Building up believers and the New Testament church
Foundational Truth
The Message of the Cross
"For the message of the cross is the power of God" (1 Cor. 1:18). Probably every believer would agree that the message of the cross is central to our faith, and the basis upon which God is building today. But do we really understand what God did through Jesus Christ on the cross, and how it affects our walk of faith every day? Paul was persecuted for the message of the cross (Gal. 5:11), yet he said he would boast in nothing else (Gal. 6:14). Would we say the same? We know that the cross deals with the root problem of mankind, which is sin. However, the way it solves the problem is more comprehensive and glorious than many have yet comprehended. With a fresh look at union, fellowship, life, and death, the teaching in this booklet challenges commonly held ideas about the cross, asking us to consider the deepest truths of God's perfect plan for our salvation and how they work out in our lives. [Read Full Article]
The Gospel of Baptism
Baptism has often been the focus of conflict over the last 2000 years. Why? Could it be that natural thinking leads men to make water baptism something other than God intended? Jesus said that those who worship God must worship in spirit and truth, so we need to understand all things by the Spirit, or we can be led astray. In Ephesians 4, Paul says there is "one baptism," yet several baptisms are mentioned in scripture. In what way are they all one? The premise of this article is that God intended for water baptism and Spirit baptism to go together, and that ultimately, all baptisms point to Jesus and the work of the cross. Scripture yields rich truth as we search for answers and think in God. Each of us should seek to be established in our understanding of these foundational matters, and minister truth so that others may partake of all that Christ died for. [Read Full Article]
The Righteousness of Faith
What is the righteousness God requires? Is real righteousness possible, or is it only an ideal we aim at? Does it involve keeping the law? Some today believe that the ceremonial and civil parts of the law have passed away, but the Ten Commandments are still in effect; thus, along with the other nine commandments, Christians must keep the Sabbath. Is this true? If we do not clearly see the difference between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant, we may find ourselves as the Galatians, struggling to attain the righteousness of God by our own efforts. Paul told them they had fallen from grace, and had been severed from Christ, so these are important issues. Let us not be robbed of the simplicity of our salvation. The scriptures are clear, but we also need a revelation of what God has done in Christ and who we are in Him. This booklet takes a broad look at God's plan and the purpose of the law, and answers many specific questions from a spiritual perspective. [Read Full Article]
Spiritual Authority
"All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth," Christ said (Matt. 28:18). He did not follow that with "and now I give you authority." Natural authority is delegated by men to other men, but spiritual authority is never delegated to any man, group of men, or organization. Spiritual authority remains in the life of God under the direction of the Head. Christ retains all responsibility and authority, assuring that His purpose will not fail. God has chosen to work through man, but our obedience is unto God, and recognizing the authority of God forms the basis of our faith. After defining and expounding on the essentiality of spiritual authority, this pamphlet discusses how it flows through all the functioning of the church, keeping God fully in control but with man fully involved. [Read Full Article]
In the World But Not Of the World
The fact that we should be "in the world but not of the world" is well-known to Christians, but men have always struggled with this, and it cannot be understood by the natural mind. According to the scriptures, "the world" is the whole of mankind and his system, separate from God, characterized by sin and lawlessness, and under the influence of Satan. God judged the world at the cross of Christ. There is no neutral ground, and now we must choose our captain. This article seeks to explain from the scriptures and the revelation of God's plan how we may be "about the Father's business" as Christ was, working from a place of peace, strength and victory, rather than battling evil in our strength or becoming involved in the systems of man. [Read Full Article]
Truth and Love
Can truth and love coexist in our relationships within the body of Christ? In the plan of God, we cannot have one without the other. Both spring forth from Jesus, who is both perfect Love and perfect Truth. Neither truth nor love can even exist separate from the person of Christ. How can we always hold the truth in love? As we continue in an intimate relationship with Jesus by the Spirit, His love will fill our hearts, and truth and love will never be divided in our lives. This encouragement answers many of the real questions the church faces today, showing how the all-important union of truth and love is part of God's plan to sum up all things in Christ. [Read Full Article]
Two Nature Theory - Exploded
