Preparing Our Minds And Hearts

 For you have heard of my former conduct

in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God

beyond measure and tried to destroy it.

And I advanced in Judaism beyond many

of my contemporaries in my own nation,

being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions

of my fathers.  But when it pleased God,

who separated me from my mother's womb

and called me through His grace,

to reveal His Son in me, that I might

preach Him among the Gentiles,

I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood,

nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were

apostles before me; but I went to Arabia,

in return again to Damascus.

Galatians 1: 13 -- 17

            Paul never sought the glory of men, for he did not need to be "patted on the back" so that he felt pious.  Paul never aimed to please men.  There are a couple of things in the Scriptures that we should consider before we continue on, in this letter to the Galatians.  First, Paul reminded the Galatians that he was well-known for his religious fervor as a Pharisee and those things he did in his attempt to destroy the new Christian sect.  Paul held to the tradition of the Jewish religion and by this time, many of those traditions were simply man made traditions and not the traditions given to them by Moses.  The second thing of interest: the fact that Paul was called by God before he was born in that which occurred to him upon the road to Damascus when Jesus appeared to him to set him apart actually in time and was not the calling.  Paul was now ready mentally and religiously to become the apostle that Jesus wanted to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles.  Now comes this fact that Paul went into our Arabia and far too many people do not understand the geography and wonder how was it that Paul could go to Arabia and then to Damascus.  There has been much discussion over this fact that Paul went to Arabia and if we consider Arabia in maps to day we would then lose exactly what was being taught and understood in the days Paul. Paul said in Gal 4:25, that Mt. Sinai is in Arabia. This is a huge problem for those who believe Mt. Sinai is located at Mt. Musa in the middle of the Sinai Peninsula. First they argue that the Sinai Peninsula is not controlled by Egypt or part of Egypt. This contradicts the Bible in Gen 15:18, that says the Wadi el Arish is the border between Egypt and Israel. When this fails, they appeal to ancient geographers and maps to show that the Sinai Peninsula was called Arabia. Although this sounds convincing, the fact remains this contradicts history because when Paul wrote Gal 4:25, it was at least 50 years before the Sinai was first called Arabia in 106 AD, when the Romans annexed this land. Totally stumped, they finally they pull out an ancient map and say, "See! The land east of Goshen in Egypt was called Arabia." The problem is that they failed to look at the map themselves and notice that the Gulf of Aqaba is missing and the Sinai Peninsula does not exist. This is because the Gulf of Aqaba is missing and the Sinai Peninsula were not understood until about 1800 AD.  I've included an ancient map to give us some aid in our understanding and one must notice that the island of Crete was also included in the land of Arabia.

I tried to insert this old map but was not able to do so:

Hildburghausen, Bibliograph. Institut 1831-40
Steel engraving, hand colored in outline when published. This antique map shows Asia Minor with a small part of Arabia. Inside the map are many place names, rivers, etc. At the bottom of the map we see small inset map, which shows the island Crete. In the lower right corner is a inset map, which shows the mileage scales. 21,4 x 27,1

            I've taken the time to do this so that we can get past these controversies and get into what Paul actually wrote and why he wrote the way he did to the Galatians.  Paul was commissioned by Jesus Christ's to preach the gospel in this to the Gentile nations.  As was written in former blogs there was many practices being performed that were in contradiction to the commands of God in what had been preached to them by Paul.  Furthermore, there were those who were attempting and had done so in some way, to turn the Galatians to another gospel that was not the gospel at all.  Paul began after showing that he was a true apostle to endeavor to impress upon the Galatians there since of their guilt and forsaking the gospel way of justification.  Paul does this with mildness and tenderness towards them, and represents them as being drawn into it by the arts of some that troubled them.  Paul was reproving them so that they would return to their faith and be faithful, and this is true of us that we should also be gentle, and endeavor to restore those who have fallen away in the spirit of meekness.  These letters and epistles were not just written in some sort of vacuum, they were written to current problems, actual problems, and methods that Christians should use to keep the congregation clean and to help others to also walk in the way of truth.  This is also your commission, and mine, so we must ask ourselves: is this what I'm doing?

He who rebukes a man will find

            more favor afterward

then he who flatters with the tongue.

                        Proverbs 28: 23

Walk in the way of integrity

Richard L. Crumb

Fleeing False Teacher, Preacher, Prophets, And Apostles

For do I now persuade men, or God?

Or do I seek to please men?

For if I still pleased men,

I would not be a bondservant of Christ.

But I make known to you brethren,

that the Gospel which was preached by me

is not according to man.

