HAAPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR

HAPPY NEW YEAR

MAY IT BE

PROSPEROUS

MAY IT BE

A TIME TO BE

INTENTIONAL

WITH GOD

AND HIS

SON

JESUS CHRIST

THANK YOU THOSE 

WHO READ THIS BLOG

I WILL CONTINUE 

JAN 4, 2016

MAY GOD BLESS YOU

AND YOURS

What Is This Faith That Saves The Soul?

Now the just shall live by faith:

but if any man draw back, my soul

shall have no pleasure in him. 

But we are not of them who draw

back unto perdition; but of them

that believe to the saving of the soul.

Hebrews 10:38-39

     Yes, I repeated the verses from yesterday's blog because before we move on since the next chapter is all about faith we must come to understand this thing called: "Faith." What is faith? There are many different beliefs and teachings on this thing called: faith. Those teachings and beliefs cause people to do what may or may not be actually Scriptural: their understanding and definition is not Scriptural but makes them feel pious. We hear of "faith healers," and those who speak that they have faith but their lives are far from the words of Scripture, but they believe their faith is all that is needed to be saved. Yes, without faith you cannot please God, but not any kind of faith, but the faith as revealed in Scripture. "The Just shall live by faith," the just, not just anyone or any faith, but faith by a just person, so what is a just person? The word "just" has several meanings and the meanings that are to be assigned to a Christian is that a just person is one that keeps the truth, or fact, true, correct, one who has a just analysis implying that one has taken time to study and learn the facts. A just person is one who is righteous, actual, real, or genuine. To have justice in your life you must have the quality of righteousness, a moral uprightness, to be conformed to a principle shown in your conduct (this requires conversion, not just simple faith), so then you do justice that reflects or expresses the worth your faith is based on properly. 

     "The just shall live by faith." To have faith is to have confidence or trust in a person or thing. That is simple enough but faith is much more for that is to have faith as in your tires not causing you and accident as you travel at high speeds, you have faith in a thing, and in those who built the tires even though you have no knowledge as to how they were built, if they were built by trustworthy people. So faith is not built upon proof. I have never seen God, or Jesus Christ, yet, I belief and and faith in God, the Godhead that what I have not seen is trustworthy and will fulfill all His promises. Yet, my faith is not built simply on nothing for I do have a way to assure my faith: Scripture. Scripture has made known to me, and will to you, the cause for my faith and reassure me, or you, so that I can have confidence in my faith. Scripture has shown to be a reliable guarantee so my faith is secure, not simply built upon nothing. Now I can be faithful and have a steady allegiance, or loyalty, and an affection to the One Who has by the fact of His life, death, and resurrection shown to be fact: My faith is assured and has substance even though I have not seen Him or God. There is no reason to draw back from God, from Jesus Christ, to return to the "old ways" that were leading to destruction. 

     Allow me to give a literal translation with some thought for clarity in parenthesis: "But the just out of faith shall live, and if (the if is subjunctive so a person may or may not, it is not known) he draw back, my soul delights not in him. But we are not of [those] drawing back to destruction, but of faith (many of the translations use the word "believe" to translate the same word in verse 38 which is identical to the word here, so it might be a bit misleading, for it is of faith, and that faith is to believe, but without Authentic faith that belief may or may not be Scriptural) to saving {the} soul."  

     Here then is the crux; Faith comes by hearing, hearing the word of God: PERIOD! Pastors and teachers may and should be able to aid you in your growth in sanctification but the responsibility is upon you, to study, pray, and to exercise Authentic Christian Faith. 

    2016 a new year is two days away, how will it be different for you. What will you do that will make sure your election and salvation? Who will you witness to, not just by you action which is very important, but to show from the word of God, where faith comes from, this is a free gift that God has given, so by your spoken word, using Scripture correctly you will be faithful to the command to take the Gospel to the uttermost part of the earth (Acts 1:8) even if you uttermost part of the earth is right where you live: in fact start there and then see how God will use you to feed His sheep. Be intentional, do not be lazy, or tacitly approve of the wrong that is in the world, take a stance, live as an Authentic Christian and you will find even in the midst of persecution, or trouble a blessing that no person can take from you, it is from God, to you, for you faithfulness: "the just shall live by faith, and that faith is the saving of the soul."

Whoever invokes a blessing in the land

    will do so by the God of truth.

For the past troubles will be forgotten

    and hidden from My eyes.

                      Isaiah 65:16   

Pray for God to show you the way to be intentional

Richard L. Crumb

Authentic Believing Is Authentic Conversion To God, To Jesus Christ, To The Holy Spirit

Now the just shall live by faith:

but if any man draw back, my soul

shall have no pleasure in him. But

we are not of them who draw back 

unto perdition; but of them that

believe to the saving of the soul. 

Hebrews 10:38-39

     Yesterday I could not write my blog as I had some teeth pulled and a new upper denture put in place: still getting used to having something in my mouth that is not food: Ha!

I do hope your Christmas was a memorable and enjoyable one, and that Jesus was center in your thoughts in the midst of celebration. New Years Day is next: I pray that you celebrate this time to look back and to examine, see what was good and what was not so good and make the changes necessary so that 2016 is good. 

