House Church Talk - inclination toward ceremonial

[jesusislord343 at juno.com]

On Wed, 8 Sep 2004 10:25:28 -0400 "Dan Beaty" <dlbeaty at copper.net>
writes:
> ...The answer as I see it for them and us as well is not stronger
enforcement of rules, but a stronger Gospel message. 

Dan B.,
I agree heartily with you on this.  As you say, "stronger enforcement of
rules" for an unregenerate person will serve to lead them away from the
salvation of Christ, giving them false assurance that they are doing (and
are capable of doing) what is right.  We must distinguish between this
self-willed, fleshly (attempt at) obedience, which is toward men and
man-made (extrabiblical) rules--and the Spirit-worked, God-ward obedience
to the word of God.

Titus 2:14 illustrates the point: The Lord Jesus has "purified for
Himself His own special people, zealous for good works."  Genuine faith
and salvation alone produces a zeal to obey the Lord Jesus in the works
He has set before us in the word of God.  There will be no need for any
authoritarian human "enforcement of rules," but the sheep of Christ will
hear His voice and will follow Him "in all things."  We remember that
there will also be many who will say they know Him but do not keep His
commands--these, we are told, are self-deceived, and "the truth is not in
(them)."

In Corinth at the time of the writing of the First Epistle there were
some who did not truly know God (I Cor. 15:34).  These thought they were
standing firm, but were on course instead to fall (I Cor. 10:12).  Thus
the gospel of Christ was presented them again both in I Corinthians 15,
and subsequently again in II Corinthians 6.  We see in various places in
II Corinthians that the majority of those in the assembly had been
brokenheartedly repentant upon reading the various corrections of the
First Epistle.  They were put to the test to see whether they would be
"obedient in all things" (II Cor. 2:9), and in Spirit-worked Godly
sorrow, they passed them all with flying colors (II Cor. 7:8-16).  Yet
some, apparently a small minority (as in view in II Cor. 12:21), did not
grow out of the carnality that once generally characterized the assembly.
 These, who again needed to hear the call of the gospel to come out from
the world and be separate (II Cor. 6), did not grow because they had no
strength--no Life--to do so.  They remained as "disapproved" unto God,
not having the Lord Jesus Christ indwelling them (II Cor. 13:5).

We see in II Corinthians an entirely different tone from the First
Epistle.  The saints in Corinth had passed the many tests of obedience
set before them and were now ready to "perfect holiness in the fear of
God" (II Cor. 7:1).  They progressed in the faith (Php. 1:25) as few
today are able to do.  They trembled at the word of God (Is. 66:2) rather
than craftily and self-centeredly seeking to explain it away (see II Cor.
1:13).  Of them the Proverb is true, "The satisfied soul loathes the
honeycomb, but to him who is hungry every bitter thing is sweet" (Pr.
27:7).

So as I Corinthians was written as a general epistle, "to all who in
every place call upon Jesus Christ our Lord" (1:2), it applies to us
today, and to every generation until the Lord returns at the resurrection
(I Cor. 11:26).  Many will not receive it as the word of God, and to them
the gospel of Christ is held forth.  "The kingdom of God in not in word,
but in power" (I Cor. 4:20)--and the power to submit to the Lord Jesus
"in all things" comes only by "the gospel of Christ, for it is the power
of God to salvation for every one who believes" (Rom. 1:16).

"The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders
and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third
day."

Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him
deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me."

"For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his
life for My sake will save it." (Lk. 9:23-25)

"For this reason I have sent Timothy to you... who will remind you of my
ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church." (I Cor. 4:17)


Grace in Christ,
Glenn

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