The Milk by which We Grow in Christ
Peter and Rohnel, unto the church of Christ and the scattered pilgrims in the world, grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Lord led us to produce a study series on the essential doctrines of God. It is posted here in its fullness and will soon be added to the top menu on the website, each doctrine in its own separate posting. May these words be a blessing to those learning in Christ.
The doctrine of God our Father gives us understanding of His ways.
Pro 4:1 Hear, my children, the instruction of a father, And give attention to know understanding;
Pro 4:2 For I give you good doctrine: Do not forsake my law.
We receive His living doctrine, the understanding of the Father and the wisdom of Christ, the living Word of Commandments, both of whom come to us as the Promise, also known as the Holy Spirit.
Joh 14:20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
Pro 4:5 Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.
God, who is Spirit, sent the Son, the Living Word of the Commandments of God, into this world to save the world from their sins. Our first experiences of hearing about the Lord are all false doctrines and the commandments of men. However, A day comes when the Truth, Jesus Christ, the Living Gospel, is preached to us in the power and authority of those the Father sends.
Mat 7:28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:
Mat 7:29 For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
All stumble upon hearing the doctrine of Christ, still being in the flesh, and mixing it with our carnal reasonings. We go backward, get drunk on the knowledge, and are captured and taken into Spiritual Babylon, where we await the appointed time for Christ to come again in the power and Spirit of the Living Gospel, the Promise that is salvation. In the appointed times of the Father, all who erred will come to understanding and learn the true doctrine of Christ, the six essential doctrines also known as the milk.
Isa 29:24 They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine.
These essential doctrines are the milk of Jesus Christ, and are not what we thought when we were yet carnal and separated from the Living God.
These six essential doctrines in the Book of Hebrews form the foundation of the living and active faith that works in us after the Promise comes. The Book of Hebrews is written to those who should be mature, having received the Promise of the power of the indwelling Father and the Son, also known as the Holy Spirit. Those who receive the Promise are likened to angels, becoming flaming ministers, and are to be shepherds of the sheep, always working in the Lord’s harvest field.
Yet these Hebrews were acting like babies, unable to eat strong meat and not fulfilling their ministry. Paul rebukes them because they remain as children and have not matured. They are still on the milk and are not acting in their faith and exercising spiritual discernment and judgment in walking in the Spirit of power that has come to them.
Heb 5:12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.
Heb 5:13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.
Heb 5:14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
These six doctrines are the basic building blocks of our faith, our walk in the Spirit, and God’s plan for all His creation. This milk forms the strong bones which support our walk in the Spirit that has come so we do not fulfill the lusts that still live in our flesh. The milk of the Word is good and wonderful, and we taste this milk when the Lord comes to us for salvation, being born again by the Water and the Spirit. The milk sets the basis, builds the bones, the doctrine on which our spiritual temple is built, and how we serve the Lord.
1Pe 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
1Pe 2:3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
1Pe 2:4 To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,
1Pe 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
After hearing and receiving the Gospel, we must tarry and wait in the womb to be born again in the power of the Spirit. Here in the womb, we are being nourished and fed by our spiritual mother, the Body of Christ, when we assemble in the holy city of Jerusalem. Hearing the Gospel preached is our spiritual day of preparation, which cannot be skipped to bring forth a healthy newborn son or daughter of God. This is also our espousal period, where we are engaged to be married to Christ in Spirit, yet we wait for the bridegroom to come. We need to watch and pray, thinking of our Lord, our husband, and not sleep.
Mat 25:5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
The way of the Lord is to speak of things that are not as if they already were. Such is our attitude as we tarry in faith waiting for the Promise to come.
The Elementary Doctrines – The Milk of the Word
Hebrews shows the six doctrines that equip us to run the race with endurance. These principles are the building blocks of faith, and our walk in Jesus Christ as we wait for the Promise and even after the Promise comes.
Heb 6:1 Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,
Heb 6:2 of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
Heb 6:3 And this we will do if God permits.
Understanding these essential doctrines and having them cemented in our hearts empowers us to move onward to perfection [maturity] in Christ Jesus. We don’t need anything else, as the Promise given, the power unto salvation, does the rest. After receiving the Promise, We have tasted the heavenly gift, and there is no turning back.
Heb 6:4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit,
Heb 6:5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,
Heb 6:6 if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.
When the Lord comes with the Father, we are given spiritual blessings in the heavenly places we cannot comprehend until they come. Yet the race still needs to run, and we need to move on, apply these blessings in all our behavior and thoughts to grow in the knowledge and grace that now lives within us. Engaging and fighting the fight of faith is how the mature man of Christ, lacking nothing, comes forth in due time. Peter called this, making our calling and election sure. We do this by ensuring the Spirit’s fruits manifest in our lives. These fruits prove our faith and make our election sure, as we have proven ourselves faithful
2Pe 1:10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
Blessed are those whose eyes can see, and ears can hear these truths now revealed, as many before you have desired to see them but were not able. We hope that these summaries of the essential doctrines, the milk, are helpful to be studied and referred to, as they are the foundational building blocks of the living Temple of God we have become.
Repentance from Dead Works
Following the Lord requires us to turn and follow Him. Repentance means to turn and follow the Lord and is only granted to us by the mercy of God. The Lord chooses His disciples [Joh 15:16], and the Father is the one who must draw them to Christ [Joh 6:44] in the appointed time.
The way disciples are called is the way the Lord called the original twelve. Christ or His Christ speaks the Words of eternal life, the true living Gospel, the commandments to those seeking salvation who have hungered and thirsted for righteousness. When they hear the call of God, the good news that is the Gospel, the very first step is to repent. Repenting is turning from our existing way of life to follow Christ. The original disciples did not hesitate; they dropped their nets straightaway and immediately followed the Lord. Those marked of God do likewise, which is to repent and turn from our carnal works, the nets that ensnare us in the carnal world.
Mat 4:18 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.