     Well, that does it, the writer of Hebrews has gone to preaching: faith, a person must have faith for the just will not live by non-faith, but by faith. By this faith and not shrinking back as to turn away from what is known to be pleasing to God will only bring upon that person God's displeasure. What is this "perdition?" The Greek word: "άπώλεκαν" is accusative, singular, and means ruin or loss, destruction, to die, to perish, or a destiny. Those who draw back from God have only perdition in their future. I am not speaking of sins that we commit out of our human nature, or those we commit that we may not be aware of, no, we can repent from those sins for there is no drawing back as those who will not believe. Only those who believe will be saved. Period! Faith comes by hearing, hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17). This faith is a free gift, you cannot earn it (Ephesians 2:8-9). But you can accept the gift and this you do when you believe. This is not some simple belief, not some decision that is of a faith that is not Authentic Christian Faith, for, and this is important, you must by this faith convert: "and side, Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven"(Matthew 18:3). When a person desires to have Authentic Christian Faith, faith in God, that faith must be founded upon the sure word of God not some paraphrase, or added words to Scripture. Sometimes what is translated is not a true translation rather a person(s) preconceived or presupposition that is being written as in the NIV, "Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ' (Romans 10:17, NIV). Or: "So faith follows the thing, in turn the thing heard is through the word about Christ" (Romans 10:17, New World Translation: Jehovah Witnesses).Let us look at the NIV where the word,  the word message is not in the original manuscripts, nor is the word  "Christ is not in the original manuscripts, Although in some later versions from the 6th century, and from one that is unsure as it is too corrupted to be surely noted as fact, what has been done in the "Critical Text" is to use it rather than the early manuscripts that were available but did not fit their theological bent, these are added making this a person's paraphrase. The word in Greek "apa" could mean "consequently" but faith follow the "thing," well that word is not in any Greek manuscript. It sounds good when it is translated to hear "the message" even if it is said to be about Christ. What message about Christ is being taught? What thing about Christ is being taught? Here is the Greek with my adding the English to it: Αρα (Wherefore) ή (the) λέγω (word), έξ (out) άκοής (hearing), ή (the) δέ (but) άκοή (hearing) διά (through) ρήματος (spoken word) θεου (of God) (Romans 10:17). If it was "about "Christ" or "God" then this could and does allow for a person to say just about anything they want, if it is "about" and not actually true.

     Why so much about this? Garbage in: garage out! What God calls weakness, we call strength and our lives are not brought into subjection to Him, there is no real conversion. Truth from Scripture as Scripture actually tells us about the truth of God, not a man's idea of truth. We need to abandon to God and this abandonment will not be a real truthful abandonment if not founded upon the word of God from Scripture actually translated as a Greek person would hear it, not by what someone has added that would draw a person from God. 

     Let us draw closer to God, to our Savior Jesus Christ and become as little children willing to listen to Him and follow Him.

They will be mine, says the LORD Almighty, 

     "in the day when I make up my treasured

 possession. I will spare them, just as in

      compassion a man spares his son who serves him. 

                                   Malichi 3:17

How are you planning to serve God in 2016?

Richard L. Crumb

Christmas Day: God Gives The Gift Of Enduring Substance

But call to remembrance that 

former days, in which after ye 

were illuminated, ye endured

a great fight of affliction;

partly, whilst ye were made a

gazingstock both by reproaches

and afflictions; and partly, 

whilst ye became companions 

of them that were so used.

For ye had compassion of me 

in my bonds, and took joyfully

the spoiling of your goods, knowing  

in yourselves that ye have in heaven

a better and enduring substance.

Hebrews 10: 32-34

    Tomorrow is Christmas Day and many are preparing for a celebration with family and friends and that is good for this day is one to celebrate the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As well as it should be, Christmas is a Day to enjoy with family and friends, to open presents, to eat too much, to spend time with family and friends. Let us not forget; there are those even in your congregation who will spend Christmas Day alone possible depressed knowing that others are enjoying this special day and have no one to enjoy this day with: so are there any in your congregation that you could invite to be with you? Are you taking time to make sure that all of your brothers and sisters in Christ are with their Christian family? It is not too late to invite. Make this a Special Day for someone who would otherwise not have a special day. Love: there is the answer, love as Jesus asked of Peter: "do you love Me? Feed my sheep." To feed the sheep is not just to give food, it to give of yourselves for others, did not Jesus do this? Yes! 

     The writer of Hebrews calls to mind the former days when you were illuminated, that is came to believe in Jesus Christ as the truth and as the One who can give to you salvation, redemption, and eternal life. Due to your conversion you had and maybe now having, some sort of persecution, people speak ill of you, or as in some countries, a Christian faces death, loss of income, or the ability to provide for family because of their faith. Then as the first paragraph eludes too is: "ye became companions of them" and to keep in mind that you as well as your brothers and sisters in Christ have in heaven a better and enduring substance. Do you want a sign of your conversion? Love your brothers and sisters and live a moral life that is based upon the truth of Scripture and you will experience a persecution due to your adherence to your faith. If there is no heckling, or backbiting, or having people speak ill of you, maybe, just maybe they do not see Jesus Christ in you. 

     The Hebrew writer states: "Cast not away your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that , after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and He that shall come will come and will not tarry" (Hebrews 10:35-37). What does it mean: "the will of God?" It is easy to say follow His commands. It is easy to say that but another thing to do it. It is easy to say that "I am a Christian." It is another thing to live as an Authentic Christian. A question: Do you want to be identified with the death of Jesus? To be identified with the death of Jesus that you life will be killed in Him, out of all interest of and in sin, in worldliness, in self, to be so identified with Jesus that you are spoiled to everything else but Him? Remember, the purpose of God, of Jesus Christ is to get us to the place where we may realize all that identification with Jesus Christ means. If your life is hid in Christ, in God, the imperturbable peace of Jesus Christ is imparted to you. 