The "two nature theory" says that the Christian has both a sin nature and a new nature. From this theory come many other false theories on how to deal with that "old nature" or "sin nature." After coming into Christ, believers are told that they will live the rest of their lives with a continuous internal battle between the flesh and the Spirit. But the Lord did not come to give us a halfway salvation, saving us from the effects of sin but leaving us sinners. The law brought bondage, but the Spirit brings freedom. Delving into misunderstood passages, this simple teaching explains what it means to be in Adam or in Christ, in the flesh or in the Spirit, dead to sin and alive to God, and how we put off the old man and put on the new man. [Read Full Article]
Temptation - In the Life of a Christian
There are only two conditions for mankind: "in the spirit" or "in the flesh." If we are in the flesh, we cannot please God (Rom. 8:8). If we are in the Spirit, our union with Christ is the basis for victory over fleshly desires. Paul says that if we walk in the Spirit, we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh (Gal. 5:16) and that we are "more than conquerors" (Rom. 8:37). The promises of Revelation 2 and 3 are to "overcomers." The salvation Christ gave His life for is complete deliverance from the power of sin in our lives, and an ongoing love relationship with God. This is a place of responsibility, but it is not impossible, for God has made the way. Going beyond doctrine to reveal truths that are spiritual yet also practical, this admonition is to every Christian with a true desire to live above sin. [Read Full Article]
The Word of God
"Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4). If the word of God is what we live by, this is a crucial area. If we miss the word of God, how shall we live? We know that the word of God is "living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword..." and that the church will be cleansed "with the washing of water by the word." The word of God has great power in the inner man. It is more than scripture; it is living communication from a living God to meet specific needs. Christ himself is called the Word of God. Without detracting from the authority of the scriptures, this booklet examines common assumptions and challenges us to lift our focus from words on a page to the living, engrafted Word of God which is able to save our souls. [Read Full Article]
Walking in Truth
As the apostle John neared the end of his life, he made this statement: "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth" (3 John 4). Why did he single out "walking in truth" as a supreme goal? Would we say the same? Do we know what it means? Some emphasize relationship over doctrine to the extent that many areas of truth are deemed non-essential. Others seek oneness by trying to lay aside any issues that divide. But the Holy Spirit is given to "guide us into all truth" (John 16:13), and Jesus himself declared that He is the Truth. The scriptures, the witness of the Spirit, and fellowship with others work together to keep us walking in truth. Our function in the body of Christ is also key, for the church is "the pillar and ground of the truth" (1 Tim. 3:15). Let us learn the ways of God, and not hesitate to stand in truth and declare it in love. [Read Full Article]
To Live Is Christ
This article was written to address the conflict between "Calvinism" and "Arminianism," not with a discussion of doctrine, but by emphasizing that salvation is in the person of Christ, not in teachings about Christ. Doctrine is not what saves us. Faith comes by hearing the word of God in a personal way, not by an intellectual understanding of the scriptures. God's design is to come and indwell us, setting us free from sin and death and making us alive unto Him. This is the gospel. So the question is, do we have a religion of words and doctrines, or do we have a relationship with the One who gave us the written account of His working? The living Christ has given us Himself so that we might no longer live our own life, but His (Gal. 2:20). [Read Full Article]
Submission - A Place of Grace
There are many relationships in which we are commanded to submit: wives to husbands, children to parents, believers to one another and "to those who have the rule over you." For many, submission is a fearful thing, implying bondage, suppression or loss. But Jesus said, "All authority has been given to Me..." and when we realize that all submission is unto God, we will lose our fears. Laying aside the lowly thinking of this world, we see that Christ is our example of submission in all things. When He submitted Himself to the will of the Father, it did not make Him less in our eyes or God's. The Father lifted Him up and gave Him glory and honor. "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus..." (Phil. 2:5) Active submission to God in our relationships will allow His purpose to be worked in our lives also. We cannot overlook this important topic. [Read Full Article]
New Testament Giving
"Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give, not grudgingly, or of necessity; for God loveth a cheerful giver" (2 Cor. 9:7) Giving is a gift of grace, a working of God in the heart of the believer. God's life principle has always been a freewill offering from the heart. Jesus did not command us to give percentages or set amounts; He gave us His life within to be the principle of our giving. This is the principle of love, which characterizes all the expressions of the believer and the church. This encouraging tract shows how old principles were put away by the coming of Christ who fulfilled the Old Testament types, and outlines how New Testament giving works out in our individual lives, in the church, and in the support of God's work. [Read Full Article]