Mat 4:19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
Mat 4:20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.
Mat 4:21 And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.
Mat 4:22 And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.
The kingdom of heaven is the Promise, the living Father and Son coming to make their abode in us, and is now at hand. Both Christ and John the Baptist, a messenger of Christ, preached the Gospel, the Living Commandments coming, and the way of salvation from sin. When the Gospel is preached, the time of salvation and the kingdom of God is at hand.
Mar 1:14 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,
Mar 1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
Mat 3:1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
Mat 3:2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Hearing the Gospel preached begins our baptism of John, also known as the baptism of repentance, which is later covered as its own essential doctrine. Repentance from dead works is turning from our sins and the carnal mindset that has kept us in bondage our entire lives. Repentance is the beginning of how our sins are put into remission.
Mar 1:4 John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.
The mainstay of preaching the Gospel is bringing those who hear to repent. When the twelve disciples were first sent out, they preached repentance from dead works, the starting point of every walk with the Lord.
Mar 6:12 And they went out, and preached that men should repent.
To repent, we need to see ourselves as sinners needing a spiritual Physician. When heard with spiritual ears, the Living Commandments of God and the Gospel open our eyes to see who and what we are and lead us to repent from the sin [the dead works] that controls us. Repentance is what the Lord wants, not our outward sacrifices; He wants us to repent of our sin.
Mat 9:12 But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.
Mat 9:13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
To see our sins is to see the “man of sin,” which is the abomination of desolation spoken about in Daniel and quoted by Christ in the Gospel. [See Mat 24:15, 2Th 2:3-4, Dan 9:27, etc]. Unless we repent, we remain in spiritual death, in bondage to our sins, and shall perish like all men who do not know the Lord.
Luk 13:3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
When the Gospel comes, the time to repent has come. No longer will the Lord wink at our sins; He will perform His work in us and bring the necessary chastening to remit our sins far from us.
Act 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent:
In the same way, we are granted ears to hear and eyes to see the truth in the Lord’s words in the Scripture, the hearing of the Gospel, all men are likewise granted repentance. We do not choose it of our own initiative; the Lord is always doing the work and drawing us near. Still, it must be done as the first step, and we should pray and seek this if we do not have it and desire it. It is the goodness of God, not of ourselves leading to repentance.
Act 11:18 When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.
Rom 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
The coming of Jesus Christ, the Living Word, into our lives gives us this needed repentance. After we turn by repentance and wait until the Promise of the Holy Spirit comes to us, our sins are forgiven, and we begin to be perfected by the power of God.
Act 5:31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.
Act 5:32 And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Spirit, whom God hath given to them that obey him.
One cannot repent until it is granted. True repentance is hidden from our eyes until our time to hear the Gospel comes. The Lord has mercy and opens them, giving us ears to hear and eyes to see, and sends a preacher to preach the Gospel. Before then, we remain in our spiritual graves, abiding in dead works but unable to see the need to repent.
Hos 13:14 I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.
After we receive the living Gospel, we also become preachers for Christ and active workers in the kingdom of God. The Lord brings those He is saving to us, prepared as vessels of mercy, who can hear His Words we now speak. The Lord directs everything and determines how the love of the Gospel is spread and the church of Christ is built. The Gospel is preached, beginning at Jerusalem, meaning in our assemblies and later to all in the world, given the ears to hear it.
Luk 24:46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
Luk 24:47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
Spreading the Gospel by preaching and teaching is also known as the laying on of hands, another of the essential doctrines addressed in depth later.
The Dead Works of the Carnal Mind
The dead works we are turning away from in repentance are the works and thoughts of our carnal mind. These are the nets we drop when we hear the call of the Lord. To be carnally minded is death, and all our works originate from the grave, as we have not the life of Christ abiding in us when we remain led by the carnal mind. No matter how we try, we cannot please God when we are led by the carnal mind, which is our father the devil.
Rom 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Rom 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
Rom 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
The wages of sin are death, and that is what we produce without even trying when we walk without the power of salvation in us, being yet carnal, living in a body of sinful flesh. We can look back and better appreciate Paul’s words from Romans 7 once we are delivered from our bondage when the Promise comes.
Rom 7:17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Rom 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
Rom 7:19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
Our victory over these dead works of the carnal mind and sinful body of flesh is given to us by the coming of Jesus Christ, the second time, with the power unto salvation.
1Co 15:56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
1Co 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
If we want specifics on what dead works are, Paul gives the Galatians a long list of dead works, stating that we should all be examining ourselves to ensure we are not doing them. Those now led by the Holy Spirit are dead to these works, and those waiting for the Promise are to reckon themselves already dead and strive not to do them that hasten the Lord’s coming. If any man is in Christ, he is a new creation, and we have turned, we have repented of these dead works and suffer in our flesh to mortify all of these lusts.
Gal 5:18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
Gal 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Gal 5:20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Gal 5:21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
The works of life in the Spirit are the opposite of death. Obeying the Gospel is obeying the Lord, which puts to death the works of the flesh and brings forth the fruits of the Spirit that prove our salvation. We strive to put forth these fruits now, reckoning ourselves dead to sin even while we wait on the Promise, the power to come guides and helps us. Our hope of His Promise and the glory to be revealed is saving us and keeping us thinking on things above.
Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Gal 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Gal 5:24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Gal 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Following the Lord in repentance results in the remaking of a new man and our receiving the mind of Christ in fullness when our race is finished. These fundamental truths and doctrines are all foolishness to the carnal mind, but the Gospel becomes the essence of our lives to those granted repentance with open eyes and ears. We no longer look at our own things; we have become bondservants of the Most High.
Php 2:4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
Php 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Turning from these dead works is the first step in following the Lord Jesus Christ in faith. It is true repentance, not just spoken with our lips. The end goal of Christ is our salvation, meaning the complete elimination, the perfection of us, from all sin. His works are finished when we finish the race, having performed the purpose the Father sent Him to us.