     When to begin? Now! Not tomorrow, now! Allow this Christmas to be a day so different from the past and include all who need to have association with their brothers and sisters, with family members, some who need to see the Gospel in action. If you step outside of yourself and those supposed needs you will find a blessing that cannot be described in words, a blessing for you and for others, all because you acted as an Authentic Christian and allowed Authentic Christian Faith to guide. 

    Have a great Christmas Day and no matter all that happens your Lord is on the throne, that Baby grew to be a man to die for your sins. Praise God, and thank those who have set aside this day of remembrance and celebration. 

That he who blesseth himself in the earth

     shall bless himself in the God of truth;

and he that sweareth in the earth shall

     swear by the God of truth; because the

former troubles are forgotten, and because

     they are hid from Mine eyes. For, behold,

I create new heavens and a new earth; and 

     the former shall not be remembered,

nor come into mind.

               Isaiah 63:16-17

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Richard L. Crumb

The Meaning Of Redemption

He that despised Moses' law died

without mercy under two or three

witnesses: of how much worse

punishment, suppose ye, shall

he be thought worthy, who hath

trodden under foot the Son of God, 

and hath counted the blood of the

covenant, werewith he was sanctified,

an unholy thing, and hath done despite

unto the Spirit of Grace? For we knew Him 

that hath said, Vengeance belongeth

unto Me, I will recompense, saith 

the Lord. And again, The Lord shall 

judge His people. It is a fearful

thing to fall into the hands of the

living God.

Hebrews 10:28-31

     Authentic Christians are the city on the hill and on that hill shines the light of the Gospel for everyone to see. You are not only the city on the hill, you are the temple of the Living God. Jesus Christ is the High Priest, therefore there must be other priest under His reign as High Priest: you are that priest and as a priest of God you have the responsibility to obey the commands of God. You did nothing to be selected to be a priest of God, God selected you so you must have a worth that God sees in you so that He called you and by His calling you believed: "No man can come to Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw Him" (John 6:44). This baby boy, born in a manger, grew to be a man, so while we celebrate His coming we never forget that Jesus did not stay as a baby, He grew to be a man. We are not to stay as babes but to grow into maturity. 

     Christians talk alot about redemption and there are many different ideas about redemption so let us look at redemption for that is one aspect of the coming of Jesus for all of those called by God, for those who have put their belief in Him. Redemption could not come be a baby, but it did come and in the order of a mature man who lived, laughed, ate, drank, smiled, all that is of man, and then died sinless on the cross. See the Baby? See Him no more just as a baby, see Him as what He is, God in the flesh who redeems. 

     Your redemption is not your experience of Redemption? Why? because redemption has no meaning for you unless it speaks to in the language of your life for Redemption is reality. Redemption must speak into your conscious life. Christians speak of "being born again," and it is true Authentic Christians are "born again." It is not true if the Holy Spirit does not take you out of yourself and your experiences, any experiences that are not identified with Jesus Christ. If a person relies on his/her experiences, as some Churches teach and their congregants practice, then your experiences have not been born by Redemption. The proof of your Redemption is that they are produced by leading you out of yourself all the time. If you deny yourself and convert to Jesus Christ your ground for your reality is that you no longer pay any attention to your experiences, but only to those experiences produced by the Holy Spirit. Some will say that they are experiencing the Holy Spirit and that their experiences are from Him and they may feel this way but Scripture defines what are the experiences of the Holy Spirit are and more often than not those experiences are feeding the flesh and those experiences are not worth anything unless they keep you at the sources which is Jesus Christ. 

     If a person tries to cause the Holy Spirit to produce subjective experiences it will be found that they have taken you back to the historic Jesus Christ. This is why it is so important that at Christmas time, with spouse, children, family, friends, others, to speak about the reason Jesus Christ was born and what He has done to pay this sin debt we all owe. It is not our experience that counts for something, never nourish an experience only those experiences that lead you to God as its source and your faith in God as a result. If you do anything else then your experience is an attempt to lord of God. Question: Is our experience more important to you than your relationship to Jesus Christ? You must come to the place where you do not care about your experiences, only that you are absolutely sure of God. Be ruthless to yourself, quit talking about your experiences. Faith, not just a faith that is in some way not sure of itself, rather that your faith is sure of God and this is the only faith there is. 

     Faith is not some intellectual thing, faith is in the unknown, even though we know much about God for He has revealed to us Himself. Our faith must reach beyond the intellectual and with all effort dissociate ourselves from our selves, your old way at looking at things, and then putting yourself over onto Him. Your introduction as an Authentic Christian is that by God's miracle He called you, redeemed you and then by your will to believe you begin to get an intelligent appreciation and understanding of the wonder of this transaction, this Baby boy born in a manger, Who lived as a young man, grew to be a man, suffered as all men do, and then as one who is sinless died for you. This is what Christmas is all about. Enjoy the celebration, enjoy the gifts, enjoy the time, but never forget the "Reason for the Season." 

And it shall come to pass

    in that day, that his burden

shall be taken away from off

    thy shoulders and his yoke

from off thy neck, and the yoke

    shall be destroyed because

of the annointing.

                   Isaiah 10:27

You are a miracle of God: He called you

Richard L. Crumb   

What Does It Mean? You Are The City Of God!

and let us consider one another

to provoke unto love and to good

works: not forsaking the assembling

of ourselves together, as the manner 

of some is; but exhorting one another:

and so much the more as ye see

the day approaching. For is we sin

willfully after that we have received

the knowledge of the truth, there

 remaineth no more sacrifice for sins.

But a certain fearful looking for of

judgment and firey indigination, 

which shall devour the adversaries.