For I neither received it from man,

nor was I taught it, but it came

through the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Galatians 1: 10 -- 12

            Throughout the history of the Hebrews and of Christians have a similarity; there are those who would use the religion of the people to teach a false religion.  Nothing has changed for we still have this problem with us today.  Moses wrote about such problem as this is and how to handle it: "If there are rises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, ’Let us go after other gods’ -- which you have not known –‘Let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer of dreams, for the LORD your God is testing you to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.  You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice; you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him.  But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has spoken in order to turn you away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeem you from the house of bondage, to entice you from the way in which the LORD your God commanded you to walk.  So you shall put away the evil from your midst" (Deuteronomy 13: 1 -- 5).  This declaration is so important especially when we consider how men by powerful talents mislead men, and high sounding claims that they have inspiration of supernatural powers.  We see this in those so-called Christian churches where they tout and preach and demand that people follow some sort of supernatural revelation, even having their students or congregants go and lay on graves as to somehow pick up some sort of spirit, or a walk-through tunnels of fire, or even to speak in some sort of unknown gibberish language, and to go about attempting to pray for healing for people and they do this as though they are receiving a special revelation from God.  Well, did not Paul say that he received a revelation from God?  Yes question is what was he talking about?  When we study the Bible we must study it in its completeness and not simply pull out certain scriptures to prove our point so we look at the letter to the Ephesians to get an understanding of what Paul was writing to the Galatians.  If you remember Ephesus is just south of the land of Galatia and maybe even considered to be part of Galatia although in this case Paul was writing to a particular church in Ephesus and not the churches in the land of Galatia.  So let us see what Paul wrote to the Ephesians: "For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles -- if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, how that might revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written are ready by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets; that the Gentiles should be fellow errors, of the same body, and partakers of his That promise in Christ through the Gospel, of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power" (Ephesians 3: 1 -- 7).  What was his revelation that Paul received other than the fact that Jesus Christ was the Messiah, the promised Messiah, who is the Son of God, who was God incarnate in the flesh?  It was not some revelation that he was to go about healing people or speaking in some sort of gibberish language or any other thing for this revelation was a mystery that was unknown to the Jewish people before the arrival of Jesus Christ on earth, and, before His death and resurrection, and ascension into heaven.  It was not until the Holy Spirit was given to each believer under the new dispensation, the new covenant, that was given to the Christian church by Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.  It was this: that no longer that which was hidden in the past is no longer to be hidden and that the Gentiles who were forbidden to come into the Jewish nation unless they followed some sort of ritual, especially circumcision, was no longer necessary for the all peoples could now become partakers of the promise of Jesus Christ through the Gospel.  Notice this: it was not by some sort of signs and wonders that people came to be partakers, no, it was the Gospel.  And this gospel is that Jesus Christ came to forgive sin and applies that work on the cross whereby men can be justified in sanctified to whomever are the children of God, His bride.  Paul in this letter has to reprove Galatian churches for their unsteadiness in the faith.  It was their defection that was his greatest surprise and sorrow.  It is true today for those who preach the truth of the Gospel that they are sorrowful and even surprised that many would fall prey to the antics and practices of those false preachers and teachers who speak of special revelation when we have no need for anything other than a word of God that teaches us all things by means of the Bible aided by the Holy Spirit.  Quick running about looking for what is not to be sought.  Jesus reiterated that what is written in Deuteronomy: we are to do that which God has commanded us and we do this by walking in what He has commanded and this by putting away the evil and furthermore as Jesus said: "we are to love the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul.

How can a young man cleanse his way?

            By taking the heed according to Your word.

With my whole heart I have sought You;

            Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!

Your word I have hidden in my heart,

            that I might not sin against You.

                        Psalm 119: 9 -- 11

God does not hide His commandments from you

Richard L. Crumb

True Gospel vs False Gospel: The Recompenxe

 But even if we, or an angel from heaven,

preach any other gospel to you than what we

have preached to you, let him be accursed.

As we have said before, so now I say again,

if anyone preaches any other gospel to you

then what you have received,

let him be accursed.