Mat 5:48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
All our time in the orthodox churches and even fellowships beyond is where we begin to learn some things about God, but we have not heard the Gospel preached. A day comes when a prophet of the Lord is sent to preach the Gospel and the baptism of repentance from dead works. The Pharisees and the Sadducees symbolize us at this stage, thinking we already know God, have the Holy Spirit, and clinging to our riches that is our knowledge of the Scriptures. We are ignorant and remain dead in our sins, still doing these dead works and needing to repent. The prophet of God rebukes them to repent before they come to be baptized with the living water.
Mat 3:7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, John said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
Mat 3:8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:
The next essential doctrine is faith towards God.
Faith Towards God
The essential doctrines all relate to and are interconnected with the others. Faith is believing, and the call for repentance includes the call for faith towards God. Repentance and faith go hand in hand. The Gospel is the Living Christ, the Promise, the very living and active Word of God now dwelling in us and guiding us into all righteousness.
Mar 1:15 And Christ saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
Faith towards God is not believing “about Him” as billions of people think about Jesus Christ, but do not know Him or any truth. True faith is believing in the Father and the Son, the power of God to save us from our sins. Faith is the hope in the power of God to come to us when the Promise is given and the Father and Son make their abode in our hearts. Very few people are given to see the hidden mystery of the Gospel, which is the Promise, and thus have their own faith and not faith towards God. Many are called to faith, few are chosen to receive the measure of Christ’s faith, and an even smaller remnant is made faithful in every generation. The little flock of the Lord are these precious few who believe and maintain their faith towards God through all the trials and tests until the end.
Faith In Christ and Faith of Christ
Two types of faith work to bring about salvation. When we first hear the doctrine and commandments of Jesus Christ, if we are called of God, we believe in the Lord. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God spoken by Jesus Christ and His Christ, which God raises first and sends forth to preach the Gospel to those chosen of God.
Joh 8:30 As Christ spake these words, many believed on him.
Rom 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Joh 4:41 And many more believed because of his own word;
Only after the Promise comes, which is the Faith OF Christ coming, are we given a measure of the Lord’s faith in the Father. The Lord’s faith is the power of the Gospel and brings forth the works of God that bear the fruits of the Spirit in short order. The works of the law of the carnal mind do not justify us, but only the faith of Christ we are given.
Gal 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
The works of the carnal mind, the law of the Gentiles/Moses, manifest our own righteousness focused on the outward form of godliness. While a start, that righteousness is not enough; we must be found with the righteousness of the Living Christ that only comes by receiving a measure of the Lord’s faith in the Father’s Commandments. The faith of Christ is the kingdom of heaven coming to us.
Mat 5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Carnal minds do not understand this and always claim to have His faith long before the Promise comes, which is part of the deception that hides the mystery of the Gospel until the appointed time.
Php 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
The ministry of the Apostles and elders, the preachers sent forth, is essential for those ordained of God to take hold of faith towards God. Even our own faith works for good as it draws us to Christ and begins to do some washing, but we remain blind to the true Gospel. Christ comes near us one day, and we cry out for mercy, and our prayer is answered, and our eyes to see are given by Christ or His Christ sent to preach. We learn a key principle of faith when the Lord has mercy on us and suddenly opens our eyes to see the Gospel: According to your faith, be it unto you.
Mat 9:27 And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us.
Mat 9:28 And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord.
Mat 9:29 Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.
We need faith in God to enter into the Sabbath rest and cease from our dead works, from which we have repented. Without the requisite faith, we fall short of receiving God’s Promise, do not obey, meaning we do not enter into His rest. Faith is essential to hearing the living and active Words of the Lord. Without faith, we are a ship without a rudder.
Heb 4:1 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.
Heb 4:2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
Moving on to perfection and overcoming sin is the purpose for which the Lord comes. Faith is to be maintained and kept all the way to the end. We can fall away from faith towards God if we are not diligent and steadfast in our walk. Temptations come to test all faith; it is how the spiritual gold of the holy temple we now are is being made. Many stop walking with Christ, proving not to be faithful to the end. Salvation is not a quick prayer; it is a journey, a walk, a race we run with endurance to the finish. Do not fall away and do not be deceived.
Luk 8:13 They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.
When we wait for the Promise, the Lord is near and we are in the latter times. We should expect trials and tests as the Lord winnows the flock of God and sends deceivers. Some take heed to them and are seduced, falling away into perdition and back into the bondage of the carnal mind.
1Ti 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils
A living and active faith in Christ saves us. When given the power, we now have the authority in Christ to move spiritual mountains, pluck trees from our earth, and overcome sins. Faith is like a muscle that needs to be exercised to become strong; thus, we must use it often to move onward to perfection and overcome our sins. The Lord gives us some lessons about fruit trees to show us how faith works in overcoming our sins.
Luk 17:6 And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine [fig] tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.
Mar 11:23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
Mar 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
We are to hold fast to our faith even before God’s promises appear in our lives. Our faith is the substance of things we hope for, the hope of glory yet to be revealed. Thus, we patiently wait for and engage in the fight daily.
Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Any faith without works, proves that the faith is dead. A living and active faith has us striving against sin, praying and fasting without ceasing, meaning obeying the commandment and abstaining from the fleshly lusts that wage war against our souls. By faith, we give God our very best, the excellent sacrifice of righteous Abel, whose story speaks to all of us today.
Heb 11:4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
By faith, we strive against sin and suffer in our flesh, knowing that the eternal glory to be revealed far outweighs our suffering for what is only a moment.
Rom 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Our faith is our hope and our complete trust in the Lord to fulfill all His promises to bring salvation and give power over our sins. Our faith is credited to us in advance as righteousness before we do any good works. Without faith toward God, it is impossible to please the Lord. We therefore miss out on all the rewards promised: the Promise, the power unto salvation, the forgiveness, the mercy, and the grace given to those who diligently seek Him by faith.
Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
A final pillar of truth regarding faith towards God is that all Faith is a gift. True faith is never of ourselves; it is the gift of God. All things are of God.
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Salvation is not a reward for our works; it is the work of God that His gift of faith produces, given to those He chooses.
Rom 4:4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
We are always to keep the faith and walk in it. The Lord does not fail to perform and deliver on His promises of salvation and knowing Him by the indwelling Spirit of the Father and the Son. We need to wait for it to come and, in the meantime, do the work of God, which is to keep the faith.
Joh 6:28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
Joh 6:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
God made a promise to Abraham that is sure and certain. Abraham, the father of faith patiently endured and obtained the promise which was just a type and shadow of the true Promise, the Elect of God are receiving now.
Heb 6:13 For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself,
Heb 6:14 Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.
Heb 6:15 And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.
Abraham heard the Gospel preached and believed, and the Lord credited him with righteousness before Abraham was even circumcised of heart. Likewise, after faith towards God comes to us, we are justified in God’s eyes. We likewise walk by faith toward God in the promises yet to be revealed. Welk by faith and not by sight.
Gal 3:8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.
Gal 3:9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.
Doctrine of Baptisms
The doctrine of baptisms, being plural, refers to the TWO baptisms we accomplish that are both necessary to be born again in Spirit and in Truth.
Joh 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Joh 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Joh 3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
The baptism of water is the baptism of living water that precedes the baptism of the Spirit. It is also known as the Baptism of John, the first coming of Jesus Christ, that is the Spirit of Truth . Before the first coming of Christ as the Living Word, the commandments, we only knew Jesus Christ in the flesh, or worse, know another Jesus taught in the orthodox churches.
Mat 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
After the baptism of water and after the season of watching and waiting in spiritual Jerusalem, Christ comes to us a second time. This is the coming of the Promise, known by scores of other names and terms in the Scriptures that hid the mystery until the Lord opens them at the brightness of His second coming. The second baptism is the one of fire, of the Holy Spirit, and is when the living grace of God is put into our hearts. We now have the Father and the Son, the precious Promise of the Lord living in us. Our day of the Lord has come, the kingdom of God is now within us, and we have received the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, the power of God unto salvation, now guiding us on our journey. When the second baptism is complete, we have been born again and now are alive with Christ, having been resurrected from spiritual death. We hear the Lord who is now speaking from heaven.
Joh 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
Joh 5:25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.
With the baptism of Christ, the old life is dead, and we are arisen in power, the Spirit of Christ, the glory of the Father now living in us. The baptism of water prepares the way, turning us away from our sins awaiting for the power to come in the likeness of His resurrection.
Rom 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Rom 6:5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
One does not receive the Holy Spirit until the second baptism comes which requires we first do the will of God and be cleaned of all the lies in the first baptism. Few ever complete this and even fewer are chosen to wait for the Lord to come with the Spirit. Most who claim they know the Lord, meaning they have the Holy Spirit are liars and the Living Truth is not in them. Those who deny that Jesus Christ has come in their flesh in the power to overcome sin are liars and antichrists, denying both the Father and the Son.
John’s baptism of water has nothing to do with physical water or being literally dunked or sprinkled, as is commonly practiced in Orthodox churches. All things are in parables, and the words of Scripture are Spirit. The baptism of water refers to being washed by the Living Word of Jesus Christ, the commandments that cleanse us of all the lies, false doctrines, and sin that we accumulate on the journey to find the Truth. Being washed and cleansed is our sanctification, which is the will of God.
1Th 4:3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:
The second baptism of the Spirit, the Promise, cannot come until the first baptism is accomplished. Salvation is a three-day journey that involves progression in the steps ordained by the Lord. These essential doctrines are the mainstay of the Lord’s plan. We need patience to both complete the baptism of water and then wait for the Promise to come.
Heb 10:36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
The baptism of John is a process that often takes many years to complete and be sanctified. The disciples walked with Christ for 3.5 years, hearing the Gospel and being washed by the Living Word spoken to them before the baptism of the Spirit came to them. The Promise coming is the day of Pentecost, and the Lord sends down the Spirit as the former and latter rain. Christ needs to go away for a while before He comes back to us; thus, we wait and pray for Him to come again.
Act 1:4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.
Act 1:5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
Luk 24:49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
The first Pentecost was the first baptism of the Spirit completed in the New Covenant. These are the first of the firstfruits unto God who have come in every generation since Christ ascended into heaven. Christ now appears on the earth in those He has come back for, and they become the Apostles, elders, priests, and prophets by whom the Gospel is preached today. Those with the Promise are the resurrected Christ in the world, they are Jesus Christ and are doing the greater works for those the Lord has chosen.
Day of Preparation prepares for His Coming
Receiving the baptism of water is our spiritual day of preparation for the following spiritual day that is the day of the Lord which begins when the Spirit comes upon us. Hearing and learning the commandments and the promise of Christ is how we prepare for the eventual coming of the Spirit of Christ into our hearts.
The disciples were sent out and returned rejoicing that all the demon spirits [the lies] were now subject to them because they had true doctrine, the words of Christ. They now know the Truth and have been washed of false doctrines. Yet Christ tells them not to rejoice over this but in what was yet to come. What comes afterwards is the Promise. This is the biggest blessing we have ever received, the return of Christ with the Father, to our heaven. This is the baptism of Christ, the true anointing of God.
Luk 10:17 And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.
Luk 10:18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
Luk 10:19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
Luk 10:20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
All the people who heard Christ or His messengers such as John preach the Gospel, even the heathens, when He walked in a flesh body, received the Baptism of John, even the twelve disciples.
Luk 7:29 And all the people that heard him [CHRIST], and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John.
