I am finally catching up on some computer hobbies, including this blog. Most of what you read here is what is published in the South Side Side Lites (the church's newsletter). We are dedicated to promoting the New Testament! Back to the Bible! Where the Scriptures speak . . . these are our themes!
Enjoy the blog!
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Sunday, July 01, 2007
Devoted to the Apostles' Doctrine
Somewhere in my teaching or preaching I am confident that most people have heard me refer to the Apostles’ doctrine or teaching (probably several times). You may have asked yourself: why do we focus so much on the teachings of the Apostles? I think I can answer that question by observing what Jesus promised the Apostles. For about three years Jesus taught the Apostles what they were to teach, preach and write. And if they ever forgot anything about the ministry of Jesus, He gave them a promise about that also. Let’s examine the Scriptures which teach the importance of the Apostle’s Doctrine:
The Apostles given Guidance in Speaking and Teaching
Matthew 10:19-20—But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say. For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.
Luke 10:16—The one who listens to you listens to Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me; and he who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.
John 14:26—But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.
Matthew 28:19-20—Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
John 16:13—But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.
Apostolic Message as Foundational
The Apostles claimed that these promises came true in their ministries. Their message, as it was given by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, was foundational to what the church believed and practiced.
This concept was not foreign to the Apostles. Notice that they claimed it for themselves:
Ephesians 2:20—having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone.
Acts 2:42—They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Apostolic Message as the Authority
I Timothy 4:11—Prescribe and teach these things.
Titus 2:15—These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you.
II Thessalonians 3:14—If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of that person and do not associate with him, so that he will be put to shame.
II Peter 3:1-2—This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, that you should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles.
The Apostles also claimed that their messages were prophetic. They claimed their writing were Scripture. And they claimed that their messages were from God.
Practice of the First Century Christians
Simply put, they devoted themselves to the Apostles’ teaching or doctrine. That is one reason why I, personally, am committed to restoration—that is, the restoration of the foundational message of the church—the Apostles’ doctrine!
I believe that the church today needs to constantly contend for the faith once delivered by the Apostles! It is not the elders’ doctrine or the deacons’ doctrine or the evangelist’s doctrine or the ladies’ fellowship doctrine! It is the Apostles’ doctrine that the early church devoted themselves to. At South Side, lets do the same!
The Apostles given Guidance in Speaking and Teaching
Matthew 10:19-20—But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say. For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.
Luke 10:16—The one who listens to you listens to Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me; and he who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.
John 14:26—But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.
Matthew 28:19-20—Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
John 16:13—But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.
Apostolic Message as Foundational
The Apostles claimed that these promises came true in their ministries. Their message, as it was given by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, was foundational to what the church believed and practiced.
This concept was not foreign to the Apostles. Notice that they claimed it for themselves:
Ephesians 2:20—having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone.
Acts 2:42—They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Apostolic Message as the Authority
I Timothy 4:11—Prescribe and teach these things.
Titus 2:15—These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you.
II Thessalonians 3:14—If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of that person and do not associate with him, so that he will be put to shame.
II Peter 3:1-2—This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, that you should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles.
The Apostles also claimed that their messages were prophetic. They claimed their writing were Scripture. And they claimed that their messages were from God.
Practice of the First Century Christians
Simply put, they devoted themselves to the Apostles’ teaching or doctrine. That is one reason why I, personally, am committed to restoration—that is, the restoration of the foundational message of the church—the Apostles’ doctrine!
I believe that the church today needs to constantly contend for the faith once delivered by the Apostles! It is not the elders’ doctrine or the deacons’ doctrine or the evangelist’s doctrine or the ladies’ fellowship doctrine! It is the Apostles’ doctrine that the early church devoted themselves to. At South Side, lets do the same!
Friday, June 01, 2007
Once Saved - Always Saved?
When a person is immersed into Christ to have their sins forgiven, is it possible for them to “fall away”? This doctrine of “Once Saved—Always Saved” comes in many packages. Sometimes it is called “Once in Grace—Always in Grace”. Other times you will hear the phrase “Eternal Security” used to describe this doctrine. But is this doctrine manmade or is it biblical? I propose to you that it is manmade and the Bible teaches that a person can “fall away”. Here are some Scriptures to back up my proposal.
Galatians 5:4—”You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace”. The Apostle Paul is writing to the Jewish Christians who are trying to make the Greeks follow the Old Testament Law.
I John 5:16—”If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this”. The Apostle John is referring to a brother who has changed and is now denying the incarnation—or a sin leading to death.
Hebrews 3:6—”but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house—whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end”. How do we know that we are the house of Christ? We know IF we hold fast our confidence! IF assumes we could not hold fast our confidence! The late Edgar Harris, the preacher who immersed me, taught that every promise has a string attached to it. This one does with the little word IF.
Hebrews 6:4-6—”For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame”. This text teaches very plainly that a Christian (one who has tasted the heavenly gift and has been made partakers of the Holy Spirit) can fall away.
I Corinthians 9:27—”but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified”. The Apostle Paul thought that he could be disqualified from the Christian “race” if he did not follow the Gospel he was preaching!
I Timothy 4:1—”But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons.” The Apostle Paul warns that some will fall away from the faith!
II Peter 1:10-11—”Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you”. Christians will never stumble AS LONG AS they practice these things! That is the string attached to the promise.
II Peter 2:20-22—”For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them. It has happened to them according to the true proverb, ‘A DOG RETURNS TO ITS OWN VOMIT,’ and, ‘A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire’”. We must continue faithfully in the way of righteousness.
Church—we need to remain faithful to Christ. We need to continue to be steadfast—and the good news is that God will be faithful. And because of our faithfulness to God and His faithfulness to us, we can have confidence in Him!
Galatians 5:4—”You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace”. The Apostle Paul is writing to the Jewish Christians who are trying to make the Greeks follow the Old Testament Law.
I John 5:16—”If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this”. The Apostle John is referring to a brother who has changed and is now denying the incarnation—or a sin leading to death.
Hebrews 3:6—”but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house—whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end”. How do we know that we are the house of Christ? We know IF we hold fast our confidence! IF assumes we could not hold fast our confidence! The late Edgar Harris, the preacher who immersed me, taught that every promise has a string attached to it. This one does with the little word IF.
Hebrews 6:4-6—”For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame”. This text teaches very plainly that a Christian (one who has tasted the heavenly gift and has been made partakers of the Holy Spirit) can fall away.
I Corinthians 9:27—”but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified”. The Apostle Paul thought that he could be disqualified from the Christian “race” if he did not follow the Gospel he was preaching!
I Timothy 4:1—”But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons.” The Apostle Paul warns that some will fall away from the faith!
II Peter 1:10-11—”Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you”. Christians will never stumble AS LONG AS they practice these things! That is the string attached to the promise.
II Peter 2:20-22—”For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them. It has happened to them according to the true proverb, ‘A DOG RETURNS TO ITS OWN VOMIT,’ and, ‘A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire’”. We must continue faithfully in the way of righteousness.
Church—we need to remain faithful to Christ. We need to continue to be steadfast—and the good news is that God will be faithful. And because of our faithfulness to God and His faithfulness to us, we can have confidence in Him!
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