Hebrew 10:24-27

     The Christmas season is upon us and with all the scurrying about to by presents, a Christmas tree, and to prepare for Christmas day with all the celebration, food, and excitement it is easy to forget that we celebrate this day in honor of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us not forget to add a time to speak about this to our children, family, and friends. Some have forgotten the "reason for the season." Take the time to read from the Bible the account and narrative of the birth of Jesus. Make Jesus the center of your celebration. Add this to all the celebration you will have for what better time is this to remember that Jesus Christ came to die for sin, yours and mine. We who are Authentic Christian take the time to provoke one another to love and good works. 

     How often do we recite the Scripture that we are to assemble together often and to worship corporately with other Christians and come to either make an excuse for not coming to Church, or to come to Church with thoughts about the day, the things that a person wishes to do, and is upset that preacher has gone a little too long in his sermon? How has respect been disrespected by allowing the culture of this day to cause a person to dress as though they are approaching the throne of God and wear shorts, t-tops, jeans, looking like they are going to a ballgame, or boating, etc., and yet when a special occasion, i.e., wedding anniversary they wear a suit and tie. In fact a person would not meet with President of the United States dressed as many do, causually. There is a dichotomy in this thinking and this happens so often by those who are financially able to and have, most likely suits and more formal type dresses in their closets. We are to provoke others to love and good works, not just good works by them but by an Authentic Christian for is a person is an Authentic Christian they come to Church not to just hear a sermon, but to care for those who assemble with them. Does someone in your congregation not able to have good clothes because they are financially not able to have them? Well, how about taking time to give to them so they too will feel respectful, and feel as though they are putting first to God their very best when they know that some look down on them for not being able. This is a time of gift giving, is it not? Are you rushing to leave at the end of the sermon? Are you not taking time to be friendly with others taking time to see if they have a need you can aid them with? Why did you come to Church: to get your card punched as though you did something good for God? You did, but this good is only to follow the commandment to assembly yourselves together and to not do as others who come seldom, leave early, or not attend at all. Is this why Jesus came to earth? 

     Attending Church together, taking time to meet with, not just those you may have known for a long time, but those who seem to never have someone speak with them, or those who are visitors aid all to not sin willfully. We need each other, steel sharpens steel, and that sharpening comes not just from a Bible study, Sunday School, or the sermon, but by our investing time with another. The writer of Hebrews makes this very clear, to sin willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth means a loss of the sacrifice for your sins. No, you do not lose your salvation, God just no longer attends to you, it is like He has remove His hands from you and you now must face this world on your own. Worse, their is judgment and firey indignation that will destroy those adversaries of God. How do you know whether you are an adversary of God or not? It is your conversion to deny yourself and take up your cross and follow Him and He has commanded us to meet together and this means to be intentional as an Authentic Christian to show love and to provoke one another to love and good works. We are not here on earth for self-realization, to be empowered as the world is speaks of empowerment. We are to live quiet lives making the most of the time we have here on earth. Jesus did by coming to earth as a babe, living as a child until manhood, and then in a few short years, three years, He denied all things that would keep Him from fulfilling the purpose His Father sent to do. You have a purpose, it is outlined for you in Scripture. 

     Now as you approach this special time of the year, take time to prepare for a time to remind yourself and others to speak time time the "reason for the season." You will be blessed in ways you now do not know. Others will be blessed in ways you do not know. All because you faithfully carried out the foundational purpose for your life as commanded by God. 

Behold, the LORD hathe proclaimed

     unto the end of the world, say ye 

to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy

     salvation cometh; behold, His 

reward is with Him, and His works

    before Him. And they shall call 

them, The holy people, the redeemed 

    of the LORD: and thou shalt be called,

Sought out, A city not forsaken.

                      Isaiah 62:11-12

You are the city of God

Richard L. Crumb

      

Entering Into The Holiest By The Blood Of Jesus

Having therefore, brethren, 

boldness to enter into the 

holiest by the blood of Jesus,

by a new and living way, which

He hath consecrated for us, 

through the veil, that is to

say, His flesh; and having our 

hearts sprinkled from an evil

conscience, and our bodies

washed with pure water. 

Let us hold fast the profession

or our faith without wavering;

(for He is faithful that promised)

Hebrews 10:19-23

     This is the time of the year that we celebrate the first Advent of Jesus Christ. Some will point out that Jesus was not born on December 25, and even point out that that date is associated with a pagan holiday. Yes, it is not the actual date for the birth of Jesus. I say that because we do not have the actual date. Secondly, yes, there was a pagan holiday associated with this time of the year. When you celebrate December 25, Christmas, do you think of that you are celebrating a pagan holiday, or that it is associated with a pagan holiday? Probably not! Christians are not commanded in Scripture to celebrate the birth of Jesus although we do have the narrative in regards to His birth and the later coming of the magi. The magi brought gifts as was the custom of the day, but they were not under any compulsion to do this for Jesus, they did it because they knew the prophecy and believed that this baby, Jesus, was the fulfillment of prophecy. Whatever date is decided upon to have a birthday celebration for the coming of Jesus is done, as should be, from the heart recognizing that the birth of Jesus was the One God promised to send to the world to pay for sin. We give gifts acknowledging that the greatest gift given is from God: His Only Begotten Son. This Son of God sent to die: for you and me, not because of sin, but because He loves His Father who sent Him, and because as God in the flesh He paid for your sin willingly so you by believing on Him will have eternal life. Let us look back at an earlier Scripture: "By the which will we be sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all time" (Hebrews 10:10). This translation found in the Geneva Bible, the King James Bible is translated correctly, but not the New International Bible, they translate the adverb incorrectly and teach a gospel that is not a Gospel. The Greek word: έφάπαξ, an adverb describing the verb, "we are," means "once for all time." The NIV says: "once for all," and it may not seem at first glance to say anything different, but it does, for in "once for all"  this would mean that this applies to a person: it does not, for it is "once for all time," forever, Jesus did it once for all time, never to be repeated. You are sanctified "once for all time," in heaven you have been justified, sanctified, and by faith we live and grow into our sanctification in this life. It is complete, "once for all time." We can draw near to God with full assurance of faith and now we hold fast to our profession of faith without wavering. This happened because a baby was born in Bethlehem, not just a baby, but God come in the flesh to live and die as a man for you and me. No original sin was in Him, and while having all the emotions, and feelings of man for He was a man, in human flesh, died sinless. 