Galatians 1: 8 -- 9

            How important are these two verses?  Very!  So very important that Paul reiterated that those who brought a different gospel would be accursed: two times!  It was important then, and it is important now, for there are many preachers and teachers who call themselves Christian who are teaching another gospel.  I gave a brief overview of the history of the collation people and how that views within the dispersed traveled into the lands of Galatia and set up homes and businesses and work now and do the people of that area and they carried with them the Jewish practices and festivals and began to demand Christians to abide by them.  Once again Paul's apostleship was under question, things like circumcision, and whether or not Christians should abide or observed the whole law of Moses as though this was the gospel of Jesus Christ or without observing the law according to them they could not be justified or he saved.  They must practice, that is, there is a work oriented gospel and we find that same mental attitude among some churches calling themselves Christian whereby they teach in demand that their followers do certain things that when examined by Scripture are not found to be there.  I posted in the blogs examining Second Corinthians this: "He hath made Him to be sin for us...  that we might be made the righteousness of God...  (2 Corinthians 5: 21).  There has been over many years, especially since the Enlightenment, thinking that is contrary to Scripture, that one must do certain things so that we are to be accepted by Jesus Christ.  There is this modern view in regard to the death of Jesus that He died for our sins out of sympathy.  That is not the gospel, and if it is taught as gospel that it is a different kind of gospel and not the one that Paul had preached, and that is not what is to be reached by Bible preaching preachers.  It is not this form of gospel taught by those false teachers of gospel that we are to abide and observe.  The New Testament has a view that we must understand; Jesus Christ or our sin not by sympathy, but by identification.  Jesus Christ did not come to this earth for your sins.  Jesus Christ came to this earth to pay a debt that no man could pay, a debt owed to God the father, and this debt was original sin caused by Adam and Eve.  If man could not pay it, and he can't, then God by His mercy, and yet must have His justice met, paid the debt owed to himself by himself.  And this he did by sending himself, the second person of the Trinity, the only begotten son of God, Jesus Christ to die upon the cross whereby that debt was justified and paid.  Jesus Christ was made to be sin!  Nothing less, nothing more!  Jesus Christ came to pay the debt of sin for the whole world, and noticed that the word sin is singular.  Now with this debt being paid and justified our sins can be removed because of the death of Jesus.  It is not by running around doing such things as some sort of treasure hunt looking for people to whom you can pray for, or speaking in some sort of gibberish tongue, or doing other acts that people consider to be a worshiper of God when in fact they are not.  People get caught up in these things because they feel godly and have a sense of piety and this crew of the Galatians who were being taught to follow one observe certain rituals and festivals and do certain things so that they would be pleasing to God when in fact this did not and does not please God.  Let me explain the death of Jesus: His death is His obedience to His Father, not His sympathy with us.  What Jesus taught us by His life here on earth is that we are to be obedient to God the Father.  This we do when we are all obedient to Him who taught us to bring the gospel, His death, His resurrection, His ascension, to the father, and now sits to make eternal intercession to all those of father shows to say from the foundation of the world.  Let us look at this even deeper; we are not acceptable just because we have obeyed, or have promised to give up certain things, to act in a different way, no: we are acceptable to God the father because of the death of Jesus Christ and in no other way.  How often is it said that Jesus Christ came to reveal The Fatherhood of God, the loving kindness of God, when in fact the New Testament does not teach us that for the New Testament teaches us that He came to bear a way that is sin up the world.  Any revelation of His Father is to those to whom He has been introduced as Savior.  We are not scot-free because Christ died for you or for me for this is never taught in the New Testament.  Jesus Christ died for all not that He died my debt, and it is by this death we are dandified with Him and freed from sin and thereby have His righteousness imparted to you and to me.  This is what was taught to the churches by Paul and other apostles of Jesus Christ, through apostles, and this bay and we must remember that it is not by doing something that God received us and accepts us.  Yes when we have converted to the Lord Jesus Christ our heart goes out for others, and we respond in love to our brothers and our sisters in every way possible.  To say that we are doing this is to say nothing for all we are doing is what we have been commanded to do so we have nothing to add to any pride for doing anything that we are doing for God's children and possibly for others.  Comes with this is the fact that we must examine the doctrines that are being taught to us by others, and we do this in the light of Scripture then this is what we are doing as we are studying these inspired writings.  My goal is not to insert my opinion but to examine Scripture and see whether or not that which I believe to be true is in actuality true.  This epistle sets forth prominently the importance of the doctrines and those doctrines are not to be built upon the credit of men but on the authority of the Holy Spirit.  We will look at what others have said and then examine those things in the light of Scripture.  My goal once again is so that you will examine Scripture and wherever there is a need to change in thinking in doctrine, it is so that you are changed from the inside/out.

Harsh discipline is for him

who forsakes the way,    

and he who hates correction will die.

