The Doctrine According to Godliness

A professing Christian who engages in such behaviour is obviously violating all the mentioned points which pertain to the actual walk of a Christian.

Points of Fact

  •    Peter teaches  that Christians have escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust (2Pet 1:3-4).
  •   Paul teaches that Christian’s have crucified their flesh with the passions and desires (Gal 5:24) 
  •  James teaches that men are drawn into sin by the lusts of their flesh (Jam 1:14-15).
  •  Peter teaches that those who suffer with Christ have ceased from sin and that they no longer walk according to the lusts of men (1Pet 4:1-2) 
  • Paul teaches that if we walk after flesh we will die but if we, through the Spirit, put to death the deeds of the body then we will live (Rom 8:13).

Jesus did clearly state that if you sin you are a slave to sin (Joh 8:34). Jesus did also say that He came to set people free indeed (Joh 8:36) from their sin.

Can one be free indeed if they are still yielding to the lusts of their flesh and sinning? The plain statements of Jesus clearly refute such a position.

Paul was in perfect agreement with Jesus on this matter for he taught that we are slaves to whom we obey whether sin unto death or obedience unto righteousness (Rom 6:16). There was no third option presented where the two somehow mix, yet most people sincerely believe that the two do mix.

Immediately after teaching that we are slaves to whom we obey Paul taught in the very next verse that obedience from the heart (Rom 6:17) was the method by which people had been set free from serving sin and had thus become slaves of righteousness (Rom 6:18).

There are many people today, who will read the above and deny it because of the implications it brings in regards to their own theology. Instead of addressing the very specific and simple points made they will, instead, brush it off with rhetoric and appeal to other isolated portions of scripture in an attempt to dismiss what the Bible plainly teaches.

I have found through experience that many will portray the theme expounded above and imply that somehow it translates to “saving oneself.” The fallacy here is that the dynamic of yielding to God is no more the saving of oneself than Noah was saving himself when he yielded to God’s instruction and built the ark.

There are many today who sincerely believe that God “makes” you do everything and that to imply that YOU have to actually do something is an infringement on the sovereignty and glory of God. Such a position is pure nonsense. Ask yourself as to whether Noah was glorying in himself by yielding to God through the action of building the ark? Of course he was not, and neither is a Christian who willingly walks after the Spirit in humble obedience to their Creator.

A vast system of error has completely overtaken what is nominally called Christianity today

The plain and simple teachings of Jesus have been supplanted by a vast system of theology which removes all human responsibility along with any fear of judgment.

The  doctrine of Christ is according to godliness (1Ti6:3) and whoever sins and does not abide in this doctrine does not have God (2 Joh 1:9). One must abide in this doctrine to have the Father and the Son (2Joh 1:9) and this is why Jesus would teach the following…

Joh 15:3  Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

Joh 15:4  Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

Joh 15:5  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.

Joh 15:6  If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

Joh 15:7  If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

Joh 15:8  Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

Joh 15:9  As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

Joh 15:10  If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.

Joh 15:11  These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

Joh 15:12  This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have love you.

An Honest And Good Heart

Notwithstanding that the notion of “an honest and good heart” destroys the false doctrine of “birth depravity” (inability doctrine), but it reveals to us that the Word of God can only take root in those whom have honest and good hearts. Those by the wayside, those upon the rocks, those among the thorns are all representative of those whom have a deceptive and evil heart. Fruit is brought forth by those with an honest and good heart.

Therefore it would be prudent to consider how does one obtain an honest and good heart? It is very simple. We just have to be completely honest with ourselves and let the root of conviction wrought by our conscience take hold. If we do that then we can do this…

Jas 1:21  Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
Jas 1:22  But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

An honest and good heart brings forth the desire to abide in the truth. An honest and good heart necessitates the forsaking of all unrighteousness and a recieving of the truth within. Hence we are to lay aside all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and recieve meekly the word within which is what saves our souls. We open our hearts to God who then indwells us with His Spirit and energises us to walk in love and purity before Him. This is the new birth and this is real salvation.

The seed, which is the word, can only take root within those who wholeheartedly recieve it. Without a wholehearted reception of the word within it is only a matter of time before either doubt, temptation, or the cares of this world draw us away from God.

This is why Satan attacks the repentance message. This is why all the false religious sects and denominations and the false theological framework which underpins them attack the repentance message. The good and honest heart is a fruit of genuine repentance, a repentance wrought through a godly sorrow which brings such a crisis, such conviction to the soul, wrought through complete honesty as to one’s selfishness before God, an honesty to the true evil of what one has done (to
thesmselves, to others and to God) and how foolish one has been in allowing themselves to be decieved into such a state.