     When we follow a translation that is not a translation from the majority of texts false teaching becomes the way for people to live and exercise their faith. Error, or heresy is not always about Jesus Christ, but about the nature of man, or sin, or judgment, or matter, that which is fundamental to man. This produces at least in some manner antinomianism, It is true that Christians are not under the law, but grace. Yes, we are no longer under the old Law that was completed and finished "once for all time." Yet, if this teaching, which it is in many Churches that Jesus "died once for you," then why obey any moral laws, everything is possible, for Jesus died "once for all," so if a person does sin, then God increases his faith and grace and forgives. Is this true? Allow the Hebrew writer under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit speak to this:"and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another;  and so much more, as ye see the day approaching. FOR IF WE SIN WILLFULLY AFTER THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH, THERE REMAINETH NO MORE SACRIFICE FOR SINS" (Hebrews 10;24-26; Capitals are by me). To not know the truth as can be known from correct translation will lead a person to think that all they have to do is believe and make some attempt to follow God's laws and then go about and do as you please. If you get caught, pray, God will forgive for Jesus "died once for all." WRONG! Jesus came to earth as a baby, born of a woman having both man and God in union in one Person to fulfill the law, the prophecies about Him until the time for Him to die ending "once for all time" the stain of sin. Yes, we must believe to be saved. This belief must be founded on truth, not misleading understanding of Scripture. Belief is true belief when a person sets aside themselves and consecrates their life to Him no matter the cost. Jesus paid the highest cost, He died a sinless man willingly for you, now, go and live a holy and moral life. It began with the birth of Jesus, now it must begin in you a new life. 

     Prepare now to celebrate the first Advent of Jesus and remember it is the first,there is a Second Advent and just as the first was prophecied and fullfilled, the Second One will be fullfilled as well. Christmas, whatever day you celebrate it should be a reminder of all that God has done. The past is the past, the future is what you live for and all the past can do is remind you that in sin, no matter how good or happy it made you feel, did not give you joy, and assured hope. Only Jesus through the Holy Spirit can, all you do is accept and convert to Him. 

I am the LORD your God;

     walk in my statures, 

and keep my judgments,

     and do them; and hallow

My sabbaths; and they shall

     be a sign between me and

you, that ye may know that I 

    am the LORD your God.

                  Ezekiel 20:19-20

Your faith can have full assurance

Richard L. Crumb

Can Jesus Christ Perfect Forever Them That Are Sanctified?

And every priest standeth daily

ministering and offering oftentimes

the same sacrifices, which can never

take away sins: but this man, after

He had offered one sacrifice for sins

forever, sat down on the right hand

of God; from henceforth expecting 

till His enemies be made His footstool.

For by one offering He hath perfected 

forever them that are sanctified. 

Hebrews 10:11-14

     I must need to explain my position as to the Orthodox theological position in regards to God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, that they are all of the same essence and are separate Persons of the Trinity. First: allow me to dispel the notion that "it doesn't matter what you believe as long as you're sincere." There is a right answer so it does matter. Second: what you believe does in fact affect the life, your life, as an ordinary Christian on a daily basis. Third: I have attempted, as far as possible in these blogs to demonstrate that heresy albeit existed in ancient times, in the early life of the Church and that it was a problem and the writers of the Bible addressed those heresies and gave aid to those desiring to follow correctly Jesus Christ. Also those old heresies are also a modern problem that must be discussed and addressed to aid us in our Authentic Christian walk. 

     So there is not confusion as to what I believe allow me to state: I am not a Nestorian who believed that Jesus Christ had two separate natures, one was a gently Jesus, a friend of the sinner, and had a human nature. The other nature of Christ was that He was the stern God of the Old Testament. Notice the two natures: Jesus, and Christ. To hold to this belief means that you would have to live in a dichotomy world, attempting to please the Christ who as God could not fully understand your human deficiencies and to give praise to Jesus for to do this, to live in this dichotomy God is still being dealt with at arms length and your prayer life will be affected. 

     I am not a believer in Arianism that teaches that Jesus Christ is lesser than God, that Jesus is not an eternal being, rather the highest of created beings (as Jehovah Witnesses and the Mormons teach). Further Arianism teaches that Jesus had a human soul, but it was replaced by the Logos when Christ entered into him. If this is true then how can you or I, or anyone else connect with God? How can this created being forgive if He is not God, for if He is not the one morally offended when we sin? The truth is that Jesus is, was, and will always be eternal, will always be God. This is the simple, even though it be complex to us, in Scripture.

     You may have had or have questions about the humanity of Jesus Christ: was He really human like us? I am not a follower of Eutycianism that teaches that the humanity of Jesus Christ was somehow different from our humanity. Therefore Jesus did not really suffer the way we do, that what occurred on the cross was only an example. Well, if this is true then how could we ever think that we are saved, or to be expected to follow His example if He was not truly human as we are and suffered as any human would suffer on the cross? 

