But without faith it
is impossible
To please Him, for he
who comes
To God must believe
that He is,
And that He is a
rewarder of those
Who diligently seek
Him.
Hebrews 11:6
The
objective of every blog I do is to give assistance to those who are seeking to
walk closer in harmony with our Savior and God Jesus Christ. To change from the
inside out is an honorable desire so that yours and my life will demonstrate to
our world, those we know and those who observe us, Jesus Christ. It is not
enough to say “I believe,” we must show our faith in our actions. We must do as
the writer of Hebrews admonishes: “He will reward those who diligently seek
Him. Notice the word “diligently” for this is not to be passive rather it is be
intentional to know Him and to apply His commands in our lives. This study of
history is one such diligent study and the reward is in our sanctification, our
faith will not be stagnant, it will be alive and beneficial to you and
others. Our desire should be to please
God and our Savior to live as an Authentic Biblical Christian.
There are
some who would cavil at common sense and their faith is antagonistic to common
sense, but this leads to fanaticism. If our common sense is antagonistic to
faith, that is, the more important aspect of our beliefs then we would be lead
to rationalism. Common sense stands in relation to the natural, and faith
stands in relation to the spiritual, both exist and they need to be brought
together in right relation to each other, we need to understand the these two things:
impulse and inspiration. When Jesus spoke what He said is never said in common
sense. The Sermon on the Mount may be read to see that what Jesus said flew in
the face of common sense. Why, because what Jesus Christ said was revelation
sense, it reaches in our lives where common sense fails. Faith is not faith
unless it is tried for a person cannot have faith in something if he has the
reality in view. Faith is not common sense, it is that which works in us on a
personal live. It is that in God’s Providence our faith is transformed into
reality. This reality of faith working in our personal lives enables a person
to see the purpose of God a purpose that ideal faith is made real in His
children. As we study history, especially the history of the Church you will
come to see every detail of our common sense life, God will reveal to us fact
of Himself whereby we can prove in our practical experiences what we believe
God to be. God has ordained all things, every facet, for if He did not ordain a
thing to happen, it won’t. God brings us into circumstances in order for our
faith to be educated for our faith then will be made real and its object, God
and His Son Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, real. If our faith is not “real”
and we come to understand the purpose of God, that is, to come to know
His Son Jesus Christ, then God will be nothing more than an abstraction, a hope
without foundation and this is blind faith that is not real faith. When we come
to know Jesus Christ we have come to God in faith, a saving faith that God has
given to you: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not
of yourselves; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8) Faith then is the
whole man in a right relationship to God and this is possible by the power of
the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus Christ. (Some the excerpts were taken from
Oswald Chamber’s “My Utmost for His highest”).
The three forms of philosophical
interpretation have been outlined but I do not want to just present a dreary
academic exercise, a simple remembering of facts. I will give much thought and
I hope you too, as to its value to the Christian. For history to have value the
student must be conscious history, its values and their application to a person
in ancient times and how those values, which are learned, and assimilated in a
person’s life for them to have power to motivate. There is a necessity
especially for a Christian to know and understand history; not in some drab
uninteresting account of events but to bring alive history. This enlivened
approach to history while being factual in the events that occurred, makes
cause for real interest in the area of human history.
Paul the apostle in his writing to
the Romans illuminates this fact: history was written for our learning: For
whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that through
the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.”[1]
(Italics mine). History is there for us to learn, both Church history and
secular history: they are two parts of the same coin, you cannot have one
without the other. Therefore we shall look at history from secular events and
how those secular events affected men and women, and the Church. To know one side of the coin is to know the
other side: this will take study. To know Church history and an explanation of
the present we must know the past, the roots of the past. On the one side of
this coin of history we see now, in the present day, many religions, some
people who claim no religion, more than 250 separate groups claiming to be
called “Christian,” many denominations, and many religious practices which
differ from each denomination, i.e., Methodists in their practice of communion
kneel at the rail, Presbyterians in general serve communion to their
parishioners in their seats, or in some like fashion. Theology between views of
John Calvin and Jacobus Arminius which are different and make for much
consternation among Churches. The idea of separation in our Constitution,
challenged by some, but yet, why did this concept be written into the
Constitution of the United States? All
are present day problems and those problems can be illuminated by a study of
the past.
The many
problems and evils that exist not only in the world at large but also in the
Church. A study of the past will help a person to understand and avoid errors
and false practices, and this is of the most value and reason for such an
endeavor to study the past. It ignorance of history, especially history of the
Church and is a major cause why many churchgoers advocate false theologies, or
have bad practices. A study of history, Church history has many benefits as it
will edify, inspire, to promote enthusiasm, to stimulate a person towards a
higher spiritual life. There are two major
benefits in this study: 1. Spiritual enrichment. 2. To become an intelligent
citizen. Furthermore, to know history is to come to know of the Church’s
indestructibleness giving hope to those who live in nations where religious
freedom is governed by the state. To know history will enable a person in
practical matters, as those values understood and applied will aid a person in
their walk in this life. Secular history can never be divorced from the history
of the Church. A sense of unity, not Unitarianism, rather a knowing of who you
are, from where you come, why you believe what you believe, and of the unity of
Christian brethren. A study of history, especially Church history will make a
person grow in their faith, their sanctification as the doctrines of Scripture
unfold so that you will accept those Doctrines of Faith, the vicarious death
and resurrection of Jesus Christ. These Doctrines, the gospel was what was
delivered to the saints of old and to you in this present day, and they must be
true to history, and most important, to the clear illumination of Scripture.
Paul was one who delivered such a message: “For I delivered to you first of
all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the
Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according
to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then the twelve. After that
he was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the grater part
remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that he was seen by
James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by
one born out of due time”[2]
(Italics mine). This is history and Paul was explaining the history of Jesus
Christ and how His life was not just some other prophet who would come and go,
maybe be of God, or just prophesizing from their own theology, as some do in
some churches today, rather Paul was giving historical proofs of the Son of God
and of salvation. To study history, the history of the Church will unite a
person to the true Body of Jesus Christ throughout the ages. One who has
studied the history of the Church will lose their provincialism, that is, their
narrowness of denominational view. There will be not ecumenism, rather with
this realization of the past, a person will become more tolerant on the
non-essentials, and will be able to accept the essentials, the basic doctrines
of the Faith.
This knowledge
of the Doctrines found in Scripture are so important and yet many churches seem
to avoid teaching on the Doctrines, yet John the apostles gives this inspired
advice: “Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ
does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father
and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not
receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his
evil deeds” (2John 9-11). Our study of history then will aid our
understanding, our common sense, and will unite our faith with our commons
sense as we learn the doctrines of Jesus Christ our God and Savior.
These things I have written to
you
Who
believe in the name of
The Son of God, that you may know
That
you have eternal life,
And that you may continue to
believe
In
the name of the Son of God.
God will give to you grace, mercy
and peace
Richard L. Crumb
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