Get Service

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfeXxkbgCVE

HT: Lori Stilger

What are your credentials?

Credentials are the means by which we can readily identify a person’s authority to practice within a given vocation. The value of these credentials is relative to a given standard as established by the authority that has the oversight of that particular vocation.

I am confident that we would all agree that the authority over all Disciples of Christ is Christ Himself and that the standard He established for all disciples is defined by His own word. If we are to practice in our vocation as Disciples of Christ then we should make certain our credentials are in order. So what are these credentials as defined by our Lord?

"By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."
(John 13:35 KJV)

If you need further clarification I suggest it can be found in this:

"Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."
(1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NASB)

Pride and Passion

I admit I am passionate about certain, possibly many things. I suspect you may be as well. I don’t consider passion to be a fault; to the contrary, I love and admire all those who are passionate for the things of Christ. So why does it seem that passion always precedes calamity? Could it be that calamity is certain when our passion is self-centered? Is this not pride?

Why would Bible study lead to an apologetic argument? Could it be caused by a passion for our own understanding?

False Believers

A popular phrase we hear often these days is, “true believer”. I’m uncertain of the origin of this concept but I am certain that this redundancy is most often used these days to mask a logical fallacy that, when applied to faith in Christ, provides a fertile field in which to cultivate the perception that faith is grounded in works and not in the Grace of God. The fallacy I am referring to is the concept that there are “false believers”.

The temptation to accept this concept as valid is almost overwhelming. There are most surly those who do not truly believe and there are certainly those who hold to a false belief and so therefore these persons must be considered as false believers. It only makes sense, right? Wrong! The term is an oxymoron. The one who does not truly believe makes a false profession of faith and the one who holds to a false belief clearly believes a lie. The one does not believe at all and the other truly believes a lie but the one who believes in Jesus Christ truly believes the Truth. There is no such thing as a false belief in the Truth.

It seems that most often the greatest confusion caused by those who accept this concept arises when they fail to make a distinction between believers who are faithful and those who are not. Faithful believers are considered “true” believers and unfaithful believers become “false” believers with the distinction being made, not by the Grace of God, which is through faith in Christ Jesus, but by works alone. Once it is accepted that believers can be both true and false then every reference to believers in the scripture can be construed to address both those who are in Christ and those who are not. From this perspective every admonition, warning and condemnation is placed on those without Christ and every praise, promise, and blessing is heaped on all believers rather than on those who are faithful in Christ.

An Excellent Question

Jim over at Faith Classics has asked an excellent question regarding 2nd Peter 2:1 that concerns the potential for a believer to deny the Lord. The purpose of this article is not to redirect any discussion on this topic and I encourage everyone who would wish to comment to take part in the discussion over at Faith Classics. While I do consider Faith Classics an excellent site and heartily recommend it to everyone, the specific purpose of this article is not to promote Faith Classics. It is neither my intent to promote any specific position on the extent of the Atonement or to offer any evidence for or against any other doctrine or position. The purpose of my article is to fully explain why I consider this to be such an excellent question.

A question such as this, when considered, forces us to evaluate and prioritize our values. We must weigh our convictions and determine whether we will allow the scripture to inform them or if we must strive for a compatible interpretation. This question goes even beyond that. This question forces us to consider the very source of our strength and power. Ultimately we must ask ourselves if the strength of our hope is in the certainty of our theology or interpretation or is found only in the power of God through Christ our Lord.

Be ye therefore perfect…

I have found that one of the most difficult task assigned to believers is found in Matthew 5 (KJV).

(44) But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

This instruction seems so contrary to every inclination yet the logic here is inescapable.

(46) For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
(47) And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
(48) Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

I am persuaded that the power to accomplish this task can be found only in Christ our Lord but if Christ is your Lord I beg you avail yourself of this power;

(45) That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

Doctrinal Purity and Fellowship

How can we ever hope to establish and maintain doctrinal purity if our systems, creeds, catechisms and covenants are immune to review, debate and refutation? How can we possibly review, debate and refute error within the body when we refuse to allow any and all dissenting opinions? Is amputation really the first line of defense against the disease of doctrinal error?

He Could Have Called Ten Thousand Angels

Words and Music by Ray Overholt

They bound the hands of Jesus in the garden where He prayed;
They led Him thro' the streets in shame.
They spat upon the Savior so pure and free from sin;
They said, "Crucify Him; He's to blame."

Refrain
He could have called ten thousand angels
To destroy the world and set Him free.
He could have called ten thousand angels,
But He died alone, for you and me.

Upon His precious head they placed a crown of thorns;
They laughed and said, "Behold the King!"
They struck Him and they cursed Him
and mocked His holy name
All alone He suffered everything.

(Refrain)

When they nailed Him to the cross,
His mother stood nearby,
He said, "Woman, behold thy son!"
He cried, "I thirst for water," but they gave Him none to drink.
Then the sinful work of man was done.

(Refrain)

To the howling mob He yielded;
He did not for mercy cry.
The cross of shame He took alone.
And when He cried, "It's finished,"
He gave Himself to die;
Salvation's wondrous plan was done.

(Refrain)

"Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father,and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?"
Matthew 26:53

Relationships

Without Christ
Before Christ my preconceived notion of God prevents me from relating with others.

Egocentric
If after my conversion I continue to hold my preconceived notion I remain unable to relate to God and others. My testimony is inconsistent and can hinder the testimony of others in Christ.

Theocentric
I must look to Christ in order to relate with God and others in Him and my testimony is then consistent with others in Christ.

Substitutes for the Spirit

A must read!