But there is yet a long journey ahead. We need to walk a good way in the baptism of water. Then a day comes, the third day, when Christ comes again as John prophesied, one mightier comes afterward. The Living Christ that is the Promise comes AFTER we get John’s baptism, which means after we have walked with Christ in the flesh for a long time, just as it was for the disciples. Apollos, a mighty man of God who later became even mightier in the Lord’s Gospel, preaching with Paul to the Corinthians, was first found preaching fervently and teaching, knowing only the letter of the commandments, having not yet received the Promise. It all works for good; nothing is ever wasted.
Act 18:24 And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus.
Act 18:25 This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John.
The appointed time for Apollos had arrived, and the Lord sent two angels to bring the Gospel, the baptism of Christ, to Apollos. And thus, a new saint is born again by the water and the fire of the Spirit. John’s baptism is the water, and the second coming of Christ with the power of the Spirit is the fire. We are not born again until BOTH have occurred.
All our time walking in John’s baptism is our time of travail, waiting for our appointed time to be born again of water and the Spirit. The natural teaches us that we have nothing to do with our physical birth, which is also true in the Spirit. It is the Lord’s work, and we are His workmanship. The Lord is going to finish what He has begun. The Lord is coming; we are born into a new spiritual life abiding with the Living God.
Isa 66:9 Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the LORD: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God.
Apollos first got the water baptism of John and then tarried until the Spirit of fire came through the ministers sent to him. Acquilla and Pricilla, ministers of the Gospel, having Christ resurrected in them, took him aside and showed him the more perfect way of Christ.
Act 18:26 And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.
Now instructed and given the understanding of the Father, Apollos, like others, immediately began preaching boldly in all power and authority, the words of fire now working mightily in him.
Christ’s Baptism by John
Jesus Christ did not need to be baptized by John because there was no guile or lie in Him. Christ was pure and did not need to be bathed John baptized Jesus Christ to fulfill the Scriptures. Christ being baptized demonstrates that we also must go through this baptism as part of our journey with the two comings of the living Word of God. As the Father sent Jesus Christ, so the Lord now sends His Christ. As Christ was in the world, so are we, says the Scripture. Like all Scripture, this event is a parable.
Mat 3:13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.
Mat 3:14 But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
Mat 3:15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.
After we receive John’s baptism, and the time varies for everyone, the Holy Spirit descends upon us, and we receive our baptism by fire. Jesus Christ already had the fullness of the Spirit and His baptism of water was just to fulfill the Scriptures and demonstrate that we would follow His example and receive John’s baptism first. Jesus Christ got the Promise of the Father sent immediately upon fulfilling the Scriptures and being baptized by John.
Mat 3:16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
Mat 3:17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Receiving the Spirit of Christ and the Father, the Holy Spirit, symbolized by the Dove lighting upon Christ, is the Promise, the second Baptism. The dove coming down also represents the former and latter rain coming down when the Father says it is time. No man knows the exact day or hour, not even the angels, nor the Son, but only the Father. When we complete both baptisms, we become the sons of God, now being led by the Spirit of God, who lives inside us. The Spirit of the Father and the Son, the Promise, that is salvation, has come to dwell in our house.
Joh 14:20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
A prior study went into these two baptisms in more detail, providing more examples of Pentecost occurring when the Holy Spirit was given. The study can be accessed by clicking this link. Two Baptisms
Doctrine of Laying on of Hands
The doctrine of the laying on of hands speaks to the authority and rule the Lord sets in His church and the appointment of leaders who feed and care for the sheep. Laying on of hands is a symbol for preaching and teaching the Gospel and showing people the more perfect way of Christ.
Many examples show how the baptism of water and the Spirit are given to new disciples by the established ones who have walked before them. The Lord raises Apostles and elders, making them his ministers and preachers, who preach the Gospel and bring about both baptisms in their appointed times. The greater works of God are preaching the Gospel that raises the dead, heals the sick, and opens blind eyes and deaf ears to those the Lord has prepared. A preacher must be sent to preach the words of Living fire, the Gospel that works these spiritual baptisms.
Rom 10:14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
Rom 10:15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
We saw Apollos’s example above when speaking about baptisms. When Aquilla and Pricilla laid their hands on Apollos, he then received the Holy Spirit. Similar examples are shown in the Acts of the Apostles, who do the laying on of hands, being the firstfruits unto God. We see Paul go to Ephesus, where again, many disciples are met who only have John’s baptism and are unaware that there is something else they are to receive. Similar to the event with Apollos, Paul laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.
Act 19:1 And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples,
Act 19:2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.
Act 19:3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism.
Act 19:4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.
Act 19:5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Act 19:6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.
Act 19:7 And all the men were about twelve.
The Scriptures read as if these happened instantly, but they are a parable. The laying on of hands speaks to preaching and teaching the Gospel and imparting the Spirit and power of the Words of Christ to those given to hear our words and see our example. This imparting and teaching takes some time, and then we continue to tarry until the Lord comes. The timing is all in the Father’s hand, as only He knows the day and the hour the Promise is appointed to come.
Another example of laying on of hands is Timothy, a mighty labourer with Paul in the Gospel. Timothy received the Holy Spirit, the baptism of Christ by the laying on of hands by Paul and the other elders. It is how the gift of the Holy Spirit is given to others by those who themselves were first raised for this very purpose. It is how the church of the Living God is built.
1Ti 4:14 Neglect not the gift [the Promise, the Holy Spirit] that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.
Only the Apostles and the elders whom the Lord has anointed and sends forth can perform the laying on of hands. The Lord sets the rule and authority in the church and appoints some to perform the greater works that feed, guard, and wash the flock of God.
Eph 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
Eph 4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Eph 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
Those waiting for the Promise are under the rule and guidance of the Apostles and elders who sincerely care for them, feeding them, washing them with the water of the Word, and praying with them and for them until Jesus Christ is formed in them. Christ through His Christ stays with them, being patient and longsuffering with them, until they are born again of the water and the Spirit. The Apostles and elders become their spiritual parents, fathers, and mothers by whom the children of God are born and raised to maturity, just as it is done in natural. We are to respect and submit to our parents in the Lord just as we would in the natural.