     I do not follow Apollinarianism and in this variant teach that Jesus Christ did have a human body like ours, and emotions as we do, but His mind was purely divine. Sounds almost Orthodox, but is it? No! What this heresy teaches is that Jesus was not really tempted like we are for how could anyone, or anything tempt God? Therefore any temptation was only a play-acting for our benefit. This is a problem: if Jesus was only play-acting how could He then be an example for to be able to withstand temptation? A consequence of this belief is that if we cannot withstand temptation then when we fall into temptation we do not really sin for our response is human and there is no real example that is sufficient to give us aid to not sin. If Jesus could not be as us, then we cannot be as Jesus. 

     I do not believe in Docetism a Gnostic heresy that there must be special revelation (as taught by Bethel Church in Redding, CA. and in their School of the Supernatural) and this special revelation comes to only a few chosen ones. Furthermore, Docetism teaches that Jesus Christ only appeared to have a human body, it was only an illusion. If only an illusion how then would we have a sense to imitate this illusion? Further, illusions do not die therefore Jesus did not really die and this then means that there is no atonement, and if no atonement then there is no salvation. If Jesus did not really die then He did not really rise from the grave bodily so how can we have real hope that we would be resurrected from the dead? There are Churches that teach Docetism or Modalism, and are misleading people away from Authentic Christianity. 

     If Jesus is not truly God, the Second Person of the Trinity, then how can we be assured of salvation and a resurrection from the dead. The Hebrew writer is explaining to us this One Jesus Christ that He is God and is the Savior in every way so we can have assured hope: Whereof the Holy Spirit also is a witness  to us; for after that He had said before, this is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin" (Hebrews 10:15-18). 

     I give to you, I hope, enough information about heresy, about our Savior Jesus Christ so that your faith will increase and your salvation made sure. I will write in further blogs about how these heresies and others have affected the Church and maybe may have affected you. We are to add virtue to our knowledge (2Peter 1:3-8). 

FINAL WORD: I BELIEVE IN THE TRINITY AND THAT GOD THE FATHER, JESUS CHRIST, THE HOLY SPIRIT, ALL ARE OF THE SAME ESSENCE, AND ARE THE GODHEAD. THIS IS THE FOUNDATIONAL DOCTRINE AS TAUGHT IN SCRIPTURE FOR AUTHENTIC CHRISTIAN FAITH.

Turn thou us unto Thee,

    O LORD, and we shall

turned; renew our days 

    as of old.

                 Lamentations 5:21

Live as Authentic Christians

Richard L. Crumb 

How Is It That Jesus Calls God His Father?

For it is not possible that the blood

of bulls and of goats should take

away sins. Wherefore when He cometh

into the world, He saith, Sacrifice and 

offering thou wouldest not, but a body

hast thou prepared Me: in burnt

offerings and sacrifices for sin thou

hast no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I

come (in the volume of the book

it is written of me), to do thy will

O God. 

Hebrews 10:4-7

     The sacrifices of bulls and goats could never take away sins, they are animals that innocently die and have no real connection to people and for salvation. Yet, they did figure or picture that salvation can only come by blood, that a life must die so that salvation can come. The only way this is possible is that the one dying must have the ability to remit sins by death and that is only possible if that one is Holy and within Himself have that power. Now, to those that shudder and object that an animal was killed and that animal was innocent their objection and shuddering is misplaced for do we not kill an animal, chicken, duck, pig, cow, etc., to feed ourselves? Yes! Well, let the Bible speak for itself: "And thou shalt take the ram of the consecration, and seethe his flesh in the holy place. And Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram, and the read that is in the basket, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation" (Exodus 29:31-32). Did they, the priests need to eat? Yes! Did they have an inheritance of land to grow crops or raise animals? No! This service to God of sacrificing may seem abhorrent to us but not to those living in those days when the need for a picture of the hope that they have could only be realized by those sacrifices. But, they were not to continue forever for when the Lamb of God came and sacrificed Himself by the pouring out of His blood, then the need for that type of sacrifice ended. We have an eternal High Priest that entered into the Most Holy Place and continually makes intercession and this by means of that sacrifice He gave on the cross. We can look at His sacrifice and see the same thing as did the ancient Hebrews and our hope can be assured by means of His sacrifice. 

     Jesus came to earth to do the will of God and as the Only Begotten Son of God then God was also His Father. God is not His Father due to God creating Him for that is Arianism and not taught in the Bible for Jesus existed before time began and if He had been created then time would have begun and this is not what is taught in Scripture. To have God to be His Father and to be begotten of God, to be both man and God, then He would have to be of the same substance or essence as God, therefore He is God. He did have humanity due to being born of a woman so that He could be man and meet all the requirements that man was and is to meet. Not because He could sin, or choose to sin, He did not have a corrupted soul for one thing, and the other is that He came to show the way for us to meet all the temptations that we face. Jesus showed us the way and what we are to do if we fail. We can go to Jesus for forgiveness and only God can forgive sins and this can happen because God sees you through the sacrifice of His Only Begotten Son: "in whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins" (Colossians 1:14). 

     All of God's children are sanctified by means of the death of Jesus Christ and if this was not true then we would not be able to enter into heaven and have that new incorruptible life, yet, we live here and now on earth and we must daily sanctify our life here on earth by obedience. Not to get into heaven, rather to live as God's children, to be a witness to God and what He has done through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Blessings come not due to our works, that is to get something from God, yet we are blessed by obedience for this is pleasing to God and blessings come in many and various ways. Example: We are to be subject to the authorities (government) when any law is not in opposition to God's law, are we not? Yes! So then, when a person drives faster than the speed law are they not lawbreakers? Yes! Can they as a lawbreaker have the force of law come against them? Yes! Is there any blessing in this? NO! To keep the law is a blessing, and you are a witness as to what it means to be a Christian, others are blessed. 