                        Proverbs 15: 10

He/she desires understanding seeks knowledge

Richard L. Crumb

Learning The Need For Paul To Write Galatians

I marvel that you are turning away so soon

from Him who called you in the grace of Christ,

to a different gospel, which is not another;

but there are some who troubled you and want

to pervert the Gospel of Christ.

Galatians 1: 6 -- 7

            Yesterday's blog gave a brief historical review to lay the foundation so we can come to understand the culture that Paul faced and how he had to address various issues due to their history.  We now come to a point of importance as to why Paul had to write to the collation churches and the manner in which he did so that when we study this letter are we can see how it applied then to the Galatian churches and how what was written as application throughout Church history and into our present age.  One of the things that is often overlooked is the roll that the Jewish believers played in the early history of the Christian Church.  We often forget that many of the Hebrews when captured and deported by the Babylonian kingdom did not return to Israel and populated other areas of the Earth.  And due to their religious views often persecution arose in fighting between other religious groups and especially for those who claimed that Jesus Christ was the Messiah that the Hebrews were expecting.  We also must remember at this time Claudius was the Emperor of Rome (41 -- 54 A.D.) Nero was to take the role of Emperor (54 -- 68 A.D.).  And they as rulers as other rumors have had to do prior and after them do battle with various tribes of people from the north and even from the Persian lands who wanted to capture Rome.  In the middle of all of this was rioting and wrong controversy between the Jews and the Greeks.  Are you getting the picture?  Greeks also were scattered about and many of them had landed in the city of Alexandria and this began to occur in a larger manner in the reign of Gaius (Caligula) (37 -- 41 A.D.), an emperor who had declared himself a god in this deification a declining created a serious crisis in the East, among the Jews.  In the year 38 A.D., members of the large Jewish community in Alexandria had become involved in a large-scale, violent fighting against the great majority of the inhabitants, who rejected the Jews claim to full citizenship of the city.  This conflict was to bring about a serious organized massacre not seen before in history whereby many pagan gangs forced their way into the synagogues and set up stature of the Emperor.  Philo let a Jewish mission to Rome (40 A.D.), to explain to the Emperor, that while their religious principles made it impossible for them to sacrifice to him, they were always very glad to sacrifice for him, which indeed they regularly did.  Gaius thought this to be lunacy more than criminal then news reached him of events that were taken in Judea itself among the Greek and Jewish population of Jamnia.  Whereby the Jews Jews had destroyed all alters that were set up by the Greeks to honor the Emperor.  This act prompted Gaius to decree that the country's places of worship be converted into shrines of the Imperial cult.  This led to a national rebellion and mass martyrdom.  Gaius, due to a friend, finally was persuaded by his Julius Agrippa to cancel his command, although shortly after this he was assassinated. Claudius became emperor and now this problem in Alexandria was one in which he had to deal with and had this to say: "as for the question which party was responsible for the riots and feud (or rather, if the truth be told, the war) with the Jews....  I was unwilling to make a strict inquiry, though guarding with in me a store immutable indignation against which ever party renews the conflict; and I tell you once and for all that it lets you put a stop to this ruinous and obstinate enmity against each other, I shall be driven to show what a benevolent princeps can be when turned to righteous indignation).  Paul had to face these Judaizers who had settled also into Galatian lands and while they were awesome and against the Greeks they were also obstinate against this new set: Christians.  It seems that there were in Galatia semi-pagans, or semi-Jewish syncretists, perhaps of a Gnostic sort, but it is as well likely that this letter had to do with the Judaizing controversy for which the council in Jerusalem met (Acts 15).  We also must never think it impossible to over estimate how historically crucial were the theological issues at stake.  We also seem to forget that the early Christians still often attended the synagogues.  These early Jewish Christians in large measure continued in the Jewish mode of life would not only was in attendance at the synagogue or temple, there was a question of offering sacrifices, or observance of mosaic rituals and dietary doubloons, as well as social aloofness from the Gentiles.  All of this forced the church when there a conversion of a Gentile was to face several important questions.  Should these Gentile Christians be required to submit to circumcision in practice the Jewish way of life as this was the case when a non-Jewish person, a proselyte who had converted to Judaism.  Now came a problem: many of these Gentile Christians were unwilling to become holy Jewish, begging the question to the church grant a second-class citizenship to those Gentile or Greek Christians?  Not important question is not the important question: what makes a person a Christian?  This question needs to be asked of ourselves!  It is faith in Jesus Christ solely and not just faith in Christ plus adherence to principles and practices.  This is what the Judaizers were attempting to do and that is to apply the Jewish way of life, their principles and practices to these converts to Christianity's who were not Jewish.