Gal 4:19 My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,
1Jn 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
Those who lay on hands, meaning preach and teach, are to be obeyed as the Lord has set them in the church. Any disobedience to them is disobedience to the Lord as they are the risen Christ sent to heal us. The Lord is well pleased when we do, and the result is blessing.
Eph 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
Eph 6:2 Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)
Eph 6:3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
Honoring thy father and mother was the fifth of the Ten Commandments given to Moses and also came with the promise of a long life.
Exo 20:12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
This commandment to honour those the Lord has set over us who also begot us into the Gospel comes with the promise of long life. “Long life” is a parable in both cases and speaks about the blessing of eternal life rather than one’s physical lifespan. Eternal life is indeed long, but more important than the duration of time, this speaks to a greater truth that we now know the Lord, which is the coming of the Promise. The benefits and call to tarry together in Jerusalem, being subject to those the Lord has set to rule in the church, is vitally important to one’s salvation.
Joh 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
Those who judge in the flesh do not recognize Jesus Christ in His anointed ones and miss their hour of visitation, not being ready by learning these essential doctrines. We have thousands of instructors in Christ as we search for the truth, but few fathers beget us through preaching the Gospel. We are to honor those who lay their hands on us and bring us the Gospel of Promise.
1Co 4:15 For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.
1Co 4:16 Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.
Our overcoming of sin, being healed spiritually, comes forth from the laying on of hands, the teaching, preaching, and correction in the way of the Lord’s commandments. Christ sends out His chosen ones, His anointed, also known as the Elect, given the Spirit, to do these greater works of healing the sick, raising the dead, opening eyes and ears, and preaching the Gospel.
Mar 16:18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
Mat 11:5 The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
If we read with spiritual eyes and ears, we see the greater works of the Lord, the healing and raising of people from death all over, being done by the laying of hands by the apostles and elders in the church.
Act 28:8 And it came to pass, that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux: to whom Paul entered in, and prayed, and laid his hands on him, and healed him.
Anointing one with oil in the Spirit is the same as laying hands on them. It is putting the living word, the Spirit of the Lord, onto the wounds and bodies of those suffering from spiritual sickness and death.
Jas 5:14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
Jas 5:15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
By the laying on of hands by Christ and His Christ, the Apostles of God, others are raised from spiritual death into newness of life. The parables of the Scriptures hide this, but those with eyes to see understand. Christ and His Christ, speaking the commandments to arise and come forth, raise people from the spiritually dead when their ears hear the Word of the Lord.
The Apostles and elders have a duty to guard the flock and be faithful watchmen. They are to discern who enters the assembly and worships with the sheep. Exercising discernment requires us to know who the Lord has prepared to hear the Gospel and who is not prepared by the Lord. We know them by their fruits. The elders must not be too quick to preach the Gospel to those unprepared to hear it.
1Ti 5:22 Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men’s sins: keep thyself pure
Mat 7:6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.
The negative aspect of laying on of hands supports the positive aspect we covered above. When deceivers lay their hands on us, they are speaking accusing and excusing carnal [evil] thoughts to us, and if we take the bait and engage with them, we are put into a prison of the flesh. This is the bondage we have been delivered from, after the Promise comes, and we are not to answer them back or engage in the manner of the carnal mind.
Luk 20:19 And the chief priests and the scribes the same hour sought to lay hands on him; and they feared the people: for they perceived that he had spoken this parable against them.
Luk 21:12 But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name’s sake.
Christ’s example was our example to follow. Christ either answered them not, or if He did speak, He gave them a commandment.
Doctrine of Resurrection of the Dead
The doctrine of the resurrection from the dead is not about resurrection into physical bodies, be they spirit or flesh. This doctrine is speaking about the resurrection from spiritual death, which is where everyone abides, being yet carnal, having the mind of their father, the devil. All the doctrines are inseparable as the Word of God is not divided, and all point to the power of God to save us from our sins. The resurrection from the dead, spiritual death, comes by the faith of Christ, which we are given when the Promise comes. Once we are raised in Christ, we shall never die as the Living Jesus Christ is the resurrection from the dead.
Joh 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
Joh 11:26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
Those receiving the Promise are raised from the dead and now abide in newness of life; thus, they shall never taste death again, even physical death. Even when they leave these clay vessels, they are translated to be with the Lord forever, alive in Spirit, receiving the fullness and our crown of life.
Mat 16:27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.
Mat 16:28 Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.
Being raised from spiritual death is bringing us up and out of our spiritual graves. Arising from the grave of the carnal mind is what is taking place when the Promise, also known as the Comforter or Holy Spirit, comes to us. If we prepare ourselves by John’s baptism, learning and being washed by the commandments, and strive to keep them, the Lord blesses us and brings the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, to dwell in us.
Joh 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
Joh 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
Joh 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
Joh 14:18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
Joh 14:19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
Our resurrection from the grave comes when our time has come and the Lord speaks the commandment we hear. Arise and come forth.
Joh 11:43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.
Joh 11:44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.
The veil that had closed our eyes to seeing the hidden mystery of the Gospel, the napkin is taken away. The napkin represents the oldness of the letter of Moses, the law of the Gentiles and the carnal mind that is the domain of the god of this world. The grave clothes, the thoughts and lies of the carnal mind are loosed from us which is our own righteousness not that of the faith of Christ. We are set free by the living law of liberty that is the Comforter.
2Co 4:4 In whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
Once raised from spiritual death, we have the Spirit of the Father and the Spirit of the Son, Understanding and Wisdom, abiding within our hearts and minds. Arising from the dead is how God makes true worshippers in Spirit and in Truth.
Joh 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
Joh 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
True worshippers no longer worship in the dead letter of the Word. They are quickened by hearing the Gospel and receive the baptism of Christ, which is the Holy Spirit, the Promise, who now lives in their hearts and minds. The resurrection from the dead; never had anything to do with physically being resurrected. It is all written in parables and physical death is likened to sleep by the Lord.
