified are to live by faith and faith has only one “OBJECT”, that is the Blessed Incarnate Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, for no man comes to the Father but by HIM. As William Romaine said long ago, all that the Father requires is that that we agree with HIM regarding HIS Son. “This is is My Beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased, HEAR YE HIM!!!”(Mt 17:5) "This is the work of God, that you believe IN HIM WHOM HE HAS SENT." (John 6:29) All that we are to know, which is a transforming know, flows out of this Spirit implanted, Spirit nurtured, and Spirit sustained fellowship with the Most High God through our Adoption as Sons by the Glorious Work of His Beloved Son. “This is Life Eternal, that they may know Thee, the Only True God, and Jesus Christ Whom you have Sent.” (Jn. 17:3) We need to flee the tree of knowledge and instead feast on the Fruit of the TREE OF LIFE! It’s fruit is the true knowing, for the all embracing Love of God is beyond mere human knowledge. (Eph 3:17-19)
reducing everything about God and His Word into a series of “doctrines”. Now “doctrine” is not a bad word, and I understand somewhat why we do this. We are trying to wrap our tiny finite minds around the INFINITE GOD! And so we come up with a bunch of pieces called “doctrines” to satisfy our puny curiosity about Who this Indescribable God is. We have come up with a whole lot of studies with a whole lot of names, many of which are unpronounceable such as infralapsarian. Even some of the more beautiful truths end up with names such as “the hypostatic union". What? I know, even my spell check doesn’t recognize them, so I’m not sure I have spelled them correctly. And of course, the average “Christian” can’t understand, let alone pronounce these words so we have to have specially trained linguists/teachers to pass these doctrines on and on and on and on. What we have ended up with is processed food! Now in the physical realm, the latest health information advises strongly that we avoid processed food! I’ve heard it said, “if you can’t pronounce it, don’t eat it." And of course, in the midst of it all, we are told that “organic” is best. And what is organic? It is food grown and delivered much as my grandfather and great grandfather grew on their farms, and practically ate out of the field. The beauty and popularity of processed food is in that it doesn't spoil--because it doesn't have much life in it! Could there be a parallel here?
So what is my point? It is this. “For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin unto Christ. But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the SIMPLICITY THAT IS IN CHRIST!” (II Cor. 11:3-4) I fear that we have taken the organic Truth that the Father’s Will is to place all His Chosen in His Beloved Son that they might have LIFE (God as in I Jn 1:1-2) IN HIS NAME, and processed the very life out of it!!! I won’t go into the abundant evidences of this, but just read through the Acts and the Epistles, and then ponder the “visible church”. It’s not even recognizable to the simple vitality of the NT.
The Seed of this Truth can only be planted by the Holy Spirit of God (Rom 5:5, 8:1-10), and its only fertilizer is that same Holy Spirit (Eph 3:14-17, Gal 5:22-25). And the Key Nutrient in that Fertilizer is the intimate spiritual “knowing” of Christ Jesus-Who He IS, and what He Is to be made unto us!!! This is the Life each and every new man, new creation is to be involved in–directly under the teaching of the Holy Spirt as in Eph. 4:17-24. The Justified are to live by faith and faith has only one “OBJECT”, that is the Blessed Incarnate Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, for no man comes to the Father but by HIM. As William Romaine said long ago, all that the Father requires is that that we agree with HIM regarding HIS Son. “This is is My Beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased, HEAR YE HIM!!!”(Mt 17:5) "This is the work of God, that you believe IN HIM WHOM HE HAS SENT." (John 6:29) All that we are to know, which is a transforming know, flows out of this Spirit implanted, Spirit nurtured, and Spirit sustained fellowship with the Most High God through our Adoption as Sons by the Glorious Work of His Beloved Son. “This is Life Eternal, that they may know Thee, the Only True God, and Jesus Christ Whom you have Sent.” (Jn. 17:3) We need to flee the tree of knowledge and instead feast on the Fruit of the TREE OF LIFE! It’s fruit is the true knowing, for the all embracing Love of God is beyond mere human knowledge. (Eph 3:17-19)
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