    Jesus died once for all time and His sacrifice is eternal: "Above when He said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; then said He, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God, He taketh away the first, that He may establish the second. By which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all" (Hebrews 10:8-10). 

     The question is: Will I, or you, accept the sacrifice of Jesus Christ? Will we who claim to be Christian live for Jesus or for ourselves? Are we willing to do that which the world sees as objectionable? Any claim that we are Christians and do not live as Christians makes our claim invalid. The world sees this invalidation and laughs at your claim and worse, they will not see themselves as in need of a Savior. We are to be the light of the world: "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid" (Matthew 5:14). 

And I will raise Me up a faithful priest,

     that shall do according to that which

is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will

    build Him a sure house; and He shall walk before mine anointed for ever. 

                 1Samuel 2:35

Do not fear those who can kill the body

Richard L. Crumb

Can It Be Believed That Jesus Is God? Not A Separate God! How?

For the law having a shadow

of good things to come, and

not the very image of the things,

can never with those sacrifices 

which they offered year by year

continually make the comers

thereunto perfect. For then would

not they have ceased to be offered? 

Because the worshippers once

purged should have had no more

conscience of sins. But in those

sacrifices there is a remembrance

again made of sins every year.

Hebrews 10:1

     Let me paint this picture: an Israelite is bringing a sacrifice, maybe a lamb, or a turtledove, or some harvest. As he goes to the tabernacle he smells the aroma of the smoke of the burning of an animal. He knows that once a year the high priest goes into the most sacred place to offer a blood offering for sin. Furthermore, he attends all the festivals as commanded. Why? The best reason is: he knows that he is a sinner. How does he know? Because he knows he fails the law in some manner all the time, further he knows that he himself cannot remove the stench of sin from himself, and he goes with sacrifice in hand, attends all the festivals in order that God will remove that stench of sin that he cannot remove. Salvation for this Israelite is a continually sacrificing and the need for the high priest to go into the most sacred place once a year, every year, year after year. All this gave hope that one day this renewal of sacrifices and the need for the high priest every year to make an offering for the sins of the people would come to an end for their hope was in the promised Messiah who would fulfill what was missing this worship for it was only a shadow of the good to come. 

     The writer of Hebrews is making it very clear that Jesus Christ was the promised Messiah, the one prefigured in the Old covenant with all the sacrifices and festivals and the need for the high priest to enter every year into the Most Sacred place. Jesus was the ultimate blood sacrifice for it was God in flesh that died and had the blood of His flesh poured out and it was this Jesus Christ who rose again, alive, bodily, and it was Jesus Christ who entered into the Most Holy Place and that place was at the right hand of God, once for all time never to be repeated and by this sins could be removed for and eternity. 

     There are those in religious organization that would object to my saying the Jesus Christ is God. The old Arian theology by Arius taught that Jesus was a created being and at best then He was "a god." Jehovah Witnesses are Arian in theology and believe and teach the same theology and say that Jesus could not have sinned, or that Jesus could have sinned, depends which organization believes. Well! If Jesus could not sin, then He must be God for only God cannot sin. If Jesus was created to not sin then He is on an equal plane with God but wait, to have this Spirit He and not be able to sin as God, then He must be begotten of God and to have His Spirit and by of the same substance or essence. If Jesus could sin then we would not have an assurance that our sins would be paid, nor would God for He would have had the ability to choose. God would have to wait to see how all this worked out and if it did not work out as planned then He would have to institute another plan. You mean that God could not by His Will establish a plan that would be successful? God would in some way make a mistake? How then could God be an Omniscient God if this was true? The only way that success could be assured is that God Himself would take on flesh by sending the Logos, His Word, the Creator, to be His Only Begotten Son to die and satisfy the debt of sin. 

     Another problem that is having its way in the world is the Mormons who teach and believe that the souls, albeit created by God are eternal and that includes Jesus for He is a soul although the most intelligent soul and used by God to fulfill His purpose to save man from sin. Satan too is a spirit as Jesus and to say that both are created spirits by God is to say that Satan and Jesus are brothers. That is Gnosticism at its foundation. One turned bad the other good. Really? That means that both had choices and once again there would be no way to know which choice either Satan or Jesus would make, God would be sitting in the wings waiting for all this to work out. Of course another problem is that God is anthropomorphize for they teach that He has a body. One false teaching leads to another. 

     All these heresies faced the early Christians and the Holy Spirit inspired men to write the truth so that those Christians would have the facts concerning Jesus and their salvation. We today are facing those same heresies although they are wrapped in some new color, some new cloth attempting to conceal the truth that they are teaching heresy. We have that writing today thousands of manuscripts all teaching the Orthodox theology, accept for those corrupted texts that contain Neo-Platonism, Gnosticism, Sabellianism, Docetism, as found in such translations as the NIV, ESV, ASV, etc. that are used in many Churches ignoring the majority of manuscripts. Ears are tickled, and Dr. Oz, and Dr. Phil type of philosophy and ideology has taken the place from the truth of Scripture, the Gospel has been rewritten to fit what people want to hear and the real Gospel is almost forgotten. We need to turn back to the truth of the Gospel as taught in the Bible, no excuses for what it says, no rewriting it to fit the what the people want to hear, they, we, all of us, not to hear the truth. Jesus is God! Jesus is the Savior! Jesus makes eternal intercession once for all time! Now we have the responsibility to live according to what He taught us as how to live. The question is: Will we do it?