Joh 5:21 For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.
Joh 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
Joh 5:25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.
Joh 5:28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
Joh 5:29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
The resurrection of life and the resurrection of damnation are two sides of the same coin, that is, the blessed and first Holy Resurrection. There is only one resurrection that comes in the appointed time for every man. The new man, Christ in us, is brought to life, being raised from the dead, and the old man in us is condemned and brought to naught by the fiery Words and the grace of God now living in us. No man can see the Living Lord and live and so our old man is condemned immediately when the Lord comes with the Promise.
Exo 33:20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.
With the Promise, we have become the priests of God and now reign with Him from heaven on our third day, when we are being perfected as our Father in heaven is perfect. One day is as a thousand years to God, and our rulership is not on the outward kosmos or world, and many believe such a lie. The ruling and reigning is over our bodies and the sin that so easily besets us. We rule our earth, and we have overcome its many sins and lusts with the power of Christ.
Rev 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
Those raised first become the firstfruits unto God and now sit with Christ in heaven, judging the whole house of Israel, within and without.
Mat 19:28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
The Promise has come, and the commandments we have heard from the beginning of the journey now abide in us. We have received the blessing of God and have eternal life now.
1Jn 2:24 Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.
1Jn 2:25 And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.
The sons of God are now being declared as we are raised from the dead by the power of the living Gospel.
Rom 1:4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
The criticism of the Hebrews was that they knew these doctrines and had received Christ, but were not moving on to perfection. They should have been laying on hands themselves and be matured, but they were still needing the milk. They had become slothful and lazy, not working the work of God and abiding in the grace they have ready access to by their faith towards God. They needed a wake-up call and reminder that one can fall away from the faith and then not be able to be renewed back to repentance. We should never be high-handed, but we should fear, as we too can be cut off if we continue in sin.
Rom 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
Rom 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
Rom 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
The Christians [Jews in symbol] who have not the power or the Spirit who know only the letter of the Scriptures do not understand this doctrine and hate Christ and His Christ who preach it. We see many examples of the Apostles being stopped from preaching the Gospel by those of the circumcision, as this doctrine befuddles their understanding.
Act 4:1 And as they [Peter and John, the Apostles] spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them,
Act 4:2 Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.
The children of the resurrection who first come through the door that is Jesus Christ are, in turn, the anointed ones whom the Lord uses to spread the Gospel to others and build the church by the laying on of hands by the angels of God. The true sons of God are the children of the resurrection, who have received the Promise, the living Christ, into their hearts and minds. Salvation is come; the blessing of God has been poured out.
Luk 20:35 But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage:
Luk 20:36 Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.
Doctrine of Eternal Judgment
The doctrine of eternal judgment has nothing to do with the damnable lie of an eternal hell where the God of the universe burns the vast majority of His creation forever in literal flames of fire. What an abomination orthodox Christianity has turned into a false God, all by the Lord’s design. The doctrine of eternal judgment speaks about the blessing of God and His process that all men experience in the appointed times, which brings forth salvation and reveals Christ’s righteousness.
Isa 56:1 Thus saith the LORD, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed.
Psa 96:13 Before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.
The Word of God, Christ, and the commandments of the Father have been there from the beginning. Jesus Christ is the Living Word, through whom all things have been created and who comes to make His abode in us and thus bring salvation to those in whom He dwells, which in due time comes to all mankind.
Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Judgment by the Word is how a new inward heaven and earth are made. Through the process and forever thereafter, eternally, those living words, the commandments, the everlasting Gospel of Christ abides with us.
Mat 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
The timing of eternal judgment is the appointed time of the Father for every man to receive the Living Spirit of God into their hearts. When the Spirit comes, our day of eternal judgment has come.
Act 17:31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
Joh 16:8 And when he [The Comforter, Holy Spirit, Spirit of Grace, etc] is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
Eternal judgment begins for every man when the living Christ, the Spirit of Truth that is the Holy Commandments, comes to us the second time for salvation, apart from sin. We are appointed first to die spiritually, being found dead in our spiritual graves, being carnally minded, which is death. The Father sends Christ, the Living Word that is the Promise to us in the appointed time, and raises us from the dead, as was reviewed in the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead.
Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Judgment is “eternal” because once the Lord comes by the indwelling Holy Spirit, those living and active Words are with us forever.
Psa 23:5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Psa 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
The Living Lord, the commandments now live within us forever. They become our everlasting light, the sun that never sets in us, as we become the temple of the Living God.
Isa 60:20 Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the LORD shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.
When we are translated from spiritual death unto life by the coming of the Lord to our inward parts, we shall henceforth always be with the Lord!
1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
The eternal words of God living in us become a lamp unto our feet and the light for our path, teaching and guiding us the way to walk. The eternal Judge, the Lord God Almighty, now sits on His throne in our hearts. The resulting judgment and our giving an account to our heavenly Father is how the law of God, the Holy Commandments, are written into our hearts and minds forever. Eternal judgment is how the Lord makes holy sons of God that are perfected in their appointed times by the power of His Spirit. Thus begins our day of judgment, the incredible blessing that comes to the children of God who hear and receive the Living Gospel that is Jesus Christ.
Heb 12:23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
Rev 22:7 Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
The blessing of “eternal judgment” comes first to the household of God, the Elect in this age, who are the firstfruits and through whom the Lord uses later to spread the Gospel to all mankind.
1Pe 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
1Co 6:2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world?
When the living Christ is raised within us, we become His ministers, angels of flaming fire who do the greater works and spread the salvation of the Gospel to others through the laying on of hands and the breaking of bread.
Joh 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
The Lord’s judgment redeems us and converts our walk into one of righteousness rather than sin. The commandments bring the Lord’s judgment, which is the way of salvation one should embrace and run towards rather than avoid.
Isa 1:27 Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness.
