The price of ignorance and the glory of knowledge in the word of God.

The price of ignorance and the glory of knowledge in the word of God.

What is the biggest hindrance to spiritual growth and maturity? Unbelief? No! It's ignorance of the word of God.

Rom 10:3  For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

Eph 4:18  Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:

The bible says that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. So, you don't have to hear the word of God to be in unbelief, you just have to not hear it. The root of unbelief is ignorance of the word. Paul said, "I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief." Ignorance fosters unbelief.

DM#23: Be ye followers of me

Doctrine of the Mysteries #23

Be ye followers of me

1Co 1:11-12  For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.  (12)  Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.

There are two points to extract from verse 12. The first is a truth that babes in Christ will incline to outward attractions over spiritual truth. The second is a yearning that people would choose to follow Paul, or more accurately, Paul’s doctrine, than that of Apollos, or Cephas (Peter), or the earthly ministry of Christ. Let me elaborate on both points.

DM#20: We speak wisdom among them that are perfect

 

Doctrine of the Mysteries #20

We speak wisdom among them that are perfect

1Cor 2:6  Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:  (7)  But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

My previous post ended by saying that due to ignorance of the progressive curriculum of Paul’s epistles, many believers today remain babes and children in Christ, unable to comprehend its spiritual nature. Let me explain this statement with a simple analogy. If a student, who is new to mathematics, ignores a prescribed mathematics curriculum, and skips over the first few chapters, jumping to calculus or trigonometry, it is safe to say that they will quickly get lost in the advanced concepts. The first few chapters would have introduced them to concepts that are crucial and relevant to the later understanding of these higher disciplines and theories.

Paul's Gentile Curriculum Explained (Romans to Galatians - The Milk)

Paul's Gentile Curriculum Explained (Romans to Galatians - The Milk)

Recently, I was asked by a friend to elaborate on Paul's 9-church epistles as a spiritual curriculum for the grace believer. I ended up making a video of it; at least the Romans to Galatians part. The rest to follow in subsequent videos. This post is just to advertise the video series and provide you with some encouragement to get back into the Word.

Not many people know this, but the 9-church letters of Paul (Rom. to Thess.) can be seen as a study curriculum for the grace believer. The curriculum guides the believer through a process of growth in Christ, renewing the mind and becoming educated on spiritual things. Although one can read any of Paul's letters, it is highly recommended to study the letters in the given order as provided in the Bible.

This video explains the first part of the curriculum (Rom. to Gal.) and details the validity and importance of it.

If you enjoyed the video, please share it with others too. TX

CLICK HERE FOR THE VIDEO

As grace believers, what is our primary objective? (Part 3)

As grace believers, what is our primary objective? (Part 3)

Start this series of posts with: Part 1

No knowledge, no understanding, no foundation

The key verse in this series confirms that after we come to salvation, it is God’s will that we come to a knowledge of the truth, 1Tim.2:4. Isn’t it interesting that God’s one desire for us, having been saved, is not to get busy with any activities, no matter how spiritual or noble they might appear to be, but to sit down, to quiet our minds, and to study His Word.

2Tim.2:15  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 

Why is this so?

As grace believers, what is our primary objective? (Part 1)

As grace believers, what is our primary objective?

After we get saved by the grace gospel, what is our primary objective as believers? In other words, what is expected of us? Do we just carry on with our lives, hoping that God will work in us and make us better? Do we join a church and abide by its rules of performance? Should we seek after spiritual gifts and ordinances, or start to prophecy and heal the sick? What about becoming a spiritual Jew, believing this will give us some form of added esteem?

No! All these things have an outward appearance of godliness but do little to grow the inner man of a person according to the Bible. So, what then is our primary objective? What does the Bible really say about our obligations after salvation? Well, it is so simple that it is often overlooked. Let’s see what God’s will is for us as grace believers,

1Tim.2:3-4  … in the sight of God our Saviour;  Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

What does the book of Romans tell us about the Christian faith?

What does the book of Romans tell us about the Christian faith?

In chapters 1-3 we learn that every person is declared guilty before God because of sin. The law condemns us utterly as sinners. Not one person is adjudged innocent by God’s perfect standard. There is no salvation in the law. It simply points out our guilt and depravity.

Rom 3:20  Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 

Because of our hopeless state, God had to do something to save us. To do this, God chose to save us, not by the righteousness of the law, but by the abundance of His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. The sacrifice of Christ on the cross, the shedding of His pure and blameless blood, paid the price for us. God, who is absolutely just, was now able to justify the guilty, because a payment was made to sufficiently cancel the sin debt for every person who ever lived.

The Journey: Part 9 - The Babes in Corinth and the Children of Galatia

Start here at the Introduction: The Journey Begins

The Journey: Part 9 - The Babes of Corinth and the Children of Galatia

What is sanctification? It is the life-long progressive growth of your knowledge of the written Word of God and the subsequent and inevitable changes that this knowledge brings to your life after salvation. Most believers, however, stop right there at salvation. After the initial revelation of justification through the cross of Christ, there is not much growth after this. They never push on to studying the Word and seeking the deeper things of God. It always reminds me of the parable of the Sower in Matthew 13.

The Journey: Part 7 - Sanctification, an Introduction and Motivation

Start here at the Introduction: The Journey Begins

The Journey: Part 7 - Sanctification, an Introduction and Motivation

What is sanctification?

In its basic definition, sanctification is,

• the action of separating or declaring something holy:
• the action or process of being freed from sin or purified:

So, if sanctification is the means of being separated unto God through a process of purification, the next important question to ask is, how are we sanctified? Jesus provides us a concise and powerful answer during a prayer He prayed, saying the following,

Saved for 40 years, but my Christian journey has only now begun!

Saved for 40 years, but my Christian journey has only now begun!

I've wondered around in blindness for 40 years, not as a lost soul in this world, but as a saved Christian in the denominational church 'system', —or should I put it, 'institution'. I'm tempted to say, "what a HUGE waste of time!", but within me, I sense instead, a gratitude for those experiences that kept me in touch with basic Christian practice, with fellowship, and that sheltered me from the world outside. Much more so, I am so grateful to the Lord that His love found me; that the gospel of His cross has produced in me the faith necessary to trust in Christ alone for my eternal salvation, having quickened my spirit, infusing it with life and an eternal hope.