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Doctrines of the Bible made to understand (Part2)
IIntroduction:
In part one we had just a brief encounter with the Bible…Gods Word…and yes obviously we had a slight look at the author of the Bible, God. We have to understand that God is the author and all the men who wrote the Bible were inspired by Him. Being human, errors would have crept in but the message that God wanted to bring to the attention of all mankind is that He had created man for His pleasure. His motive was to have someone that He could fellowship with and who would be like Him in His Image and likeness. (Gen 1:26 +27 God said, Let Us [Father, Son, and Holy Spirit] make mankind in Our image, after Our likeness, and let them have complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the [tame] beasts, and over all of the earth, and over everything that creeps upon the earth. [Ps. 104:30; Heb. 1:2; 11:3.] So God created man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them. [Col. 3:9, 10; James 3:8, 9.]
The understanding of God becomes very complicated when we speak of Him as a triune God. But to understand this is very easy. If one takes a candle for instance: it consist of wax, wick, and flame to make it a candle. The three components can be separated and be something in there own individual use. Yet the reality is that none of the units apart form the candle as each one cannot operate individually, just as God the Father (Creator Gen.1) and God the Son (Redeemer Matt 28:218-20; John 14:6) and God the Holy Spirit ( Teacher and work force of the Godhead John 14:16-17) cannot operate individually. The three personalities form the unity of God. Together they are the unstoppable force of purity and Holiness…..the unstoppable force of love and Grace, righteousness and justness. They are the foundation and pillar of all living creatures and beside them there is nothing. Gasses and masses cannot exist without God….and yes the big bang theory did exist because the Almighty God spoke and things came into being…..When one studies the Bible with the idea of finding fault and negativity you will find it and yes you will be anti God. The Bible must be seen as the guide to eternity. It must be received with an open mind believing the Author of this Great Book.
Col 1:12 -23 …..You will also thank the Father, who has made you able to share the light, which is what God's people inherit. God has rescued us from the power of darkness and has brought us into the kingdom of his Son, whom he loves. His Son paid the price to free us, which means that our sins are forgiven. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. He created all things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible. Whether they are kings or lords, rulers or powers- everything has been created through him and for him. He existed before everything and holds everything together. He is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, the first to come back to life so that he would have first place in everything. God was pleased to have all of himself live in Christ. God was also pleased to bring everything on earth and in heaven back to himself through Christ. He did this by making peace through Christ's blood sacrificed on the cross. Once you were separated from God (Rom 8:5-11). The evil things you did showed your hostile attitude. But now Christ has brought you back to God by dying in his physical body. He did this so that you could come into God's presence without sin, fault, or blame. …this is on the condition that you continue in faith without being moved from the solid foundation of the hope that the Good News contains. “You've heard this Good News of which I, Paul, became a servant. It has been spread throughout all creation under heaven”.
- So the short summary would be:
- We believe in God’s Word
- We believe in God the Father
- We believe in God the Son Jesus Christ
- We believe in the God the Holy Spirit
- Three personalities forming a unit of One
- We believe that they are ONE supreme Almighty God who cannot be compared with anything in heaven or in earth or under the earth; They structure the ultimate form of worship. ( Psalm 40:5; Isa. 40:18; Isa.46:5)
That brings us to the word Faith.
Faith:
The interpretation of this word is world renown. In every religion and doctrine the word is used. Men of all “faiths” have strong convictions in what they believe in. They sacrifice their bodies and their life for these believes. It is not a new practice it is very old indeed. In the beginning Cain killed his brother out of hatred and anger, because he believed that his sacrifice was just as important as the sacrifice that His brother Abel brought. Yet God did not accept the offering because it was not what God wanted or expected. The Sacrifice God accepted was the blood offering that Abel brought. The moral of the story is….you may believe that what you are doing is right but if it is not what God said or what He wanted then the penalty for disobedience is so severe that God actually cast you away. It does not matter what you believe and how upright you were in that faith….if it is not what God wants or expects from you, then you are in for a rude awakening.
How does God want you to believe or practice your faith?
Understand the word Faith: Heb 11:1-6 NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses]. For by [faith--trust and holy fervor born of faith] the men of old had divine testimony borne to them and obtained a good report. By faith we understand that the worlds [during the successive ages] were framed (fashioned, put in order, and equipped for their intended purpose) by the word of God, so that what we see was not made out of things which are visible. [Prompted, actuated] by faith Abel brought God a better and more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, because of which it was testified of him that he was righteous [that he was upright and in right standing with God], and God bore witness by accepting and acknowledging his gifts. And though he died, yet [through the incident] he is still speaking. [Gen. 4:3-10.] Because of faith Enoch was caught up and transferred to heaven, so that he did not have a glimpse of death; and he was not found, because God had translated him. For even before he was taken to heaven, he received testimony [still on record] that he had pleased and been satisfactory to God. [Gen. 5:21-24.] But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out].
I hope you have noted that the word Faith means: primarily; firm persuasion; a conviction upon hearing and is always used pertaining faith in God, Christ, Holy Spirit or things of spiritual nature.
- Faith is Trust
- Faith is trustworthiness
- Faith is faithfulness
- Faith is the contents of belief
- Faith is the ground of assurance in what we believe in
- Faith is the pledge of our assurance in a living God who has a relationship with the believer whom He indwells.
Putting Faith into practice is not the easiest of things to do as faith is not something that one intellectually decides about. Faith is a total acceptance of the impossible being done. Where it seems it will not happen to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God does not make false promises. Yet Faith without works is dead. Therefore, to have the world know that Jesus is a reality we have to put our faith into practice. You ask how do I do this… Act on your firm conviction. Trusting what Jesus said, Mat 21:22 And whatever you ask for in prayer, having faith and [really] believing, you will receive. This is beyond the shadow of a doubt.
Many a book and lecture has been given on faith. There are faith schools where men are taught to have faith. Faith grows by hearing and not just hearing anything…..it is the hearing of God’s Word that is uncompromised. What God has done in the past He can do now? He is the same God of Yesterday, today and for all eternity!! Heb 13:8+9 Jesus Christ (the Messiah) is [always] the same, yesterday, today, [yes] and forever (to the ages). Do not be carried about by different and varied and alien teachings; for it is good for the heart to be established and ennobled and strengthened by means of grace (God's favor and spiritual blessing) and not [to be devoted to] foods [rules of diet and ritualistic meals], which bring no [spiritual] benefit or profit to those who observe them.
Conclusion:
If you read these notes take note it is just to give a bit of understanding about Gods Word. My mind is set not to make it complicated at all but to encourage those who want to know more to study Gods Word and trust Him any anything He promise to do. When the Bible was written God had you on His mind!!!
Watch this space for part 3
Read : Doctrines of the Bible made to understand (Part 1)
Pastor Carel Roux
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