The bondage of both Egypt [the world] and Spiritual Babylon is removed when the Lord brings judgment through His anointed ministers who preach the Gospel to us.
Exo 6:6 Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments:
When the Promise comes, eternal judgment is upon our earth, and we are being taught the righteousness of Jesus Christ. This is how we are caused to obey the Lord and bring forth His glory in due time.
Isa 26:9 With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.
Without God’s judgment, we would not otherwise learn obedience. We all learn not to do things by first doing them and being chastened. We learn not to touch a hot stove by touching one, getting burned, and bearing the resulting consequences. Eternal judgment by the living Word brings the spiritual heat and affliction needed to teach us His right ways.
Psa 119:71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.
Heb 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
Heb 12:7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
With the baptism of Christ, the Lord now speaks from heaven within us and does quick work on the earth to make changes. The mustard seed of Christ’s faith, planted in our hearts, grows mightily and in short order.
Isa 60:22 A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the LORD will hasten it in his time.
Rom 9:28 For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.
The fire of the Living Words of God, now spoken from our heaven, is remaking all things and removing everything that defiles us.
Heb 12:25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:
Heb 12:26 Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.
Heb 12:27 And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.
Heb 12:28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:
Heb 12:29 For our God is a consuming fire.
We are incredibly blessed when those judgments come, and we live them out and fulfill what is written in the Scriptures.
Rev 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
Great reward comes from going through God’s righteous judgment, and the Lord, who is mighty in power, gets the job done when He comes as the Promise.
Psa 19:9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
Psa 19:11 Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them [God’s Judgments] there is great reward.
When we receive the Gospel, meaning hear the Word of the Lord with God given ears to hear and eyes to see, then our eternal judgment has begun. Unless we have ears to hear, we cannot hear the Lord’s words; thus, our judgment is not yet. A recent study reviewed the third day and the various names it is described by in the Scriptures. The Wonderful and Dreadful Day of the Lord
Joh 12:47 And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.
Joh 12:48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.
When Christ comes to dwell within us, we become the sons of God, being led by the Spirit of God, also called Grace. This Grace of God that saves us brings us into obedience as we are taught and grow unto maturity, being saved from our sins. We look toward the glorious appearing of Christ increasingly as we endure and are chastened by the Lord.
Tit 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
Tit 2:12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
Tit 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
The grace of God, His Living Spirit, is greater than our sin and prevails and fails not to bring salvation. The work the Lord starts with eternal judgment shall be finished right on time.
Rom 5:19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
Rom 5:20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
Rom 5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
The Word of God always accomplishes the purposes for which it has been sent.
Isa 55:11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
Age Abiding Judgment
Earlier, we spoke about the eternal aspect of the Living Word that brings God’s judgment to those who hear His voice. The punitive element of the Lord’s judgment, the correction and chastening we endure, is only for an age-abiding period. We endure the wrath of God against our disobedience in our day of judgment until the work of God, salvation, and overcoming our sins is accomplished. He afflicts us and brings the chastening needed to correct us, but then the chastening stops; it is NOT eternal. The strife ceases when the purposes of the chastening are accomplished.
Pro 26:20 Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth.
The Elect of God are perfected, made holy and blameless before they depart these clay vessels. We are called to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect, and we are not asked to do anything the Lord does not equip us to accomplish through Him. Be Ye Perfect as Your Father is Perfect
The hope of salvation is our perfection that we now patiently await and strive to obtain daily. When the Lord finishes His work in us, He rests, and the judgment also ends when we depart the flesh and are translated to become sons of God in the fullness. Our heavenly Father has raised us rightly and rests from His parental work.
Gen 2:2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
Eternal judgment is not the end; it is the means to the end, which is salvation, the very reason we have a Saviour. When the purpose is accomplished, the judgment ends.
1Th 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
Final Exhortations
These six doctrines are the true doctrines of Jesus Christ, the foundational truths that help us receive and abide in the Gospel with great joy, knowing the Lord’s plans and purposes for remaking us into His image and likeness. All six doctrines point back to the Gospel, that is, the Doctrine of Christ, and is also called the Apostle’s Doctrine. The Commandments are the most important things we must know and, most importantly, obey. All things the Lord is doing and speaking to us bring us back to the Holy Commandments of the Father. We are to do likewise.
Joh 12:49 For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.
It is by the steadfast breaking and eating of the Lord’s Bread of Life, the Living Commandments, that Christ is revealed and by which we enter into the kingdom of God.
Act 2:42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
When Christ is lifted up, meaning the commandments are raised in our hearts and minds, we are drawn to Christ, who is the good news of the living Gospel.
Joh 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
We always stand guard, correct errors in ourselves and others, and be patient with the commandments that are Christ’s doctrine. A little leaven creeps in and corrupts the whole, so we are careful in what we eat spiritually.
2Ti 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
2Ti 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
2Ti 4:4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
We are warned that in the last [spiritual] days, the deceivers and antichrists are out in full force. Some do not endure and depart from the faith and sound doctrine. This is the Lord’s way of winnowing the flock by testing our faith, marking those destined to finish the race, and being found faithful to the very end.
1Ti 4:15 Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.
1Ti 4:16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.
Never sell the treasure, the inheritance in Christ we have been blessed to see and receive, which is the Gospel. Remember Esau, remember Lot’s wife; there is no turning back.
Pro 23:23 Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
Rev 3:11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
Do not shrink back from what you have heard. The finish line is ahead, but the race is not yet over. If one waits on the Promise, believe and be patient, looking steadfastly on the things ahead and the glory of God yet to be revealed to you. Keep standing and wait upon the Lord who is faithful to save us from our sin.
1Co 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
1Co 15:2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
Keep the faith, stand in the commandments, and be patient until the day of the Lord. We remain diligent and finish our race to inherit the promises of God.
Heb 6:11 And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:
Heb 6:12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
Click here to view the entire study of all six essential doctrines in one document.