            We have not covered in some degree the history of the Galatians and the history of various events that led up to this time when Paul had need to write to the Galatian churches.  We will find that there are two theories and we must address that further our understanding and give us a solid foundation so that we can understand what Paul wrote in how to apply what he wrote in our lives.

O LORD, I will praise You;

            though You were angry with me,

Your anger is turned away, and You comfort me.

            Behold, God is my salvation,

I will trust and not be afraid;

            For Yah, the LORD, is my strength and song;

He also has become my salvation.

                        Isaiah 12:1 -- 2

Faith in God: the mark of a Christian

Richard L. Crumb

A Study Of Galatians: Changing From The Inside/Out

Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man,

but through Jesus Christ and God the Father

who raised Him from the dead), and all

the brethren who are with me,

to the churches of Galatia:

Grace to you and peace from God the Father

and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself

for our sins, that He might deliver us from

this present evil age, according to the will

of our God and Father, to whom be glory

for ever and ever.  Amen.

Galatians 1: 1 -- 5

            Before we launch out into the study of this letter, it is important that we come to know and understand the background, or the historical aspects, that Paul faced when he brought to these people the Gospel.  It is important for any study to know the historical aspects, and it is important to know how to study by using correct knowledge and tools.  Although there are similarities between driving a car, a truck, a motorcycle, flying an airplane, or piloting a ship, or boat, the similarities are that a person pilots or drives a certain vehicle.  Anyone can steer a vehicle but this does not make a good driver or pilot.  A good pilot or driver knows about the vehicle, and has studied, and come to understand the functioning parts.  Furthermore, it comes to a sense and feeling as to the operation of the vehicle he is steering.  It takes more than an simple understanding and requires that a person fully understands, and least as much as possible, all there is to know about a subject.  This is true as we study the Bible and the writings of the various men who wrote letters and books.  Remember, that the foundation for our study is found in Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit who will guide us in our study.  It is like someone learning to drive and has a driving mentor teaching him/her the finer points in the good driver must know.  That is true as we continue to study the Bible and we do have a mentor the Holy Spirit.  Albeit that we have a mentor is still our responsibility to study deeply what we are attempting to learn so that we can be a faithful witness in to grow in our own faith.  So let us take time to understand this book written by Paul to the Galatians.

            Who were the Galatians and why did Paul and we need to write a letter to them?

HISTORY:

            Ancient Galatia was located in the central regions of modern-day Turkey inhabited by the Phyrgians and then came to be controlled inhabited by the Celtic tribes.  You may have heard of the Celtics but may not fully understand who they were and how they came to be in Galatia.  And adding to our historical understanding we must know something about this group that was a diverse group of tribal societies.  We can historically see where peoples of the iron age in Europe and had a large range of lands is far west as Ireland and the Iberian Peninsula as far east as Galatia otherwise known as central Anatolia and as far as north as Scotland.  Sometime around 400 B.C. we find the languages of the Celtics we study a tax upon Rome in 387 B.C. and the Celtics had already become separate in many languages and spread all over Central Europe, the Iberian peninsula, Ireland and Britain.  So how did the Celtics come to be in Anatolia?  Somewhere around 270’s B.C. the Celtics were invited to come to Anatolia to serve as warriors and mercenaries.  This term ‘Galatia’ was used by the Greeks to denote these Celtic tribes.  Once the Celtics were in Anatolia they became the preeminent power of the region and they were raiders into the nearby provinces.  Eventually the Galatians were defeated and they settled down in Central Asia minor although they continued to periodically launch raids in campaigns into the surrounding lands.  Somewhere around 25 B.C. there was a Roman annexation and now moment in influence and power came to this territory.  Little is really known of the Galatians except that which has been discovered in archaeology but we do know of the government of Galatia.  The Galatians adopted many aspects of the Greek culture and the Celtics were later known as the Gallogracians.  The Celtic people became a mixed race and among them were for freed slaves of the area.  So, the Roman influence and power affected the Galatians and was that which poll also would be forced to face as he taught them the Gospel.  The Celtic people, or the Galatians is a word now known retained it features of the Gaulish culture and language in Paul's day.  In the Acts of the apostles a record shows that Paul traveled to the region of Galatia and Phrygia, a city that laid immediately to the west of Galatia and it may also be true that Paul founded the churches of Galatia at (Antioch of Pisidia, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe) (Acts 16:6; Galatians.1:8;4:13;4:19).  These people seem to have been composed mainly of converts from paganism: "But then, indeed, when you did not know God, you serve those which by nature are not gods" (Galatians 4: 8).  It seems that after Paul's departure the churches were led astray and were proposing another gospel.  These Galatians seem to appear to have been receptive to the teaching of these newcomers and were willing to turn from Paul's teaching.