Come now, and let us reason 

     together, saith the LORD, 

though your sins be as scarlet,

     they shall be white as snow;

though they be red like crimson,

     they shall be as wool. If ye 

be willing and obedient, ye shall

     eat the good of the land.

                 Isaiah 1:18-19

The sacrifice acceptable to God: our obedience

Richard L. Crumb

     

Is Jesus Really God?

And as it is appointed unto

men once to die, but after

this the judgment: so Christ

was once offered to bear the

sins of many; and unto them

that look for Him shall He

appear the second time

without sin unto salvation.

Hebrews 9:27-28

     It is true that Jesus paid our debt that we cannot pay to God for our nature so corrupted that we do not even have the desire to think that we are so corrupted that we have a debt. Yet, the truth is we have a debt owed to God and even in our corruption of soul and our nature far from believing in Him or in our debt, Jesus came anyway to not just pay that debt, but to bring salvation for all those who believe upon Him. By the death of Jesus a twofold thing happened, the justice of God met, and by being in the form of man, a real man, Man and God in one person, He became our propitiation so we can be saved and live the promise of eternal life. God did this, even before all time, God ordained that man would be saved through the appearing of Jesus on earth to die sinless and meet all the requirements to be the Messiah. Jesus had to die to have our sins remitted but that is not all that Jesus did or will do for He is coming back again for His bride, the children of God to bring judgment upon the world, to remove all sinners from the earth and to give to all who believe upon Him a life that is no longer corrupted, even immortality. 

     There are and have been that will not accept that simple fact that is revealed to us in Scripture and add all sorts of theological ideologies and philosophical reasons that Jesus was and is not what has been taught by faithful followers of Jesus Christ, the Orthodox belief that Jesus did not sin, was sinless and is God in the flesh and at the same time a "real" man in the flesh. The Trinity has been tosses around theologically by many denominations, religions that call themselves Christian that you too may be confused. The last blog the question was asked: "Could Jesus sin?" The Mormons say that Jesus was just another soul albeit the most intelligent soul and was used by God to create. The Jehovah Witnesses say that Jesus is a god created by God to be the creator, both say He was the Savior. Both religious groups say that the Bible is their source, although both groups have either another so-called Bible, or have translated the Bible to fit their theology. I must ask this question for the Bible reads this way: "All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made" (John 1:3). Ok! "ALL" things, not some things for "all" would include even Him, so how then could He have been created? Next: "not anything made that was made." "not anything" well does that not include everything that was made so how then did Jesus create Himself for if He created "all" things and that "not anything made that was made" that would have to include Him. The Greek word: "ούδέ" conjoins two negatives "ou" and "de" literal translation, but or and, not, the strongest was to say nothing or not even one, so the Bible is clear, that Jesus was not a created being for He created all things and nothing that came into being did not come into being without Him creating. The earliest of Church fathers had to combat heresies that were attempting to make Jesus something other than what Scriptures taught as to Who He is and one of the foremost Church apologists, Tertullian (c. 155 – c. 240 AD), wrote on the Incarnation of the Logos, the Trinity in his apologetics XX1 and in Adversus Praxean to teach against such heresies that we even are confronted with today so we need to know what was understood by those early Christians. Tertullian wrote: "...God made this universe by His word and reason and power. Your (speaking to those heretics and false teaching) philosophers also are agreed that he artificer of the universe seems to be Logos--that is, word and reason...(as taught by Zeno and Cleanthes). ...We also lay down that the word and reason and virtue, by which we have said that God made all things, have spirit as their substance. ...This Word, we have learnt, was produced form God, and was generated by being produced, and therefore is called the Son of God, and God, from unity of substance with God. For God too is spirit. When a ray is projected from the sun it is a portion of the whole sun: but the sun will be in the ray because it is a ray of the sun: the substance is not separated but extended. So from spirit comes of God...glided down into a virgin, in her womb was fashioned as flesh, is born as man mixed with God. The flesh was built up by the spirit, was nourished, grew up, spoke, taught, worked, and was Christ." Tertullian in Adverse Praxean repudiates the notion that the 'mixture' made a 'tertium quid', and safegaurds the distinction of 'substances'. We see the double status, the two not confused but conjoined in one person...The spirit in Him went about its own business, that is, the deeds of virtue, the works and signs, while the flesh underwent it s own sufferings, hungering... thirsting, weeping,... and in the end it died.

      Jesus could not sin, He did not have a corrupted soul as a man, but did have within that Man God and the Spirit of God and He came to die for you and me to save us from the guilt of sin. This can only be done by God Himself not some created being that could sin and choose to sin and then we are left without assurance that Jesus is the Savior and did the work as Savior. If we allow the question that Jesus could sin then we must believe that God is not sovereign over all things and that the Word is not united to God: this is absurd and unScriptural: "I and the Father are one, and I in the Father and the Father in Me" (John 10:30,38).

     Jesus is the Son of God, the Only Begotten Son of God and is God. This the Church taught by the apostles and by the early Church fathers who had to contend with heresy. We too must contend with heresy, but we also need to have information that will aid us to confront false teaching and heretical acts and theology. We who believe upon Jesus Christ have the Holy Spirit to guide us, and for Him to do so we must be moving forward so we can be guided. Will you take time to think upon what the Scriptures teach us about Jesus Christ? If so you will find Him to be exactly what was taught from the beginning of Christianity. God, Emmanuel, came to save you.

Oh that men would praise the LORD

     for His goodness, and for His 

wonderful works to the children of men!

                   Psalm 107:15

Praise God for His Mercy and Love

Richard L. Crumb