This conviction wrought understanding brings with it a motivation for righteousness, a true purging of iniquity from the heart, bringing with it the possibility to wholeheartedly yield to the grace of God in recieving the word within. This conviction brings us into possession of the good and honest heart, the fertile soul in which the seed of God can grow.

Deceptive theology will always compromise the notion of the honest and good heart, and in so doing an individual can be subtly deceived into a state of assurance whilst they lay by the wayside, upon the rocks, or among the thorns. We have to make sure that we are rooted in both the understanding and possession of an honest and good heart and that we remain diligent that we remain rooted in such. If we do this we will not only live but live abundantly.

I Will Anoint You With Oil So Your Cup Overflows

Psalm 23:5 (WEB)
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil. My cup runs over.

In today’s Scripture reference, King David declares that the Lord not only prepares a banquet for him in the presence of his enemies, but God also anoints his head with oil so his cup overflows. What a picture of abundance. Right in the midst of his enemies, David says that there are overflowing blessings.

I believe that the anointing that God wants to pour out over our lives today will cause us to live a life of fullness, where others will be able to benefit from the spillover of the anointing of God in our lives. In many Christian circles, the focus is on what we can do for God. How hard we can work, how we can demonstrate our love for Him.

While all these things can be good in themselves, if we do them to somehow earn His love, we are missing the point. In 1 John 1:19, the Apostle Johns says, “We love because He first loved us”. God initiates, we receive. I believe that the key to living a life from a full cup is coming to the place where we learn to be good receivers from God.

The more love we can receive from Him, the more love will overflow in our lives. The more anointing that He pours in us, the more it can be spilled over to others. My prayer today is that we would all learn to become better receivers of the goodness and graciousness of our God and Father so that we might live our lives from a full cup that is continually overflowing.

Dead To Sin

As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him 1 Peter 2:24

‘Dead to sin” in 1 Peter 2:24 harmonises with ”dead to sin” in Romans 6.

1Pe 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

Rom 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
Rom 6:7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.

Jesus ”’bearing our sin” (1Pe 2:24) is clearly associated with the individual being ”dead to sin,” hence the context is a new fresh start, not retributive, governmental or public justice as is taught under substitution (debt paid) theology..

Salvation MUST be approached in the context and attitude of entering into a covenant with God ”once and for all” with a repentance not to be repeated. This is why the trust and receive message is so dangerous wherein the implication in reality is a mere confession of being sinful and then waiting for some magic to occur, a doctrine whereby the service of sin NEVER actually ceases.

The true Gospel message preached by Jesus of Nazareth and the early apostles wrought a radical and total transformation within those whom truly believed (ie. active application as opposed to mere mental assent). The result being…

1Jn 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
1Jn 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
1Jn 4:9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
1Jn 4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
1Jn 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
1Jn 4:12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
1Jn 4:13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
1Jn 4:14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
1Jn 4:15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
1Jn 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
1Jn 4:17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

Mind Our Thoughts

“When I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night. “
Psalms 63:6

What is most difficult to control is our thought; we think about many things:- they are either good or bad thought, thought which is either helpful and beneficial or evil and harmful. As a result, it is essential for us to guard our thoughts as well as diligently rid our mind of garbages.

Nowadays, we can install application in our smart phone to remind us of any application which is outdated, not being used and is using up unnecessary memory. If we do not clean up, it is going to make our phone work very slowly. Similarly, our mind may be storing up thoughts which are useless and unproductive to the extent our mind is blocked from absorbing new and useful thoughts. Metaphorically, our thought is like a parasite that feeds on drops of water and if we do not take well care of the plant and get rid of such a parasite, the plant will be deprived of nutrients and eventually withers.

Before we go to bed, it is good to ponder and cleanse our mind from all unhealthy thoughts and when we wake up, sow the seeds of good thoughts to start the day; thought which is going to unleash our full potential as a person, thought which is positive and full of vigor. We can think one thing at a time, so if we think bad, what is good will take a backseat, vice versa.

David before going to bed, left behind all his troubles and had his mind focused on God. He left everything in the hands of God and meditated upon His word, reminding himself of God’s grace, mercy and love. He trusted God would refresh and grant him strength to face a new day. The choice is with us to put what kind of thought in our mind. Christians should choose what represents good thought, thought which is constructive and think about God before a good night’s rest. Let us begin the day with God as our focus and ends the day with our mind occupied with the thought of God.