            The next blog will delve into the other part of the question as to why Paul had need to write to them as he did.  My hope is that this historical study will give you better understanding of why and what Paul was instructed by the Holy Spirit to write and how that writing also may apply to us in our present day.

For all those things My hand has made,

            and all most things exist,

says the LORD.  But on this one I will look:

            on him who is poor and of a contrite spirit,

and who trembles at My word.

                        Isaiah 65:2

Today glorify the LORD

Richard L. Crumb

Growing In Grace: Marks Of This Growth

We are bound to think God always for you,

brethren, as is fitting, because your faith

grows exceedingly, and the love of everyone

of you abounds toward each other.

2 Thessalonians 1: 3

For this reason we also, since the day we heard it,

do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you

may be filled with the knowledge of His will

in all wisdom and spiritual understanding:

that you may walk worthy of the Lord,

fully pleasing Him, being fruitful

in every good work and increasing

in the knowledge of God:

Colossians 1: 9 -- 10

            Scripture has spoken to us in plain language so that we can build this doctrine of growth in grace from this principle foundation.  There are many scriptural text in regards to growth and in the growth of our knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ it is hard to debate whether or not they established the doctrine of growth in grace or not for grace for the growth of grace is taught in the Bible: so here is where the debate ends.  We can look at this growth of grace on the ground of fact and experience.  Cannot we see degrees of grace in the New Testament saints for we have their histories recorded and they are recorded as plain as possible.  Cannot you see in yourself that at times has been a great difference between your faith and your knowledge?  Does not Scripture is think we imply and recognize by means of its language when it speaks of "weak" faith and "strong" faith and as Christians as being "newborn babies," "Little children," "Young man," and does this not bring you by means of your own observation to the same conclusion?  They must confess that there is as much difference between the degree of our own faith and knowledge when we were first converted, and now our present attainments of faith.  We have grown in faith, therefore, growth in faith is a real thing.  One might ask how are we to grow stronger and the answer is very clear that we grow just as all things grow that have life, growth is a process in this process is a thing of infinite importance to the soul.  It is our growth in grace that gives the best evidence of our spiritual health and prosperity.  Like all things that grow and have life there is a progress and if they are doing well by this progress they will grow.  Our growth and grace also is a way for us to be happy in our religion.  God has linked together our comfort by means of our increase in our holiness.  But there's one thing be very clear that the person who feels the most joy and peace in believing also has the clearest witness of the Spirit in his heart and it is this person who grows.  We are to be a witness for our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ for we are His ambassadors and our influence on others for good depends greatly on what they see in us.  When our growth in grace is witnessed we become the one who stirs up mines, and says the world thinking, and is the believer who is continually improving and going forward showing that there is life and reality when they see your growth in grace.  Here is an important point: our growth and grace pleases God: "Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received it from us how you ought to walk in to please God" (1 Thessalonians 4: 1).  We are to bear much fruit for we are His witness and ambassadors and have this work and responsibility to bring to our world the Gospel.  In this our award takes pleasure and especially so for those who grow in grace.  Grow in grace is a possible thing and more importantly it is that which believers are accountable.  To tell Christians that we must grow in grace is only simply to be summoning people to this from very plain scriptural duty.  If we neglect this growth of grace than we are robbed of privilege is, and then we grieve the Spirit.  The fault lies with us if we are not growing in grace and this fault cannot be laid upon God.  The fault is our own, and we ourselves are to blame and no one else if we do not grow in grace.  There are marked by which we can see that growth in grace is occurring.  We must not question the reality of growth in grace and it's important but we also must recognize that we are very poor judges of our own condition, and that bystanders often know us better than we know ourselves.  Yet, there is undoubtedly great marks and signs of growth in grace and where ever you see these marks you see a growing soul.  When we grow in grace one of the marks is our increase in humility, that is, our souls that are growing feel in us our own sinfulness and unworthiness more and more every year.  The nearer we draw closer to God the more we see of God's holiness and perfections.  And as we grow in grace we become more susceptible to our own countless imperfections.  If we look back at our study in First Corinthians we find that Paul grew in grace and also grew in his humility: "For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God" (1 Corinthians 15: 9).  When we first convert the Lord Jesus Christ there is a great light within a new Christian, but this is not what we look back towards for we must look forward and grow in grace and if we do we will see that that which began by our conversion has grown and we find ourselves becoming more and more humble due to our sins and the fact that God sent His Only Begotten Son to die upon a cross for our sins.  May we continue to grow in grace and become all that God desires us to become and that is to be His witness to what He has done by means of His coming, incarnate, as the Only Begotten Son of God.

