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Law of Faith
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Dear Brethren,
It is good that we take stock
of ourselves frequently. We must be careful, because it is a trait
of human nature to think that we are right. The Bible gives us the
example of the Pharisees who “knew in their hearts” that they were
right – but Jesus revealed that they missed the mark terribly. In
warning us of their self-deception, Jesus said, “I say unto you,
that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the
scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of
heaven.” (Matthew 5:20)
Keep in mind that the
Pharisees would fit in pretty well with the Church of God
organizations of today. They fasted; they prayed; they kept the
Sabbath; they attended the Holy Days; they tithed; they did
everything right – or did they? Where did they miss the mark? The
answer is that they did not know the Law of Faith. “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.” (Romans 10:3) “Where is
boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by
the Law of Faith.” (Romans 3:27)
When the Worldwide Church of
God abandoned God’s Law, rejected the teachings of Jesus Christ, and
changed the nature of God to conform to the doctrine of the Catholic
and Protestant Churches, the true saints of God were scattered,
dispersed, and separated from one another. That is the way we find
ourselves today – but, is God pleased with the division among His
people?
By definition, Jesus Christ
has only one Church, one Body, and one Spirit. “…The Body
of Christ… is the Church.” (Colossians 1:24) Therefore, there
is only one True Church. “There is one Body, and one
Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord,
one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all,
and through all, and in you all.” (Ephesians 4:4-6) (Ephesians
5:30) (1Corinthians 12:12, 13, 20)
When Jesus looks down from His
heavenly throne, He sees only one Body of believers who share
a unity of the Spirit. The Church of God is not physical – but a
spiritual entity. The “Church of God” is the body of true believers
that God the Father has called to be a spiritually unified part of
the “Body of Christ.” "I beseech you, brethren, by the name of
our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing and that
there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly
joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment."
(1Corinthians 10:16)
Let me present an example for
your discernment. What is wrong in this following scenario? An
elderly sick member who lived alone was neglected by the Pastor of
their group. But brethren from far away, prayed for, sought to
help, and encouraged the sick member. Upon learning of the kind
consideration that other church members were bestowing on the ailing
person, the Pastor hastily descended upon the frail member –
requesting and expecting to be fed and catered to – not to serve,
but to be served – while demanding loyalty to his group affiliation
alone.
Brethren, are we mature enough
to pin-point the error in that practice? This is not an isolated
case, nor is it a unique occurrence within the church. In fact, it
is a quite common practice among church organizations today to give
lip service to the concept of the “Unity of the Body of Christ,”
while following a policy of exclusivity. Ministers frequently
reject all those who will not give their sole commitment and
allegiance to them. Not all ministers treat the brethren with such
contempt, but there seems to be a code of loyalty among the
ministers that allows this abhorrent practice to continue to divide
the torn brethren.
Five times on Jesus’ final
night, He prayed to His Father, “That they may be one.” God
has given the aging ministry of the Church of God ample time to
demonstrate whether or not they intend to unify the brethren under
the Father’s name (John 17:11). They will be judged on their
compliance to Jesus' Will. “Woe be to the shepherds... Thus
saith the Lord God; behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will
require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding
the flock; ...for I will deliver my flock from their mouth.”
(Ezekiel 34:2, 10)
Among all the Churches of God
today, which group is Christ's favorite? Most act as though they
believe that Christ would most certainly choose them above all the
rest. One claims to be the biggest; another the best; another has
the most credible leadership; another does the work; while yet
another declares themselves to be the spear point. Jesus Christ is
outraged by such conduct! He does not approve of division within
His Church. When He said, "This is my Body," and, "I will
build my Church," He had only one Church Body in mind
(Matthew 16:18). "Christ is the head of the Church: and he
is the savior of the Body." (Ephesians 5:23) Jesus is
not pleased when the people of God, His Body, are partitioned by
boundaries of separation.
Just like the Pharisees of
Christ’s day, the ministry today bases its claim to righteousness on
its Law keeping – fasting, praying, keeping the Sabbath, attending
the Holy Days, and tithing. They omit one law – the Law of
Faith. They would say they believe in Jesus Christ while
feeling neither compunction nor regrets at not having unified the
Body. This is a salvational matter for the ministry. Jesus is
going to ask each minister to give account for himself – “What did
you do to unify my Body?” (Romans 14:12)
So, brethren, reach out,
serve, and love all the other brethren – your salvation depends on
it as well. Some of our brethren are scared, some are trapped, and
some have not been taught that it is sinful to reject or exclude
those brethren who are not a part of their organization. Their
ministry has not educated them to the Truth of Jesus Christ. “We
know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the
brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.”
(1John 3:14)
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Sermon: |
"Law of Faith" |
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