Even a child is known by his deeds,

            whether what he does is pure and right.

                                    Proverbs 20:11

Open your eyes and you will be satisfied

Richard L. Crumb

The Doctrine Of Holiness And Growth In Grace

Grow in grace, and in the knowledge

of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 3: 18

            Yes, the opening Scripture is short, and yet this subject not omitted as we continue to study the various books in our Bible.  It is a subject that many Christians speak of and yet have not much understanding of it.  And, this is, holiness, and as we study the various books written by the apostles, and others, that make up the canon of our Bible, I feel we must begin at this point to inquire about holiness.  This will help us to continue to understand what the Bible writers were attempting to do as they wrote and taught the Gospel.  All the Bible writers speak as did Peter that we are to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ so it is important that we turn our attention to the subject before we move on to the other epistles and letters.  For some Christians in this inquiry may not seem worth attention, but, I'm afraid that this kind of Christian falls under the category of a Sunday Christian, having a Sunday religion, who comes once a week and then lays aside what has been taught to him or her.  Such a man as this, cannot be expected to care about growth in grace and as Paul said in his first letter: "But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Corinthians 2: 14).  Are you earnest about your soul, and do you hunger and thirst after spiritual things?  Those questions ought to drive home to you a searching power and then to ask ourselves, is it true that we can make progress in our religion, can we grow in our religion?  These questions are always useful, especially at certain times making us think and look within ourselves.  Think about this: our time on this earth is quickly flying by, life is ebbing away, the hour is drawing nearer when our Christianity will be tested, and we will come to know whether our Christianity was built on the rock, or on the sand.  Mentioned many times in these blogs that we are to examine ourselves and to take account of our souls and these two questions will aid us in our examination: we get on in our spiritual things?  Do we grow?

            These questions are of special importance in our present day.  Why?  There are crude and strange opinions being purported, those strange opinions that are presented to men's minds on some points of doctrine, and even in regards to the growth of grace as being whether or not it is an essential part of true holiness.  For some they totally denied this.  What the strange and crude opinions are doing is to an indurate the minds of those hearing the crude and strange doctrines and they will not listen to any other point that is given to them from Scripture and all they do is explain it away and pare it down to nothing.  Many, many, Christians have a misunderstanding of growing and grace and holiness.  These questions are consequently, neglected.  It is important to know that it is useful to look square into the face of this subject of Christian growth.  There is a reality of religious growth and such a thing as growth in grace.  There are marks of religious growth, and there are marks by which growth in grace may be known.  There is a means of religious growth and those means must be used for anyone who desires to grow in grace.  Before I move forward we must understand we never put the means ahead of the agent and our agent, our foundation, is Jesus Christ.  This subject that we are entering into is not a mere matter of speculation and non-controversy.  This is a most important practical subject, if there is any such in religion.  The subject is intimately and inseparably connected with the whole question of sanctification.  The leading mark, that which we can know to be true about anyone is that the saints in Jesus Christ continued to grow.  In this growth is in the virtual health and prosperity, for the spiritual happiness and comfort of every person who has the true heart for Jesus Christ and holy Christianity they are intimately connected with this subject of spiritual growth.

            Let's establish this in the first place: there is such a thing as growth in grace.  No Christian can ever deny this proposition as being strange and a melancholy thing, we also must remember that man is fallen and also his will is fallen.  There will be disagreements about doctrines and often they are nothing more than disagreements about nonessentials, or over the meaning of words.  So that when we speak of growth in grace I may mean one thing while others may deny it to mean quite another thing to let me clear the way to explain what I mean.  When I speak of growth in grace I do not mean that a believer's interest in Christ can grow.  I further do not mean that he can grow in safety, acceptance with God or security.  I do not mean that he can ever be more justified, more pardon, more forgiven, more at peace with God, then he is at the first moment that he comes to believe.  We must and I do, hold firm that the justification of any Christian is finished, perfect, and a complete work.  Even the weakest saint, though you may not know and feel it, is completely justified as the strongest of any Christian.  Furthermore, I hold firmly that our election in Jesus Christ, our calling, and standing in Christ, a admits of no degrees, no increase or diminution.  Do not mistake this, that our growth in grace means that we grow in justification.  If you do you're off the mark, and your utterly mistaken.  The matter of justification before God for every believer is complete in Jesus Christ: "and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power" (Colossians 2: 10).  Nothing can be added to our justification from the moment we believe, and nothing is ever taken away from our justification.  Praise God for this for all this is due to Him, and the death of our Savior Jesus Christ upon the cross that paid for sin, even our sins.

For as the Earth brings forth its bud,

            as the garden causes the things

that are sown in it to spring forth,

            so the Lord God will cause righteousness

and praise to spring forth before all the nations.

                                    Isaiah 61: 11

May your righteousness be seen by all

Richard L. Crumb

Advancing In Our Sanctification

Therefore I write these things being absent,

lest being present I should use sharpness,

according to the authority which the Lord

as given me for edification and not for destruction.

Finally, brethren, farewell.  Become complete.

Be of good comfort, be of one mind,

live in peace; and the God of love

and peace will be with you.

Greet one another with a holy kiss.

All the saints greet you.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,

and the love of God,

and the communion of the holy spirit

be with you all.  Amen.

2 Corinthians 13: 10 -- 14

            We have now concluded studying the two letters that Paul wrote to the Corinthian Christians.  Looking back at what we have studied we find that the Corinthian church had succumbed to many false practices and beliefs.  But coming together as a body of believers became more of a party than a time to worship corporately our God and Savior.  The misuse of gifts, are rendered as bad practice in regards to the communion whereby many people were drinking to get drunk and partying and even denying others to join them.  The misuse of spiritual gifts, especially the misuse of speaking in a gibberish form of supposed revelation from God, rather than using the gift of just speaking the Gospel became more important than the Gospel itself.  It didn't just happen in the Corinthian church does happen throughout Christian history at its best it true of many churches today that exercise such false practices and also say that this is special revelation from God.  Paul wrote in his first letter: "Your glorying is not good.  Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?  Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened.  For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us" (1 Corinthians 5:6 -- 7).  Paul spoke to us that the greatest gift that we could ever have and use is the gift of love (1 Corinthians 13).  Paul reminds us that we will be changed in a moment and that which is corruptible will put on in corruption and that the sting of death no longer has sway over God's children.  Our first love, if we are to have true love, is our love for our Savior Jesus Christ and by that love we completely commit our lives Him.  Paul had to defend himself against those who opposed him and his apostleship.  Paul never tells us to do anything other than to live a godly life and be a witness, ambassador, for Jesus Christ in everything that we do and say.  Never are we told to go about trying to save people, we are told to bring the gospel to people, and the Holy Spirit will save whomever He chooses to save.  We are to care for our brothers and sisters who are in need and want and we are not to associate with those within the church who will not conform to the will of God.  We are to be careful with any of our associations with those outside of the Christian faith.  Then finally Paul tells us to be of good comfort and to be of one mind, to live in peace and then the love of God and peace will be with you.  Paul brings us great hope that if we will just trust our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ then if he is truly are doing all they God asks of us.  Yes, God may call you to other things but that call can only be realized if we are doing the will of God and not from our own desires alone.  Paul reminds us in the Second Corinthians: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; all things have passed away; behold, all things have become a new.  Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us know where it of reconciliation.  Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us; we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.  For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5: 17 -- 21).  When we have converted to the Lord Jesus Christ by having the faith of God Who has given us faith in this by the Word of God the Holy Spirit begins a new work in us like reading us into a new creation.  Yes, sanctification in this life is progressive and it is only progressive if we apply the word of God in our lives.  How are we going to get this life?  Destroy self-interest so that the love for our God is not provoked.  Destroy the old way of thinking, that which was and is evil.  Quit looking for God's blessings, and desire only God and his Savior Jesus Christ who is our righteousness.  When we see God at work, we will no longer bother ourselves, our thinking that may lead us into false practices and exercises, rather we will become trusting an our Father in heaven.  What is more important to you?  Is it your life in this world to be seen as a successful, or a cosmopolitan person, led by the culture of this world so that you feel good about yourself, or is God the most important person in your life and all you do is lead by your love for Him?  My prayer is that you will deny your self, pick up your cross, and follow Him.

            The next blog will begin the book of Galatians and I pray that we will learn from this study more on how to be progressive in our sanctification and in our witness to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

                       

Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer;

            you shall cry, and he That will say,

"Here I am."

            If you take away the yoke from your midst,

the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,

            if you extend your soul to the hungry

and satisfy the afflicted soul, then your light

            in the darkness, and your darkness

shall be as the noonday.

                        Isaiah 58: 9 -- 10

The LORD will guide you continually

Richard L. Crumb